As Her Majesty the Queen might have put it, 2020 was an annus horribilis — a truly terrible year.

Still, there were some bright spots, from a communications standpoint, anyway. And there were also some moments where — even when you thought the year had reached rock-bottom — it managed to surprise us all by punching through the bedrock and going even lower.

I asked the LRC team for their best and worst moments of 2020. (Spoiler alert: a bunch of political nerds chose mostly political moments).

Here’s what they said:

 

Jeff Keay:

The Worst:

I’m going to go with the Elon Musk Mars rocket test as the failed attempt to Put Lipstick on a Pig Award for 2020. You’ve probably already seen the flight, culminating in the annihilating fireball. Afterwards, Musk said the vehicle “performed well.” There was low pressure during the landing, he said, “causing touchdown velocity to be high and RUD.” “RUD” is an acronym meaning “rapid unscheduled disassembly.” Or, you know … an explosion.

The Best:

I think the best PR moment(s) of 2020 have to be the photo ops of the first COVID inoculations in the UK, US and Canada. Needles in, cue the applause. What could be simpler or more effective?

 

Tracey Sobers:

The Worst:

The Central Park Karen — watching her weaponize her White Privilege through either willful ignorance of how she was endangering a Black man or because she knew, but didn’t care. And then, after it was all caught on tape, denying her racism. Thanks to smartphones, we get to see the insidiousness of anti-black racism.

The Best:

The partial reinvention of Doug Ford. His steady pandemic response characterized by co-operation with all levels of government and reliance on health experts showed us that our leaders can rise above partisan politics to do the right thing. While all his actions have not been perfect, his folksy and blunt manner left no doubt about the seriousness of the pandemic and his desire to protect Ontarians.

 

Jordan Ray:

The Worst:

All the contradictory COVID communications from elected officials. Premier Ford’s visit to his cottage after pleading with Ontarians to stay home is an easy target for this Liberal, but it’s nowhere near the only example. Who can forget such hits as: “Stick with your bubble but go support restaurants. Don’t gather in large groups, but let’s open schools.” In a time of uncertainty, Canadians looked to elected leaders for certainty and didn’t always get it.

The Best:

President-elect Joe Biden’s digital team reacting on-the-fly during Mike Pence’s debate with Kamala Harris was a sight to behold.

 

Theresa Lubowitz:

The Worst:

McKinsey, Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family. Purdue Pharma pleaded guilty for aggressively pushing OxyContin as the body count from opioid overdoses mounted. The company, advised by McKinsey, “turbocharged” sales and even considered issuing rebates every time a customer overdosed. Outrage over this paid ‘push and kill plan’ spread like wildfire and cut through most other news. All three organizations became front page news for making all the wrong choices.

The Best:

Homegrown Ontario company Chapman’s Ice Cream. Decades ago, the original owners said they’d help the government with cold storage of a vaccine in the event of a public health crisis. Today, their children are offering up their medical grade sub-zero freezers to store up to 50,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. The company also introduced a permanent pandemic pay bump for their employees.

 

James Bullbrook:

The Worst:

All things Trump. The tweets, the surrogates, the cable feedback loop, and the attention-seeking (and attention-getting) sociopath at the centre of it. Most bad PR can damage a reputation or a brand and knocks you off your game for a news cycle or two. Trump PR came within 42,000 votes of driving a nation off a cliff — maybe even permanently.

The Best:

The virtual Democratic Convention. What sounded like boring on top of will-to-live-destroying (a political convention — but on Zoom!) turned out to be a brilliant reinvention of an outdated form that put the emphasis on real people over politicos. Highlights: this incredibly strong young man, and the best speech of Joe Biden’s life.

 

Kristen Gross:

The Worst:

Let’s not forget the #blackouttuesday corporate fail. Brands and companies jumped on the bandwagon while also getting in the way of the movement they were claiming to support. All those companies tagging #blacklivesmatter flooded the channel used to communicate protests and other information.

The Best:

Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez asking the gaming community to join her on “Among Us” via Twitch plus Biden’s campaign setting up a whole “Biden HQ” in Nintendo’s Animal Crossing was a fun and delightful example of reaching voters where they are: At home. On their devices.

 

Lloyd Rang:

The Worst:

Celebrities doing a cringe-worthy singalong to John Lennon’s Imagine. Sure, they could carry a tune, but boy were they ever tone-deaf. Yes, we’re all in the same storm — but we are in very different boats.

The Best:  

Four Seasons Total Landscaping in Pittsburgh, the site of an absolutely bonkers press event. They turned disaster into opportunity and their merch — including T-shirts saying “Lawn Order” and “Make America Rake Again” — is on my Christmas list.