Have you heard of Ash Dykes? He crashed into my TikTok feed in August. Now I can’t escape him — and he’s in the Congo Basin.
Back in August, his popularity seemed lukewarm. As I write this in early October, TikTok has identified him as a No. 1 trending creator. Why?
He’s attempting something I’m calling a stunt. And RockTernative radio should pay attention.
700 Kilometers of Madness
What Ash is doing sounds crazy. He and his two-man crew are attempting 700-plus kilometers in inflatable kayaks on the Sangha River through the Congo Basin, one of the most dangerous stretches of water and land in the world.
Hippos, crocs, gorillas, forest elephants, snakes, parasites and malaria, huge tigerfish that are the OG piranhas, unbearable heat and humidity, no clean water, no McDonald’s, no urgent care and even Mami Wata, a supernatural spirit locals say you want no part of.
It’s madness.
Ash knows what he’s doing. He’s a five-time world-record holder who has taken on Mongolia, Madagascar, the Yangtze and more. His TikTok and YouTube content for this voyage has been world-class. This isn’t some random guy doing some random sh!t in a kayak.
I’m all in. I even got roped into a chat group about this goddamned Congo Basin trip. I’m emotionally invested. Will he make it? Will his crew? One stroke of bad luck or upsetting the wrong creature could tragically end it all in seconds.
The Part Radio Should Steal
But I’m also watching as a strategist. At a time when standing out has never been more challenging, a guy in an inflatable kayak has managed to do it.
Calling it a “stunt” isn’t meant to cheapen Ash’s work. It’s his passion, business and livelihood. For radio, stunts alone won’t make a brand or show great. But the right one can create attention no marketing budget can buy, if the right pieces are in place.
For starters, it can’t just be, “Look at me, look at what I’m doing.” There must be something in it for the listeners — participation, charity, curiosity or an emotional interest in the outcome.
And stunts don’t need to be death-defying — they can take place in the studio or at a client location instead of on a river full of killers. Radio stunts aren’t new, but they’re less common now, when we arguably need them more. Here’s one of my favorites from before I even got into radio.
103.5 The Fox/KRFX/Denver. 1990. The Broncos hit a losing streak. “G-Man,” the sports guy on The Lewis & Floorwax Show, pledged to live on a billboard until they won.
He ended up spending 33 snowy days and nights up there. National media arrived, crowds gathered daily, and money was raised for local homeless charities. It became Denver’s biggest story for a month — with major suspense every Sunday. Will the Broncos finally win? Can G-Man come down?
I’m not suggesting brands need to stick their morning host on a billboard or drop the promotions director into hippo water. The value here is demonstrating the power of creating something with interest and an ending no one knows.
No Hippos Required
Stunts can be simple, with little or no budget:
- “We’re eating nothing but pork and beans until Weezer adds our city to their tour.”
- “Producer Felix claims he can get backstage at the Foo Fighters show. He has no credentials. He has seven days, otherwise he walks 13 miles to the show and begs to get in.”
- “Our boss says no one under 30 cares about Led Zeppelin. If we get 100+ under 30s to meet us Friday morning at XXX, the boss pays for a tribute show with ‘Black Dog.’”
- “We heard you — we play RHCP and Linkin Park too much. Which one goes? You have one week to vote. One will be banished until 2027.” (Relax: It’ll make noise, and you can survive the holiday weeks without the five or six songs.)
From Interest to Anticipation
Many of radio’s attempts at creating buzz are just instructions: listen, text, enter, win. There’s room for that, but those feel like predictable business deals. A great stunt turns interest into anticipation. Listeners follow, maybe argue, and return later because the outcome is unresolved.
That’s what Ash Dykes has created. The dangers of the Congo Basin generated interest, but the real magic is what’s keeping people around and luring them back. The outcome. Will he make it?
Your brand doesn’t need to survive malaria or avoid becoming croc soup. But every so often, it should get out of the lazy river.
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