Social Spotlight

From viral challenges to iconic memes, social media trends are a part of culture that changes everything from our humor to our style to yes, even our marketing. Here’s a couple of our favorite recent viral moments that marketers were quick to catch and take advantage of.

Black Hole

One small step for man, one giant opportunity for marketers! Brands were quick to capitalize on the viral black hole photo that took the scientific world and social media world by storm. The groundbreaking photo was the lead story of news sources around the world, and the lead social media post for many businesses as well. Here’s a few well-known brands that made the most of the cosmic celebration.

Dunkin’ Donuts

Who knew black holes were donut shaped? Upon discovering this, Dunkin’ Donuts was quick to take advantage by pasting their classic glazed donut over the viral photo. To their credit, it fits perfectly and does make us grateful the closest location is less than a lightyear away.

Red Lobster

Another hunger inducing black hole tweet. Red Lobster’s most iconic menu item may be their delicious cheddar biscuits that are difficult not to fill up on before you even order. They shared a video of the black hole photo gradually coming to clarity as a glowing cheddar biscuit that looks good enough to eat.

Denny’s

Will a black hole or a black coffee wake you up quicker? Denny’s decided black coffee. They shared a picture of a mug of their coffee taken from a nearly identical angle of the black hole shot, joking that it took years of work for scientists to create (probably fueled by coffee along the way)

Game of Thrones

Winter has come and so has the social sweep of Game of Thrones. Whether or not you were a part of the 17.4 million viewers that tuned in for the season premiere, if you have social media you’ve probably seen it all over your various newsfeeds. Plenty of brands have taken advantage of the smash hit series, and shown their medieval side in their social media marketing.

Oreos

Oreo went above and beyond and not only promoted the show on social, but created an entire limited-edition Game of Thrones themed package. Not only is the package design as cool and dramatic as the show, but it would make the perfect snack addition to your viewing party!

Dunkin’ Donuts

Another social media score for Dunkin’ Donuts! The brand has said repeatedly that America runs on Dunkin’, no matter what house you belong to. Apparently, Westeros does too, and the brand invited their followers via Twitter to decide if they sided with fire or ice.

Johnnie Walker

The long night is upon us, and you’ll need something strong to face it. That’s why Johnnie Walker created a limited edition White Walker Whiskey in celebration of the final season of Game of Thrones! They even got a starring member of the cast to come try it out for himself. The liquor is appropriately suggested to be served frozen, which will also reveal a message on the bottle that reads: WINTER IS HERE. Tyrion Lannister would definitely approve.