The Most Popular Viral Moments From 2018

For their content marketing efforts, brand marketers have a variety of goals in mind, from raising brand recognition to showcasing their thought leadership to driving sales.

Viral content, or swiftly gaining momentum and spreading organically online content, can assist businesses in achieving these objectives with little outlay while also enabling them to stand out in the increasingly crowded online space.

Investigating these instances is like taking a crash lesson in how to make viral content from a marketing perspective. Furthermore, not all endeavours succeed or even have plans at all. But by noticing the similarities between them, brand marketers can be alert for chances to try their hand at instigating or assisting a viral moment.

Super Bowl ad for T-Mobile

The “Little Ones” advertisement by T-Mobile, which addressed social and political concerns including racial equality and equal pay, produced more talks than any other last year – more than 143,000. Even while the commercial didn’t have the usual Super Bowl fireworks and sensationalism, it nonetheless made a strong point.

Observing International Women’s Day at McDonald’s

Some corporations try to join the bandwagon when the internet highlights a major social movement or concern. Sometimes it pays off for them to link themselves with a cause in order to increase brand affinity. However, it is simple to locate examples of advertisements and promotions that have received flak for attempting to cash in on significant occasions.

Video for The Tide POD Challenge

Brands may find themselves becoming viral for the incorrect reasons. This happened in 2018, when tens of thousands of youngsters started competing to eat Tide laundry detergent PODs. Rob Gronkowski, a player for the New England Patriots, joined forces with Tide to create a film that explains how to properly utilise its detergent in an effort to turn the PR problem around. There followed over 220,000 online discussions.

Colin Kaepernick’s “Believe in Something” Nike advertisement

The Nike “Believe in Something” commercial, which stars former NFL quarterback turned social activist Colin Kaepernick, was clearly “the most talked about campaign of 2018.”

Key Takeaways Companies’ Bad Behaviour Can Drive Virality

The popularity of Nike’s Colin Kaepernick advertisements may lead some businesses to believe that social causes are the key to virality. However, use the McDonald’s Women’s Day example as a cautionary tale. Before joining a social cause, brands must carefully consider whether the cause aligns with their brand’s message and personality as well as whether their company supports the cause in a way that goes beyond simply making money from it through advertising.