Fastvertising examples
- Updated: 16/12/2024
- Published: 26/08/2024
- 11 minutes read
Fastvertising examples
- Updated: 16/12/2024
- Published: 26/08/2024
- 11 minutes read
Previously, we covered some information on Fastvertising – the method of picking up cultural trends and contributing to them with your brand in a meaningful way. For Fastvertising to work, the campaigns you produce need to be timely, meaningful, and entertaining. Or, you can pick up a trend (cultural or social) your audience knows and give it a unique twist. But above all, Fastvertising is about bringing attention to the brand, not selling. It’s about keeping the brand and the culture (yes, internet culture included) connected in an entertaining way.
So, which trends do you pick? Well, it depends on two factors: which trends your customers are aware of and which trends you can meaningfully connect to your brand. If you’re a niche business, picking up the trends in your industry can work. Or, combining a well-known trend with your company can also work. Here are some Fastvertising examples of the brands that did it right.
Nike
Creating and incorporating trends in marketing has been Nike’s staple in the apparel industry. No wonder they first come to mind when we talk about Fastvertising.
In the previous article, we mentioned Colin Kaepernick’s and Serena Williams’ collaborations with Nike to create the Believe in Something and Dream Crazier campaigns. The reason why these campaigns left a lasting mark on the audience is because they were released to praise the athletes when they were at the peak of their popularity and were a household name. These athletes also achieved international fame, and Nike was the first to associate the brand with what the athletes stood for.
You can see some other campaigns on Nike’s official website.
Supreme
No better example to illustrate fashion Fastvertising than Supreme – the brand that creates hype with every drop of its merchandise. This move was actually long in the making – Supreme released several items closely resembling LV’s logo in 2000. And that’s when the hype started, ending in a collaboration between Supreme and Louis Vuitton, combining skatewear with luxury and riding on a 20-year cultural hype in the streetwear niche.
Previously we also mentioned Marc Jacobs and their collaboration with influencers to jump on a trend. Influencers like Nara Aziza Smith, whom we mentioned previously, develop trends on their own, so their audience partially knows what to expect. Now, aligning a brand as famous as Marc Jacobs with the influencers’ trends is how we get the ‘wow’ effect, which Marc Jacobs did great.
BMW and Audi’s Billboard Replies
The fact that Fastvertising isn’t new and has been an effective advertising tactic is showcased by the now-famous BMW and Audi billboard replies. Addressing each others’ achievements via billboards started in 2006, with BMW starting the one-upping, and Audi replying in their own style.
You can read our case study on the Audi vs. BMW marketing war here.
No place like Superbowl
If you are a fellow marketer from the US, you surely know how big of a deal the Superbowl is for the US domestic audience. AdAge and USAToday report that it costs around 7 million USD to place a 30-second ad during the game. Some advertisers try to incorporate cultural trends in their ads.
Some notable mentions are:
- Crowdstrike’s Westworld-themed ad from 2024
- Kanye West’s Yeezy promotion from 2024
- Snoop Dogg and Martha Stewart’s BigEZ Reach lighter from 2022
Airbnb Icons
Airbnb recently found a way to tie its brand with some fascinating places and events. Their new Icons feature offers various cultural experiences – from a night in the Ferrari museum to a holiday in the Home Alone movie mansion. This move captures the nostalgia, entertainment, and buzz various blockbusters have created over time.
Rolex
Many timepiece manufacturers strive to inspire their customers using images of and emotions tied to heritage – for example, how Patek Philippe’s Generations campaign encourages people to start their own tradition. However, Rolex often does the opposite.
The Rolex ad with Roger Federer came out during Wimbledon 2021 when there was a lot of speculation about 2021 being Federer’s final Wimbledon tournament. The ad honors Federer’s outstanding career and illustrates how the tennis champion and Rolex are deeply connected.
Now, even Wimbledon has picked up on the Fastvertising method; the team produced more than 1000 pieces of content in 14 days and segmented the whole experience into small, digestible pieces (behind-the-scenes, reactions, warm-up sessions, interviews, matches, etc.), which they then posted online. What stuck? Well, their Instagram account grew by 1 million followers.
Deadpool and Wolverine
Of course, we must consider Ryan Reynolds when we discuss Fastvertising. When Deadpool 1 was released, Ryan Reynolds went to some interviews in full costume and embodying the character.
When Deadpool 2 was about to come out, Reynolds did several skits – a Bob Ross impersonation, a reaction video with Korg – another Marvel character, another interview, and an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
Furthermore, they created a skit in which Deadpool apologized to David Beckham for mentioning him in the movie. This skit alone got almost 45 million views.
Naturally, Reynolds and the team came up with multiple ideas for how to promote the latest Deadpool and Wolverine movie, so now we have a custom Xbox controller, limited-edition Heinz mustard and ketchup, and a ‘frenemy’ themed gin.
Old Spice
Old Spice became a phenomenon propelled by Terry Crews and Isaiah Mustafa. The campaigns, ‘Make a Smellmitment’ and ‘Smell Like a Man, Man’ (both done by Wieden+Kennedy agency) created a great buzz among the community, which in turn inspired a conversation on men body care products, which later resulted in over-the-top and extravagant marketing.
Dollar Shave Club implemented Old Spice’s blueprint, creating a brand that toppled Gillette – we covered that in a case study, too.
Fortnite
If you’re into gaming, you can attest to the fact that Fortnite is seemingly popping up everywhere. What started as a PvP combat evolved into a behemoth within the community. Marshmello first held a concert within Fortnite in 2019, followed by Travis Scott in 2020. Both these events happened because Fortnite introduced two distinct cosmetic items in-game – Marshmello’s outfit and Travis Scott’s rage emote. Fortnite’s developer – Epic Games – quickly picked up memes within their gaming community and created events around them – giveaways, custom visuals, etc.
Later, big names like Ariana Grande, Juice WLRD, and Eminem held events within Fortnite, blurring the line between digital and real-world entertainment.
Hate it or love it, Fortnite became a cultural phenomenon among the younger population, outgrowing its initial purpose of being only a game. Now, it’s an online meeting place for people to play, talk, and go to events. And here is an announcement for the next event with Karol G.
Roblox
Roblox, an online game platform, has also had concerts and events, usually for a younger audience. What’s interesting is that Roblox has had almost 500 events so far. Some world-renowned brands like Burberry and Gucci even held events on Roblox, contributing to their brand recognition.
When brands are on-brand
Today, being present on social media is a must for seemingly every company. And finding your brand voice is hard already; now, imagine how harder it is to act and react using that brand voice and implementing the little details that make each brand unique.
One of the more famous brands that consistently reacts to current events is Wendy’s, which has their own national roast day where they tease and banter with other brands or people.
Being on-brand is a must when it comes to Fastvertising, especially on social media, and the most famous example is when many brands called out a British brand, Weetabix. Each brand contributed in its own entertaining way.
The North Face
And among the most dramatic Fastvertising examples is The North Face’s response to a customer’s video complaint. Namely, The North Face, an apparel company, experienced a viral moment when one of their customer’s complaint took TikTok by storm. Namely, her waterproof jacket wasn’t ‘waterproofing’, so she got soaked in the rain while hiking in New Zealand. She recorded a video complaint, tagging The North Face. The company responded by delivering a new jacket by helicopter directly to the mountain where the customer was. The drama in two acts was packed with emotions – the audience first disapproved of the company, only to be amazed afterward. This stunt brought a lot of brand awareness to The North Face, painting the brand as dependable in a time of need.
@stanleybrand #stitch with @Danielle ♬ original sound - Stanley 1913
Stanley Cup
Another Fastvertising example comes from a viral moment when one TikTok creator’s car caught on fire. The video showcases the completely damaged car, and the only thing that survived was the Stanley Cup she had in the car. The response from Stanley’s president came shortly after, not only giving the creator a new Stanley Cup but also replacing their car.
As seen in the Stanley video response, many people didn’t know what a Stanley Cup was until they saw the video, making this marketing approach a considerable boost to the brand’s recognition.
Below are some of the comments praising Stanley’s approach to the situation, confirming a positive brand outlook.
Although social media is filled with brand-to-brand communication, sometimes the conversation goes off social media and into app stores. Qatar Airways did just that as a reaction to United Airlines kicking off a passenger.
Commentary
One of the fastest ways to jump on a trend is to provide a commentary on a cultural phenomenon that includes your business or brand, either through action or through words. Aligning your brand with an idea or discussing it helps bring depth to that idea.
The JRE podcast does a great job of discussing the latest cultural trends. Or, various other YouTube commentary channels or podcasts that pick up on the latest trends and discuss.
Memes
Today’s internet culture relies on memes – whether they’re text, image, or video – to share a message. And making memes is some brand’s way to go. Ultimately, it all depends on how well you know your audience will react to it.
Some famous brands that use memes in their marketing are Shopify, Google Maps, and Duolingo. Shopify created a meme combining Bernie Sanders and the sentiments of new store owners, while Google Maps regularly combined cultural references with their app. Duolingo, on the other hand, combines its mascot with current events – for example, the 2024 Paris Olympics.
When there’s a hype, there’s a way
Fastvertising is all about picking up a trend and reacting to it as a brand. Often, it is hard for brands to pull it off, so a lot of companies stick to what usually works. However, some companies know their audiences and can pull off riding the cultural waves or even creating new trends.
Nevertheless, Fastvertising is a fascinating method. Considering how quickly trends come and go, picking them up can be tricky, but well worth it. In the end, whether the Fastvertising ad will be successful depends on three factors:
- the appeal of the product or service, not the trend itself
- how entertaining the approach is
- how well the brand knows its audience.