"Dead cartoon owls, brain-rot cookie content, fake rebrands, and library thirst traps. Welcome to the era of DGAF branding. In this episode of FC Explains, Grace Snelling breaks down why major brands and public institutions are ditching polished ads for chaotic content and seeing massive results. From Nutter Butter's unsettling TikToks and California Pizza Kitchen's fake midlife crisis to Duolingo "killing" its iconic owl and libraries going viral with memes, this episode explores how being weird online has become a serious marketing strategy."
"We look at the numbers behind these stunts, the cultural forces driving them, and why leaning into chaos can sometimes cut through the noise better than a Super Bowl ad."
Major brands and public institutions are abandoning polished advertisements in favor of chaotic, unfiltered social content that drives higher engagement. Companies like Nutter Butter and California Pizza Kitchen deploy unsettling TikToks and faux midlife-crisis rebrands to spark conversation. Duolingo dramatically altered its mascot, while libraries use memes and provocative posts to attract attention and younger audiences. These tactics generate measurable results by leveraging surprise, absurdity, and internet-native humor. Cultural dynamics that reward authenticity and unpredictability amplify reach, allowing low-cost stunts to compete with expensive traditional ads and cut through the advertising noise more effectively.
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