"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."
"Dead cartoon owls, brain-rot cookie content, fake rebrands, and library thirst traps. Welcome to the era of DGAF branding. 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 ditching polished ads in favor of chaotic, irreverent online content that generates viral engagement and measurable returns. Examples include Nutter Butter's unsettling TikToks, California Pizza Kitchen's fake midlife crisis, Duolingo "killing" its iconic owl, and libraries going viral with memes and thirst-trap posts. These tactics leverage meme culture, audience appetite for authenticity, and algorithmic amplification to cut through advertising noise. Such stunts often outperform traditional high-production campaigns in reach, shareability, and cost-effectiveness, turning weirdness into a deliberate marketing strategy.
Read at Fast Company
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]