LibraryNowOriginsOddsMechanicsMCP

Kinds

Campaign380Product91Food & drink27App & software56Film24Series24Music60Game115Book22Creator moment54Meme & format109Trend & aesthetic38Activity58Moment89
PricingPrivacyTermsRefundsPress
Library/Campaign/Amtrak’s “trains” tweet
Grade B22 sourcesHIS-00502

Amtrak’s “trains” tweet

Campaign · 2022 · Niche

35Editable slideCertificate

A one-word Amtrak post became a brand template; its live counter showed 145K likes.

Amtrak

@Amtrak · Sep 1, 2022

trains

145.6K2.5K
Original · @Amtrak

Amtrak

@Amtrak · Sep 1, 2022

18.3K130
Post · @Amtrak on X

The Washington Post

@washingtonpost · Sep 1, 2022

news

32.9K1.8K
Post · @washingtonpost on X

Amtrak

@Amtrak · Sep 2, 2022

and trains

21.9K216
Post · @Amtrak on X

Amtrak

@Amtrak · Sep 2, 2022

yesterday was weird. anyway it's still trains.

21K167
Post · @Amtrak on X

Wingstop

@wingstop · Sep 7, 2022

fuck

446.2K7.1K
Post · @wingstop on X

BART

@SFBART · Sep 1, 2022

first x.com/SFBART/status/…

BART@SFBART

trains

5K20
Post · @SFBART on X

NPR

@NPR · Sep 1, 2022

radio

3.7K172
Post · @NPR on X

CNN

@CNN · Sep 1, 2022

breaking news

194.9K7K
Post · @CNN on X

NASA

@NASA · Sep 1, 2022

universe

91.9K1.6K
Post · @NASA on X

Microsoft

@Microsoft · Sep 1, 2022

technology

30.8K595
Post · @Microsoft on X

Domino's Pizza

@dominos · Sep 1, 2022

pineapple

14.6K828
Post · @dominos on X

President Biden Archived

@POTUS46Archive · Sep 2, 2022

democracy

298.5K27.3K
Post · @POTUS46Archive on X

Vodafone España

@vodafone_es · Sep 2, 2022

conectividad

2823
Post · @vodafone_es on X
@SFBART
@Amtrak on X
@SFBART
@Amtrak on X
Several companies and organisations have jumped on a viral Twitter trend and are sending out one-word tweets. However, the origins of the meme remain unclear.
SBS News
Amtrak’s “Trains” Tweet Went Through Seven Rounds of Revisions
Link in Bio / Rachel Karten
Brands Tweeting One Word | Know Your Meme
Know Your Meme
鉄道会社「列車」メディア「ニュース」バイデン大統領「民主主義」アメリカのTwitterで一言仕事紹介みたいのが一夜にして大流行してしまうｗｗｗｗｗｗｗ : ハムスター速報
Hamster Sokuho
Timing y personalidad de marca, en la tendencia de los tuits de una sola palabra
Reason Why
Top 10 Twitter Best Practices for 2023
Rival IQ

Spread Score

How it works
ReachNo data yetContagionNo data yetBreadth40Velocity25Longevity3735

Numbers

Seed to peak
1 day
Sep 1 ’22 to Sep 2 ’22
Platforms
4
Started on X
Origin
Seeded
Auto & mobility

Mechanics

  • Remixable templatePrimary
  • Brand pile-on
  • Political adoption
  • Platform jump
  • Press loop

How it spread

Trace the origin

Amtrak posted “trains”. Newsrooms, restaurants and government accounts copied the one-word format; Biden joined and Amtrak replied. Reddit users asked what it meant. Amtrak later said the seed was a planned experiment.

Google searchesAug ’22SepOctNovDecFeb ’23MarPeakXRedditPressOpen web
XRedditPressOpen web

14 more events on this chart

Join free to see them

Timeline (17)

  1. September 2022

    @Amtrak seed · Sep 1 ’22

    Amtrak posted the single word “trains”.[1]

    Open the first post ↗

  2. @Amtrak owner response · Sep 1 ’22

    Amtrak replied after BART claimed it had posted “trains” first.[2]

    @SFBART

  3. Newsrooms, restaurants and NASA platform jump · Sep 1 ’22

    Newsrooms, restaurants and NASA adapted the one-word format for their own accounts.[3][4][5][6][7][8]

Origin
Seeded
Sector
Auto & mobility
Region
US
Reported figure
—
Evidence
Grade B

Spread the same way

Mannequin Challenge

X · 2016

63
Mannequin challenge Done by 100+ Engineering Students at University of Jordan, Collaboration with Wikimedia Levant

60K derivatives

KitKat (Nestlé): The KitKat Heist

X · 2026

52
Regarding recent press coverage

70.5B impressions

Coinbase Bouncing QR Code

TV · 2022

51
A pink QR code on black from the aired creative, shown in Wavemaker’s campaign case study.

14B impressions

Currys Gen Z Script

TikTok · 2024

27
The end 🤣🤣 #genz #genzlife #currys #tech #uk #fyp #viral

300M impressions

New cases, every week

How the next thing spread, the week it does.

See every timeline

Free account, every case's full spread.

Join free
Log inJoin free
Google searchesAug ’22SepOctNovDecFeb ’23MarPeakXRedditPressOpen web
XRedditPressOpen web

14 more events on this chart

Join free to see them

  1. September 2022

    @Amtrak seed · Sep 1 ’22

    Amtrak posted the single word “trains”.[1]

    Open the first post ↗

  2. @Amtrak owner response · Sep 1 ’22

    Amtrak replied after BART claimed it had posted “trains” first.[2]

    @SFBART

  3. Newsrooms, restaurants and NASA platform jump · Sep 1 ’22

    Newsrooms, restaurants and NASA adapted the one-word format for their own accounts.[3][4][5][6][7][8]

  1. owner response · Sep 2 ’22

  2. platform jump · Sep 2 ’22

Join free to see the other 14 events and the full chart. Free, on every case.

Join free

Why it worked

Do this

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3

Pro opens the playbook, all 7 sourced numbers and 22 sources. Start with a free account.

Join freeGo Pro