Viral food and drink marketing: Controversy

Cases
40
Median Spread Score
47
Most started on
YouTube23%
First post to peak
7 days

By mechanic

All101Controversy40Response chain37Scarcity drop32Newsjacking29Pairing19Transgression19Creator relay15Sell-out loop14Mystery & lore13Identity badge11Visible in use10Challenge9Remixable template9Real-world spectacle9Maker origin8Dupe economy6Sound or audio meme6Resale market6

Dubai chocolate

66
@fixdessertchocolatier WOW, JUST WOW!!! Can’t explain how good these are! When a chocolate, a dessert and a piece of art meet this is what you get! 🍫 "Can't Get Knafeh of it," "Mind Your Own…

120M views

Just One Cornetto (ReMAXed)

62
Susan Boyle on Instagram: "#ad | Well… it Boyled over 🔥 I couldn’t keep you all waiting – Just One is yours. Two icons back for summer. The @cornettouki track you know and love, reMAXed with the…

4.6B impressions

Dalgona coffee

59
달고나커피, 400번 저어먹는 커피

Peaked at #1

Popeyes Chicken Sandwich

59
Popeyes’ official chicken sandwich photograph in its Canadian launch release.

21B impressions

The McWhopper Proposal

57
.@McDonalds let’s #SettleTheBeef to raise awareness for @PeaceOneDay. #McWhopperProposal http://t.co/GEXRHve53D http://t.co/o3APQ2QzKC

9.3B impressions

Girl Dinner

57
TikTok video by @liviemaher

435.2K derivatives

IHOb

57
For 60 pancakin’ years, we’ve been IHOP. Now, we’re flippin’ our name to IHOb. Find out what it could b on 6.11.18. #IHOb

42.5B impressions

Whopper Whopper

55
Whopper Whopper (Extended)

1B impressions

Frida Breast Milk Ice Cream

55
‘Breast milk ice cream’ now available: What’s really inside

7.8B impressions

Heinz: #FindTheKetchupBoatGuy

53
Heinz on Instagram: "To whoever finds this message, We need your help tracking down an amazing man with an amazing story. You may remember Elvis Francois as the brave sailor who survived on nothing…

3.7B impressions

Taco Bell: Freeing Taco T***day

53
Taco *Bleep* (Commercial) | Taco Bell

21B impressions

A Recipe for Seduction

52
A Recipe for Seduction | Presented by Kentucky Fried Chicken | Full Mini-Movie | Lifetime

1.8B impressions

Burger King Whopper Neutrality

52
An in-store video stunt that charged more for faster Whoppers to explain net neutrality.

4.3B impressions

KFC Double Down Dog

50
KFC Philippines Double Down Dog #KFCDoubleDownDog

50 sold

Salt Bae

49
Nusr_et#Saltbae on Instagram: "Ottoman steak 🔪"

Burger King Whopper Detour

48
Whopper Detour print creative changed a restaurant sign to Billions Swerved.

3.5B impressions

Domino's Paving for Pizza

48
Don't Let Bad Potholes Ruin Good Pizza! Domino's Starts Paving for Pizza

1.1B impressions

I Love You, Colonel Sanders!

48
Official Steam screenshot of the Colonel Sanders dating simulator.

1B impressions

Coors Light: Case of the Mondays

47
Coors Light Chill Face Roller holding a beer can.

12.8B impressions

Doritos Rainbows

47
Doritos Rainbows bags beside rows of multicolored chips, from the campaign designer’s portfolio.

2B impressions

Pepsi Kendall Jenner Jump In

47
Pepsi Commercial - SNL

385M impressions

McDonald's UK: Raise Your Arches

46
Edgar Wright’s office workers invited colleagues to McDonald’s by raising their eyebrows to Yello’s Oh Yeah.

4.4M impressions

Burger King Google Home of the Whopper

45
A Whopper ad whose spoken Google command made nearby Home speakers read Wikipedia.

10.5B impressions

Heineken Worlds Apart

45
A film pairing strangers with opposing beliefs to build a bar, then choose whether to discuss differences over beer.

2B impressions

Budweiser: Lost Dog

44
A Budweiser commercial about a lost puppy and the Clydesdales that came to its aid.

Peaked at #1

Pink Sauce

40
5.3M views · 1.6K reactions | The pink sauce pre-sale begins tonight at 7 PM I will go live🥰🥰🥰 | Chef Pii

200K sold

McDonald's x Cactus Plant Flea Market Happy Meal

39
Despite Sellouts, There's Still Mass Interest in McDonald's Adult Happy Meals

1B impressions

Budweiser Born the Hard Way

37
People Want to Boycott Budweiser Over Its Super Bowl Immigration Ad | Fortune

Peaked at #1

Gay Burger

37
GAY BURGER NOW AVAILABLE IN LA, SF & NYC on DoorDash, Postmates, GrubHub. @GayBurgerCo 😭🌈🍔

McDonald's Big Arch CEO Bite

37
Chris Kempczinski on Instagram: "The Big Arch might be my new go-to lunch order. Who else is counting down the days until it’s in a store near you?"

New Coke x Stranger Things

36
The upside-down New Coke vending machine used for the Stranger Things promotion.

Progresso Soup Drops

36
General Mills’ Progresso Soup Drops Campaign Wins Gold and Silver Lions at Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity

12.83B impressions

Prime Hydration

35
Circana’s New Product Pacesetters Report Reveals 2023 Innovation Meets Consumers in New Moments

$323.9M revenue

Alison Roman’s The Stew

34
A bowl of Alison Roman’s chickpea stew with greens, mint and yogurt.

3.5K derivatives

Greggs Vegan Sausage Roll

33
Vegan Roll Pork-Free

24M impressions

Shah Rukh Khan-My-Ad

30
Ogilvy and Wavemaker: #NotJustACadburyAd and Shah Rukh Khan-My-Ad

1.4M impressions

Purina: Puppyhood

24
Puppyhood

Peaked at #1

KFC Double Down

23

10M sold

Whopper Sacrifice

18
Whopper Sacrifice Facebook application shown in the campaign portfolio

Haidilao’s Kemusan dance wave

10

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