REPORT
101 Times Brands Went Viral in 2019
We used Iris, Brandwatch's AI assistant, to find 101 times brands went viral this year.
See Iris in actionBrands go viral all the time, for good reasons and for bad.
Virality is as coveted as it is feared. The right moment can transform an unknown brand into a household name, keep an established brand in the spotlight, humanize the brand, and generate positive public opinion for the brand. The wrong moment can sink a brand’s reputation, lead to calls for boycott, and potentially cause people to get fired. Meanwhile, some viral moments are neither positive or negative – they might not have any effect on the brand in question.
In this report we used Brandwatch’s AI assistant Iris to search through nearly a billion brand-related posts, identifying the conversation drivers behind the most talked about moments.
You’ll find out how both polished marketing campaigns and unexpected crises have created huge spikes in conversation about some of the world’s biggest brands.
You can find the methodology here.
Without further ado, let’s get into it.
101 times brands went viral in 2019
101
Adidas Adidas signs Beyoncé for a sneaker deal
Adidas signs @Beyonce to a signature sneaker deal: https://t.co/0xYJDP82sN pic.twitter.com/LgiNMenozy
— Complex Sneakers (@ComplexSneakers) April 4, 2019
100
Adidas Arsenal footbal club's home jersey reveal (sponsored by Adidas)
This is Arsenal. This is adidas. This is home.@Arsenal 🤝 @adidasfootball
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) July 1, 2019
Everything looks better when it’s official, right? 😉
99
Kool Aid Kool Aid cracking jokes
Walls:
— Kool-Aid Man (@koolaid) June 6, 2019
┻┳┻┳┻┳┻┳┻┳┻┳
┳┻┳┻┳┻┳┻┳┻┳┻
┻┳┻┳┻┳┻┳┻┳┻┳
┳┻┳┻┳┻┳┻┳┻┳┻
Me:
┻┳┻┳┻┳┻┳┻┳┻┳
┳┻┳┻ ⌌ ⏠ ┳┻┳┻
┻┳┻ ᕕ( •,• )ᕗ ┳┻┳
┳┻┳┻ / ⌣ \ ┳┻┳┻
— 🅾🅷🅷🅷 🆈🅴🅰🅷🅷🅷🅷 —
98
Patron A comedy tweet does the rounds, referring to the disorientating effects of too many shots of Patron
97
Honda Honda is mentioned in a joke about not knowing what different cars look like
Uber: “I’m in a blue Honda Civic.”
— Sokka Loves Zuko (@KentingtonClark) March 23, 2019
Me: “ok”
Me to me: “ok, we know what blue is”
96
Target Target wins favor from BTS fans
PSA: We got you #BTSARMY. 💜 @BTS_twt's new album drops 4.12. Pre-order yours now: https://t.co/dhylLv8JwF pic.twitter.com/zClUdLUF1r
— Target (@Target) March 13, 2019
95
Apple Not everyone is a fan of how the Apple Watch looks when it comes to formal occasions
Please take your Apple Watch off if you are wearing a dress or formal attire. You look like a spy kid
— lias (@lias__) September 29, 2019
94
Maserati An Old Town Road joke gets a lot of laughs
Billy Ray Cyrus: “Baby's got a habit, diamond rings and Fendi sports bras
— Tom Petrini (@RealTomPetrini) April 5, 2019
Ridin' down Rodeo in my Maserati sports car”
Me pic.twitter.com/MrdfudyIyS
93
Tesla Elon Musk tweets about an upcoming shipment
4000 Tesla cars loading in SF for Europe pic.twitter.com/BODbSzo3Fr
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 20, 2019
92
Budweiser Budweiser's emotional tribute video to Dwyane Wade proves popular on social media
Ahead of @DwyaneWade's final regular season game, Budweiser delivers the most non-traditional tribute video. It's a must watch. pic.twitter.com/WXyk61IDMy
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) April 9, 2019
91
Aeromexico Aeromexico's humorous campaign around Americans travelling to the US proves popular
Mexico's largest airline is trolling Americans and it's the best. h/t @Aeromexico pic.twitter.com/hPvqGnDZeF
— Kevin Sieff (@ksieff) January 17, 2019
90
Tesla Tesla introduces 'Dog Mode'
Introducing Dog Mode: set a cabin temperature to keep your dog comfortable while letting passersby know they don't need to worry pic.twitter.com/xFU6MGZT53
— Tesla (@Tesla) February 14, 2019
89
Wells Fargo Senator Elizabeth Warren goes in on Wells Fargo
A bank teller who takes a few 20s from the bank is looking at serious jail time. But the @WellsFargo CEO can cheat millions of Americans and walk away. That’s a rigged system - and it needs to change. pic.twitter.com/thRT5lTxjX
— Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) February 8, 2019
88
Shell Many tweeted #boycottshell after workers were allegedly told they would not be paid if they did not show up to a Trump speech at a plant in Beaver County
A company that provides paid extras for a campaign rally is making a campaign contribution out of the corporate treasury. And that could be a campaign finance violation.
— Richard W. Painter (@RWPUSA) August 19, 2019
Where’s the FEC on this?https://t.co/YRgBn0niGX via @PittsburghPG
87
Burberry Burberry's Spring-Summer 2020 show at London Fashion Week. Blackpink's Jisoo made quite the splash within the conversation
An icon reimagined for the #BurberrySpringSummer20 runway – a reconstructed trench coat in scalloped wool, detailed with crystal-ring piercings.#BurberryShow #LFW #Evolution pic.twitter.com/x8DaCABSBO
— Burberry (@Burberry) September 20, 2019
86
Rolls-Royce Meek Mill's tribute to rapper Nipsey Hustle references the convoy of Rolls-Royces at his funeral
Aye nip you fucked the world up today .... 50 rolls Royce .... sold out the staples .... bought the bikes out .... had people that don’t even know you crying for you ... Obama wrote you a letter I was like wtf lol You fucked the game up dawg “street nigga dreams” 🕊🤞🏾
— Meek Mill (@MeekMill) April 12, 2019
85
Chanel Chanel launches the Chanel Pharrell collection. Mentions are boosted by an appearance from Blackpink's Jennie
84
Wells Fargo AOC vs Wells Fargo CEO Timothy Sloan
Socialist Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) asks Wells Fargo CEO Timothy Sloan: "Hypothetically, if there was a leak from the Dakota Access pipeline, why shouldn't Wells Fargo pay for the clean up of it?"
— Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) March 12, 2019
Sloan: "Because we don't operate the pipeline, we provide financing" pic.twitter.com/c6cShbStuk
83
Honda Honda is mentioned in another joke about not knowing what different cars look like
The tweet has since been deleted
82
Louis Vuitton South Korean rapper Mino hits the runway for Louis Vuitton in Paris
Looks like @yg_winnercity's MINO is a natural both on stage and on the runway 💯. Congratulations to his runway debut! https://t.co/JtBbuCfhW8#WINNER #MINO #INNERCIRCLE #MINOxLV #LVSS20 #MINOinParis pic.twitter.com/liie7vNG8B
— E! Online Asia (@eonlineasia) June 22, 2019
81
Metlife Metlife stadium announces BTS tickets are sold out
BTS WORLD TOUR ‘LOVE YOURSELF: SPEAK YOURSELF’
— MetLife Stadium (@MetLifeStadium) March 1, 2019
MAY 18 : EAST RUTHERFORD @ METLIFE STADIUM
Tickets SOLD OUT
Stay tuned : Sat 02 Mar @ 10 AM#BTS #SPEAKYOURSELF #EASTRUTHERFORD #METLIFESTADIUM pic.twitter.com/P8nG0NqnjU
80
Adidas Blackpink spark conversation in shoot for Adidas
#BLACKPINK stuns in new promo photos for their campaign with Adidas 😍 pic.twitter.com/A9R63G37Y8
— Mike Adam (@MikeAdamOnAir) October 10, 2019
79
Nike The Wall Street Journal reports 'Nike Nixes ‘Betsy Ross Flag’ Sneaker After Colin Kaepernick Intervenes'
78
Pantene Pantene's sponsorship of the BBMAs is a hit on social
May the best hair win 📨💜 #BBMAsTopSocial #ARMY @BBMAs @BTS_twt #BBMAs pic.twitter.com/Rz0yxGyrsG
— Pantene Pro-V (@Pantene) April 22, 2019
77
Bentley A Bentley fan shares what they'd do with an $80/h shift. Even if it was at a graveyard...
$80/hr? You gmfu thinking imma refuse that. Shit Im making sure each one of those tombs are spotless with the finest holy water. Annabelle tryna visit her friend? Aisle 6 row 3 bro. Might get haunted but im leaving each shift in a Bentley with Casper and his homies in the back. https://t.co/KNnwR3093U
— CoronaVirusKev (@CodeineKev) July 4, 2019
76
Nike A journalist shares the story of a store that pulled Nike products
A sports store owner who pulled Nike gear after they announced a partnership with @Kaepernick7 says his store is going out of business.
— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) February 13, 2019
“As much as I hate to admit this, perhaps there are more Colin Kaepernick supporters out there than I realized."
https://t.co/iAjsYXAb54
75
Tesla Tesla tweets about Model Y
Panoramic glass roof on Model Y
— Tesla (@Tesla) March 15, 2019
74
Chick-fil-A A video of a dancing Chick-fil-A employee does the rounds
73
Louis Vitton K-pop group Itzy attend a Louis Vitton show in NYC
❤️ITZY at 2020 Louis Vuitton Cruise Show in NYC❤️
— ITZY (@ITZYofficial) May 10, 2019
See more on https://t.co/6T6OFr1crh
Designed by Nicolas Ghesquiere
Photos by thomaslohrstudio https://t.co/RkbTBo48Cb#ITZY #있지#ITzDifferent#달라달라 #DALLADALLA@LouisVuitton pic.twitter.com/Zqts3s8au9
72
Gucci Kai from Exo at Gucci's Spring-Summer 2019 show in Paris
In Paris for the #GucciSS19 show, #Kai from @weareoneEXO in a #GucciCruise19 velvet jacket with contrast detail, check printed dress shirt over a striped T-shirt, laced denim and #GucciFlashtrek sneakers with removable crystals. #AlessandroMichele #mfw #pfw pic.twitter.com/VpKSqHnKyl
— gucci (@gucci) October 2, 2018
71
Nike A celebratory tweet from Nike for the US Women's soccer team
70
SAINT LAURENT Blackpink's Rosé attends YSL's Paris Fashion Week show
[ARTICLE] BLACKPINK ROSÉ, Charisma with All Black → Mysterious Visual https://t.co/DgwL41sO6M
— ROSÉNATION (@ROSENATlON) September 26, 2019
📣 Don’t forget to leave first reaction and positive comments on this article. Do it for Rosé🤘#ROSÉxSaintLaurent @ygofficialblink #ROSÉ #로제 @ysl #ParisFashionWeek pic.twitter.com/E771zSDeV4
69
Nike An older Nike ad is reshared tens of thousands of times – it's evergreen content
Nike did it again, I love this pic.twitter.com/U7U0awwOSr
— JadenOrJ (@JadenOrJ) May 2, 2019
68
Staples The Staples Center is the venue for a high profile basketball game
Kawhi Leonard has been recruiting Paul George to find a way to get to the Clippers and LA pulled it off tonight: George goes to the Clippers with Leonard, and together they walk into Staples Center to go head-to-head with LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 6, 2019
67
Adidas Willow Smith teams up with Adidas, promoting a 100% recycled shoe
Willow smith has teamed up with adidas to create a 100% recycled shoe pic.twitter.com/j7BaJucdOQ
— ☆ (@piscesfiles) April 17, 2019
66
McDonald's A video circulates in which a McDonald's employee uses a racial slur to describe a customer
65
Gucci Many wonder what Gucci were thinking when they created this sweater
Balaclava knit top by Gucci. Happy Black History Month y’all. pic.twitter.com/HA7sz7xtOQ
— Cocolo Chanel (@evilrashida) February 6, 2019
64
Gucci Harry Styles is the face of the new Gucci Tailoring campaign
In a new campaign envisioned by #AlessandroMichele, @Harry_Styles returns as the face of #GucciTailoring. Captured by #HarmonyKorine, #HarryStyles plays an eccentric yet nonchalant character accompanied by a gang of animals.
— gucci (@gucci) May 21, 2019
Music: “Shower In The Rain”
Softboiled Eggies pic.twitter.com/Xjbu6cLcyh
63
Versace Exo member Chanyeol makes an appearance at a Versace event in Hong Kong
190426 VERSACE IN HONG KONG 찬열 🌗🌘🌑🌒🌓#찬열 #EXO #CHANYEOL #엑소 #봄여름가을겨울 #봄_여름_가을_겨울 #SSFW #BBMAsTopSocial EXO @weareoneEXO pic.twitter.com/51GDc1Nvjx
— 릿🔥 (@chanyeolit) April 27, 2019
62
Pizza Hut Pizza Hut UK snaps back at Leeds United Football Club
Bit rich coming from a club that hasn't delivered since 1992... https://t.co/v2R2fLhcNq
— Pizza Hut Restaurants (@pizzahutuk) January 17, 2019
61
Tesla Bill Pulte offers to buy one of his followers a Tesla
60
McDonald's Vintage Hercules McDonald's plates hit a nostalgic nerve
Trying to prove a point. RT if you ever had one of the Hercules plates from McDonalds. pic.twitter.com/ADBdSOTaVf
— Rhettski (@RhettKoper) January 18, 2019
59
Tesla Tesla shares an update on Model 3s
Model 3s now available
— Tesla (@Tesla) March 1, 2019
Standard Range: 220mi, $35k
Standard Range Plus: 240mi, $37k
Mid Range: 264mi, $40k
Long Range: 325mi, $43k
Long Range AWD: 310mi, $47k
Performance AWD: 310mi, $58k, 0-60 mph in 3.2s!
https://t.co/RNnGdonjSr
(prices before incentives)
58
PayPal Ex-UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown calls Nigel Farage "the man of the PayPal"
"Nigel Farage is not going to be remembered as he wants, as the man of the people – he's going to be remembered as the man of the PayPal"
— BBC Politics (@BBCPolitics) May 20, 2019
Former PM Gordon Brown calls for an investigation into Brexit Party funding
[tap to expand] https://t.co/4SYt89gooq pic.twitter.com/dUIgsGz3Td
57
Various restaurants A number of restaurant companies are called out for supporting Trump's re-election, with some people calling for boycott
So here’s a list of companies supporting Trump’s re-election:
— Costa (@BillyBobSanderz) August 8, 2019
- Bang
- inn n out
- chick fil a
- Taco Bell
- McDonald’s
- Wendy’s
- KFC
- Pizza Hut
- Olive Garden
- Waffle House
- IHOP
- Carl’s Jr.
So if you see me starting to get thinner and toned don’t ask me why.
56
HBO HBO releases a trailer for the upcoming final season for Game of Thrones
90 days, 23 hours, 55 min, 27 seconds pic.twitter.com/ZxaPAmwf36
— HBO (@HBO) January 14, 2019
55
Versace J-Lo wears the dress that led to the creation of Google Images
54
Gillette Gillette's #TheBestMenCanBe campaign is released
“Boys will be boys”? Isn’t it time we stopped excusing bad behavior? Re-think and take action by joining us at https://t.co/giHuGDEvlT. #TheBestMenCanBe pic.twitter.com/hhBL1XjFVo
— Gillette (@Gillette) January 14, 2019
53
Gucci Gucci release a new perfume
Celebrating #GucciBeauty’s new universal scent Gucci Mémoire d’Une Odeur by #AlessandroMichele debuting today, childhood photos of the faces from the campaign: @Harry_Styles, #ZumiRosow, #UniaPakhomova and #Elibeidy Dani Martinez. #GucciMémoire https://t.co/KQnDg3Imco pic.twitter.com/uHkeKgvETl
— gucci (@gucci) August 1, 2019
52
ITV BTS appear on ITV show Britain's Got Talent
WOW! #BTS smashing it on #BGT! 🙌😍🎉@BTS_twt #BTSonBGT #BTSinLondon @BGT pic.twitter.com/Ht2LdzS1XX
— ITV (@ITV) May 30, 2019
51
Tesla Elon Musk posts an interesting tweet...
Tesla is going to develop a quiet, electric leafblower
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 23, 2019
50
Samsung Samsung's August event shares the latest innovations
Samsung #GalaxyNote10 🤝PC. Working seamlessly together, so you can focus on what you love 👍. #SamsungEvent pic.twitter.com/NywmwNnBBL
— Windows (@Windows) August 7, 2019
49
MTV MTV news tweets footage of Detective Pikachu dancing to BTS and of course it went crazy
No one:
— MTV NEWS (@MTVNEWS) May 10, 2019
MTV News: What if Pikachu was dancing to @BTS_twt? pic.twitter.com/b3f7LUPvk2
48
Comedy Central Comedy Central takes Donald Trump Jr's joke and turns it around on him
Nah, last time there was a joke at a debate it became president. https://t.co/7glq9lfUwS
— comedycentral (@ComedyCentral) August 1, 2019
47
Calvin Klein Shawn Mendes tweets about his partnership with Calvin Klein (this is not the only time this partnership makes the list)
Thank you @calvinklein #MYTRUTH #MYCALVINS x pic.twitter.com/L7JldrZ3xu
— Shawn Mendes (@ShawnMendes) May 8, 2019
46
HBO The first episode of the final season of Game of Thrones airs
45
Porsche Many, including Elon Musk, comment on the world premiere of Taycan, Porsche's first all-electric sports car
Um @Porsche, this word Turbo does not mean what you think it does
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 5, 2019
44
Burger King Burger King makes a joke after President Trump spells 'hamburgers' wrong in a tweet
due to a large order placed yesterday, we're all out of hamberders.
— Burger King (@BurgerKing) January 15, 2019
just serving hamburgers today.
43
Pacific Gas & Electric Pacific Gas & Electric at centre of social media storm as power outages affect many dissatisfied citizens
PG&E: We're going to cut everyone's power off.
— Carolyn Copeland (@Carolyn_Copes) October 9, 2019
Us: Who will be affected?
PG&E: A lot of people.
Us: For how long?
PG&E: Maybe 1 day. Maybe 5.
Us: Will MY power be cut?
PG&E: Maybe. Maybe not.
Us: What time?
PG&E: Maybe 4 a.m. Maybe noon. Maybe not at all.
#poweroutage
42
Dior Dior announces it will be creating outfits for K-pop group BTS
🕺@Dior will be creating a number of outfits for @BTS_twt upcoming world tour, marking the FIRST TIME the house has created men’s stage wear for a pop band
— DawBell (@DawBell) May 2, 2019
Read more: https://t.co/GrapJKTbKi pic.twitter.com/8nC4OASDJH
41
SAINT LAURENT Kpop group GOT7's JB attends YSL's Spring-Summer 2020 show
40
Calvin Klein Shawn Mendes tweets about his upcoming #mycalvins Calvin Klein campaign
.@CalvinKlein #MyCalvins. Campaign coming this week. pic.twitter.com/durcpJlzYh
— Shawn Mendes (@ShawnMendes) February 16, 2019
39
HBO The Battle of Winterfell (in the final season of Game of Thrones)
Good Morning, Happy Arya Day. #NotToday
— HBO (@HBO) April 29, 2019
38
Givenchy Givenchy hints at the new face of its brand (it's Ariana Grande, and people joked that the silhoutte they tweeted was a little bit obvious)
GUESS WHO? THE NEW FACE OF #GIVENCHY, REVEALED TOMORROW. pic.twitter.com/Ttkusa18ER
— Givenchy (@givenchy) May 9, 2019
37
MTV The MTV awards hit social, and Lizzo's a key topic of conversation
We are still dancing to @Lizzo's performance!!! #MTVAwards pic.twitter.com/YsYosGqzSE
— MTV (@MTV) June 18, 2019
36
Gucci Harry Styles photographed at the Met Gala wearing Gucci
.@metmuseum #MetGala co-chair @Harry_Styles wore a custom #Gucci organza shirt with black lace and organza jabot, high waisted wool mohair trousers, patent leather boots, and a single bee earring.
— gucci (@gucci) May 8, 2019
#AlessandroMichele #MetGala2019 #MetCamp pic.twitter.com/hkOtE8CAhp
35
HBO The penultimate episode of Game of Thrones airs
Me: #GameofThrones better have something left after the #BattleOfWinterfell
— Fotos By Ben (@FotosByBen) May 13, 2019
HBO: S8 E5 The Bells
Me: pic.twitter.com/zFC8X2ispt
34
Apple Bug revealed in FaceTime app
Now you can answer for yourself on FaceTime even if they don’t answer🤒#Apple explain this.. pic.twitter.com/gr8llRKZxJ
— DEAD FRIENDS™ (@DeadFriendsCHI) January 28, 2019
33
Adult Swim Adult Swim announces the launch date of the next season of Rick & Morty
We heard some of you were interested in this information. #WarnerMediaUpfront @rickandmorty pic.twitter.com/UkUINBmw9a
— adult swim (@adultswim) May 15, 2019
32
Chanel Tributes paid to Karl Lagerfeld
31
Apple Revelations at Apple's WWDC, including upcoming Dark Mode
iOS 13 will have "Dark Mode." This is what it looks like.
— Complex (@Complex) June 3, 2019
Thank you @Apple. #WWDC19 pic.twitter.com/YVh7EhxqsD
30
EBay A family business gets a lot of interest after they shared their back story
This is my grandma. About 3 years ago my grandpa pasted away and to try to cope she started making necklaces. She’s tried to sell them on eBay but no one will buy them. She can make them any size, style, and color/pattern. They are $10 pls buy some or rt to spread the word:) pic.twitter.com/zyMkK65CPD
— Aleea Caceres (@aleeacaceres) April 9, 2019
29
Chanel Jennie from Blackpink repping Chanel at Paris Fashion Week
28
EBay A sweet story from a satisfied EBay customer is shared on Twitter
This person sold their VHS player on eBay and got a surprise letter in the mail: pic.twitter.com/oaLV8dUFqR
— Yoni (@OriginalYoni) February 17, 2019
27
Honda Honda is named in a number of Brexit-related tweets, after the announcement that it would close its Swindon plant
Announced since November:
— David Lammy (@DavidLammy) February 18, 2019
Honda close Swindon plant - 3500 jobs.
Schaeffler and Michelin close UK factories - 1400 jobs.
Philips close plant - 430 jobs.
Jaguar Land Rover cuts - 4500 jobs.
Ford cuts - 1000 jobs.
There is no such thing as a jobs-first Brexit. We must oppose it.
26
Nike Zion Williamson injured after issue with Nike shoe
Nike Fires 8-Year-Old Shoemaker Responsible For Zion Williamson Injury https://t.co/aPLeHP7A6w pic.twitter.com/yj3sVApz7E
— The Onion (@TheOnion) February 21, 2019
25
Chick-fil-A An awkward prank goes down in Chick-fil-A
What did I just witness in Chick-fil-A🤣😭 pic.twitter.com/kwoDgTXHfq
— Darren Harman (@darrenharman__) March 23, 2019
24
Wendy's & Popeyes Chicken Popeyes takes on Wendy's on Twitter
Sounds like someone just ate one of our biscuits. Cause y’all looking thirsty. https://t.co/89eqI5vk2z
— Popeyes (@Popeyes) August 20, 2019
23
Gucci Kai from K-pop brand EXO becomes Gucci's first Korean Global Ambassador
#Kai of #EXO (@weareoneEXO) has become a Gucci ambassador!!! He’s the first Korean ambassador in the history of the company! #GucciGlobalAmbassador_KAI pic.twitter.com/VJgVtZZuIb
— Mike Adam (@MikeAdamOnAir) September 16, 2019
22
Nintendo The Nintendo Switch Lite is announced
Introducing #NintendoSwitchLite – a compact, lightweight console that's dedicated to handheld play!
— Nintendo of Europe (@NintendoEurope) July 10, 2019
This new addition to the #NintendoSwitch family arrives 20/09 in 3 different colours.
👉: https://t.co/ga5f9Z7ket https://t.co/Aop6MQi8Zx
21
HBO The final episode of Game of Thrones airs
What an amazing show 🙌 It's been an experience! Thank you, @HBO! #GameOfThrones pic.twitter.com/VuASPpHlkj
— Jon Snow (@LordSnow) May 20, 2019
20
Nike Nike's inspirational video proves popular on social media
19
Metlife BTS at the Metlife stadium
📍Plaza at MetLife Central
— MetLife Stadium (@MetLifeStadium) May 18, 2019
Gates open in TWO hours!! See you soon #BTSARMY 💜 #BTS #BTSxMETLIFE #MetLifeMemories pic.twitter.com/oSBvfawCqW
18
Deutsche Bank A New York Times story around Trump and Deutsche Bank goes wild on social
"Deutsche Bank Staff Saw Suspicious Activity in Trump and Kushner Accounts" https://t.co/FDv1pGs4ux, @nytimes
— Arturo Sarukhan (@Arturo_Sarukhan) May 21, 2019
17
Nintendo February's Nintendo Direct gets fans excited
16
Taco Bell Taco Bell's sponsorship of this Best Fan Army award pays off with a big mention from BTS
THANK YOU guys for all the support this year. So proud to say our #BTSArmy has been nominated for the @TacoBell #BestFanArmy Award at the 2019 #iHeartAwards! RT to vote! pic.twitter.com/0HGuTs2KNj
— BTS_official (@bts_bighit) February 21, 2019
15
Gucci Kai from K-pop brand EXO appears at Gucci's Cruise 2020 show. #KAI_GUCCI20 was the most popular Gucci related hashtag that day
14
Nintendo Reggie Fils-Aimé retires from Nintendo
Nintendo fans, Reggie has a message for all of you. Please take a look. pic.twitter.com/EAhaEl5oEJ
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) February 21, 2019
13
Chick-fil-A & Popeyes Chicken Popeyes Chicken gets sassy with Chick-fil-A
... y’all good? https://t.co/lPaTFXfnyP
— Popeyes (@Popeyes) August 19, 2019
12
Deutsche Bank News spreads about Trump's dealings with Deutsche Bank
Justice Anthony Kennedy's son led Deutsche Bank as it loaned Trump over $1 billion https://t.co/D9GXlrXIPo
— Emanuel Rodriguez (@emanny9) August 29, 2019
11
Samsung #SamsungEvent trends on social in February, with the next Galaxy smartphone being revealed
Galaxy S10 will be available from March 8 and will come in new eco-friendly packaging. Here are the prices for all three variants: #SamsungEvent https://t.co/0gRGLpuODs pic.twitter.com/zL6NvPEe8y
— Gadgets 360 (@Gadgets360) February 20, 2019
10
Wendy's Wendy's do what they do best on Twitter – generating unreal levels of engagement
Y’all keep asking, so here’s your chance.
— Wendy's🍟 (@Wendys) May 4, 2019
The people in charge say if you guys can get our tweet (this one right here) to 2 Million likes, they will bring SPICY CHICKEN NUGGETS BACK.
Let’s freakin’ do this! https://t.co/qrtvWXjj9V
9
Nintendo A big Nintendo Direct broadcast gathers quite the audience
What #NintendoSwitch games and announcements from the latest #NintendoDirect have you the most excited?
— Nintendo UK (@NintendoUK) September 6, 2019
Give it a watch and let us know: https://t.co/XVcoV8AIQ6 pic.twitter.com/QCO5vFO18w
8
MTV MTV's coverage of the GRAMMYs, especially around BTS, goes wild on Twitter
Still not over the fact that @BTS_twt got to live out their dreams of attending the #GRAMMYs last night. They deserve. 💜#TearItUpBTS pic.twitter.com/UUz9xTJF2p
— MTV (@MTV) February 11, 2019
7
Amazon Online personality Mr Beast offers to transfer a $1,000 Amazon gift card to one of his fans
I’m going to dm someone who retweets this tweet a $1,000 Amazon Gift card in 72 hours. If you’re picked but don’t follow me, I’ll pick someone else. (Cause then I can’t dm you)
— MrBeast (@MrBeast) March 16, 2019
6
Amazon BTS share an Amazon promotion in Time Square, igniting interest from fans
#BTS in Times Square! Thanks @AmazonMusic! #AlexaPlay the new album by BTS https://t.co/s7qB7wiWSk pic.twitter.com/seBnhzYFfn
— BTS_official (@bts_bighit) April 13, 2019
5
MTV The MTV VMAs go big on social
YAS! Congrats @iamcardib on winning Best Hip-Hop at the #VMAs pic.twitter.com/kDCKBiaWC8
— MTV (@MTV) August 27, 2019
4
Nintendo Nintendo's E3 presence makes for a big social splash once again
Your favorite bear-bird duo, Banjo & Kazooie, is joining Super #SmashBrosUltimate! Grab the Fighters Pass and get ready for when Banjo-Kazooie arrive on the battlefield this fall. https://t.co/hJmYO8YgVN pic.twitter.com/tsypQJpdBC
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) June 11, 2019
3
Amazon Amazon Prime Day
On the first day of #PrimeDay yesterday, worldwide sellers – predominantly small and medium-sized businesses – saw the biggest 24-hour sales day in Amazon history! pic.twitter.com/cLNPuEr3Ea
— Amazon (@amazon) July 16, 2019
2
Amazon AOC and others are not happy about Amazon's tax contributions
Amazon is paying $0 in taxes on $11+ billion in profit.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) February 14, 2019
$0 for schools.
$0 for firefighters.
$0 for infrastructure.
$0 for research and healthcare.
Why should corporations that contribute nothing to the pot be in a position to take billions from the public? https://t.co/IdsuKaVOTU
1
Apple Apple's latest #AppleEvent, which included the reveal of the iPhone 11 Pro, trends on social media
Apple iPhone 11 Pro starts at $999 and arrives on September 20. #AppleEvent pic.twitter.com/WoUDvboo3b
— Lance Ulanoff (@LanceUlanoff) September 10, 2019
Methodology
We used Brandwatch Consumer Research to track conversation around hundreds of top brands. We then visualized that data over a year, and used Brandwatch’s AI assistant Iris to identify what was driving the peaks in conversation.
The number of mentions you see next to the above moments represent mentions of a brand on that particular date. This means some mentions won’t refer directly to the trend we’re talking about. Instead, the trend talk about is the main driver of conversation on that day.
The only exception is when brands were involved multiple big trends in a single day (in which case we split out the volume numbers by the individual trends).