The seven most viral marketing moments of 2023

It’s that time of the year when we take a look back at the year. From Spotify’s Wrapped (and brands’ own spin on it) to SmartCompany’s own most-read lists, we’ve relived some of 2023’s best moments.

And of course, a wrap-up is not complete without taking a look back at some of the most viral and innovative marketing moments of the year. 

So without any further ado, here are some of the brands that broke the internet (literally, in some cases) this year:

1. Frank Green

The cult favourite bottle brand made the headlines more than once this year. And it all started on TikTok with users complaining that they were not being able to fit their Frank Green bottles in the cup holders in their cars. 

https://www.tiktok.com/@moltok1235/video/7183580712107347202?embed_source=121374463%2C121351166%2C71838017%2C121331973%2C120811592%2C120810756%3Bnull%3Bembed_masking&refer=embed&referer_url=www.smartcompany.com.au%2Findustries%2Fretail%2Ffrank-green-car-cup-holder-bunnings-pvc-pipes-tiktok%2F&referer_video_id=7183580712107347202

The solution? A make-shift cup holder that used a PVC pipe from Bunnings and instantly went viral on the platform. The brand saw the opportunity for a new product in its offerings and introduced a cup-holder much to the joy of its devoted fans. Read the full story here. 

The drink bottle brand also served up a healthy dose of nostalgia when it brought back a promotion that sent TikTok into a spin the previous year. Taking a leaf out of the childhood ‘lucky dip’ prizes, Frank Green came out with its ‘Lucky Bag’ promotion, which the internet completely fell in love with again.

Source: Supplied

But that’s not all. Frank Green also debuted a collaboration with the CommBank Matildas to introduce a range of green and gold reusable drink bottles and coffee cups, and a tie-up with Disney for The Little Mermaid film.

2. Bunnings

While indirectly breaking the internet and helping Frank Green launch one of its most popular products, Bunnings itself made some serious headlines.

And why wouldn’t it when singing sensation Harry Styles was powering the marketing for one of its humble products? Styles, who took to the stage at Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium as part of his Australian tour, caught a $7 Bunnings hat flying in his direction. What happened next made the crowd (and later the internet, go wild) — he fit it onto his head and broke out in dance.

@bunnings

Harry Styles our straw hat so well, the best outfit choice IOO 👨‍🌾 ; 📸 thanks @Elise Qualischefski for the footage #HarryStyles #BunningsHat #Bunnings #BunningsTok #BunningsWarehouse #HSLOT #HSLOTOutfit #BunningsPassTheHat

♬ original sound – Bunnings

The internet was then flooded with the viral video and the DIY behemoth took no time to cash in on the free publicity. Read the full story here.

3. Barbie

2023 definitely belonged to iconic women (continue reading below for proof) and the classic Barbie was one of them. From a blockbuster collection at the Box Office for Barbie The Movie to third-party partnerships with Australian brands, Barbiecore fever was everywhere. 

Source: Warner Bros

One of the most viral moments for the Mattel doll was its personalised selfie generator. Celebrities like Ash Barty and Viola Davis also took the generator for a spin and shared it with their online communities, which helped make the campaign a raging success. Read all about it here.

4. Tbh skincare

Also cashing in on the Barbie fever was the homegrown skincare brand tbh skincare. Complete with her Barbie-pink dress and bag, the brand’s co-founder Rachael Wilde took to the streets of Sydney’s CBD to prank fans into thinking she was Australian actress Margot Robbie.

@tbhskincare

Well that escalated quickly… #margotrobbie #sydney #barbie #prank

♬ original sound – tbh skincare

This move was timed to match Robbie’s presence in the country for the local leg of the promotional tour for the Barbie movie. The TikTok of the stunt went viral with the video raking in millions of views. Later, the co-founder also shared some tips for brands wanting to emulate its marketing success. 

The viral skincare brand also made its debut in 857 Coles stores towards the end of October.

5. Matildas

This year footy fever reached its peak with the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup hosted in Australia. An inspired performance from the Matildas saw them reach a historic semi-final.

That moment for women’s sport ❤️⚽️👑🦘 pic.twitter.com/vCgv9m4vxM

— Jacqueline Felgate (@Jacquifelgate) August 12, 2023

While the team did fall just a step short of the desired result, it did not stop loyal fans from coming out in huge numbers, both offline and online. The Tillies’ fans and the players themselves took over the social media feeds of users – not just at home but also on airplanes! Read the full story here. 

BONUS: Who can also forget the viral French football ad that some labelled as one of the best advertisements they’d ever seen?

6. Taylor Swift

Superstar Taylor Swift is undoubtedly in one of the best phases of her career right now. Ever since the singing sensation announced the dates for the Australian leg of her Eras tour, the internet has been in a frenzy — and brands have been trying to cash in on Swiftie fever. 

From wines that co-incidentally carry the Swift name to babysitting vouchers and more, local small businesses have been buoyed by the economic prospects of Taylor Swift visiting Australia. This is certainly not surprising seeing the sale of tickets for her shows in Melbourne and Sydney saw unprecedented demand that sent ticketing platform Ticktek crashing multiple times. 

The situation also resulted in the Victorian government announcing her concerts as a “major event” to thwart attempts by ticket scalpers to take advantage of fans desperate for some tickets. You can read all about it here.

Looks like you guys have solved 35 MILLION total #1989TaylorsVersionVault puzzles! Already outdoing the goal. 🤯

Think we can solve 5M more in honor of #1989TaylorsVersion? 🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵 https://t.co/s11YqIjoU5 pic.twitter.com/IIuTKBoF66

— Taylor Nation (@taylornation13) September 20, 2023

And of course, let’s not forget when Swift sent the entire internet into a tizzy by having fans solve 33 million puzzles to open a virtual “vault” that would also them to access her never heard before songs. Here’s how she made that happen.

7. VB by Carlton United Brewery

The English cricket team refused to share a beer with the Australian team earlier this year following their controversial loss during the Ashes test match at Lord’s in London. 

In a tongue-in-cheek campaign, instead of offering to crack a VB, Carlton United Brewery created a limited edition for the English team ahead of the third test match and labelled it as ‘England Bitter’. 

And of course, it was picked up by several media outlets, including ours. The play on the words was right there for the taking, and VB delivered.