The best examples of 3 viral meme campaigns (and what they got right)

Real examples of 3 examples of viral meme campaigns that marketers still study

Before we get into frameworks and tactics, let’s start with what you came for: real, wildly shareable, examples of 3 examples of viral meme campaigns that didn’t just farm likes—they moved culture and, in some cases, revenue.

We’ll group these into three big “campaign archetypes” and stack multiple real examples inside each. Think of it as three meme playbooks, each packed with specific case studies.

Campaign Type 1: The Brand That Becomes a Meme (Wendy’s, Duolingo, Ryanair)

Some of the best examples of viral meme campaigns start when a brand stops acting like a brand and starts acting like That One Friend in the group chat.

Take Wendy’s on X (formerly Twitter). Their social team leaned into roast culture years before it was standard brand behavior. When a user tweeted, “Yo @Wendys how many retweets for a year of free nuggets?”, the brand replied, “18 million.” That post from Carter Wilkerson turned into the #NuggsForCarter phenomenon, became the most retweeted tweet at the time, and dragged Wendy’s into global conversation for weeks. It wasn’t a polished campaign; it was a meme in real time.

What made it work:

• The brand committed to a sarcastic, human tone.
• They responded quickly and stayed in character.
• They let users drive the meme instead of over‑controlling it.

A newer example of this approach is Duolingo on TikTok. Their chaotic green owl dances to trending audios, thirsts after celebrities, and fully embraces the “unhinged corporate account” meme. Videos like the owl lurking in office hallways or pretending to stalk users who skip lessons turned a language app into a meme factory.

Why it matters:

• Duolingo isn’t inventing memes; they’re hijacking existing TikTok sounds and formats.
• The “Duo is watching you” meme aligns with the app’s core behavior: daily streak pressure.
• It’s low production, high personality—perfect for TikTok’s culture.

Then there’s Ryanair on TikTok, another of the best examples of meme‑first branding. They slap their logo on a human face filter and film the plane “talking” into the camera, using trending audios to roast passengers, competitors, and even themselves. The self‑aware cheapness of the content matches the airline’s low‑cost reputation.

These three together give you solid examples of 3 examples of viral meme campaigns where the brand itself is the meme:

• Wendy’s: roast culture and reply memes
• Duolingo: chaotic mascot + trending audios
• Ryanair: self‑dragging, talking‑plane POV

They’re different flavors of the same strategy: pick a personality, commit to the bit, and let the internet remix you.

Campaign Type 2: The Meme‑Hijack Moment (Netflix, McDonald’s, Popeyes, Barbie)

Another category of examples of 3 examples of viral meme campaigns comes from brands that jump on existing memes at exactly the right moment.

Think about Netflix and the “Is this a pigeon?” meme. The original image is a still from the 1990s anime The Brave Fighter of Sun Fighbird, where a character mistakes a butterfly for a pigeon. The frame—guy holding out his hand, text “Is this a ___?”—became a classic internet meme.

Netflix’s social team started using the format to describe oddly specific viewer behavior: “Watches one episode of a show. Is this my personality now?” It worked because:

• They didn’t over‑brand it. They used the meme template as‑is.
• The joke was about viewers, not Netflix itself.
• It acknowledged real streaming habits with a wink.

Another sharp example of meme‑hijacking is McDonald’s and the Grimace Shake. In 2023, the limited‑edition purple shake for Grimace’s birthday accidentally became TikTok horror content. Users filmed themselves drinking the shake and then cutting to chaotic, horror‑movie aftermath scenes—lying on the ground, covered in purple, “possessed” by Grimace.

McDonald’s didn’t shut it down. They leaned in with light‑touch acknowledgment posts and let the meme run. Result: massive organic reach, sold‑out shakes in many locations, and a character from the 1970s suddenly relevant to Gen Z.

Then there’s Popeyes and the “Woman Yelling at a Cat” / chicken sandwich meme wave. When their chicken sandwich launched in 2019, the internet basically turned it into a meme war between Popeyes and Chick‑fil‑A. Reaction images, side‑by‑side comparisons, and “I’ll fight for this sandwich” jokes flooded timelines. Popeyes amplified the chaos with simple, confident responses like “y’all good?” and retweeted fan memes instead of trying to overproduce their own.

Fast‑forward to the Barbie (2023) marketing machine, which is one of the best examples of meme‑aware campaign planning. The “This Barbie is a ___” poster meme exploded when Warner Bros. launched a character poster generator. People put themselves, their pets, and random politicians into Barbie frames. The studio didn’t fight the off‑brand uses; they let the meme spiral, knowing every edit still advertised the movie.

These are powerful real examples of brands using memes that already existed or tools that encouraged meme creation:

• Netflix: repurposing a classic format
• McDonald’s: letting horror‑core TikTok run wild with Grimace
• Popeyes: amplifying user‑made sandwich memes
• Barbie: turning character posters into a participatory meme template

Campaign Type 3: The Low‑Budget Meme That Sells Product (Ocean Spray, Little Moon, Stanley)

Some of the best examples of 3 examples of viral meme campaigns started with one random person posting something oddly specific—and brands being smart enough not to ruin it.

The Ocean Spray x “Dreams” skateboarder is textbook. In 2020, TikTok user Nathan Apodaca (@420doggface208) filmed himself skateboarding down a road, drinking Ocean Spray cranberry juice straight from the bottle, and vibing to Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams.” No brand deal. Just vibes.

The video became a meme template: people recreated it with their own twist, different drinks, different songs, or absurd vehicles. Ocean Spray responded by gifting Nathan a truck filled with cranberry juice and sharing the moment publicly. Sales reportedly spiked, and the brand got a wave of free goodwill.

Then there’s Little Moons mochi on TikTok in the UK. The product had been around for years, but in 2021 TikTok creators started posting “Little Moons mochi ice cream haul” and “I finally found them!” videos. The hunt itself became the meme: people filmed themselves going to multiple grocery stores just to track them down.

Key pattern:

• The meme wasn’t “haha look at this brand.” It was “I’m on a quest and you’re coming with me.”
• Little Moons amplified the hype, but didn’t over‑polish their own content.

A newer example of this product‑driven meme wave is Stanley cups on TikTok. The meme isn’t just the cup; it’s the obsession. Videos show entire walls of color‑coded Stanley collections, partners joking about “her emotional support cup,” and people dramatizing the cup surviving car fires or dramatic falls. One viral clip of a Stanley tumbler surviving a car fire with ice still inside turned into a massive PR moment when the brand offered to replace the user’s car.

Again, the pattern across these examples of 3 examples of viral meme campaigns:

• The audience creates the initial meme.
• The brand responds in a human, generous, or funny way.
• The response itself becomes part of the meme narrative.

What these examples of 3 viral meme campaigns have in common

Across all these examples of 3 examples of viral meme campaigns, a few patterns show up again and again:

1. They move at the speed of the feed.
The Wendy’s nugget tweet, Grimace Shake videos, and Dream skateboard clip all took off because someone on the brand or creator side reacted quickly. By the time a traditional approval chain kicks in, the meme is usually over.

Research on digital attention spans and real‑time communication backs this up: social content performs better when it aligns with current conversation cycles rather than lagging behind them. While not meme‑specific, communication studies on virality and timing from institutions like Harvard University and MIT emphasize speed and social proof as core ingredients.

2. They feel like inside jokes, not ads.
The best examples don’t scream “campaign.” They feel like you’ve walked into a joke that everyone already gets. Duolingo threatening your streak, Ryanair roasting its own cheap flights, or Barbie posters declaring “This Barbie is depressed but trying her best” all mirror how people already talk online.

Psychology and marketing research from places like the American Psychological Association has long shown that humor and self‑deprecation can increase likability and reduce resistance to persuasion—exactly what you want when you’re trying to sell with memes instead of hard pitches.

3. They let the audience do most of the creative work.
Look at these real examples:

• Barbie gave people a generator; the internet did the rest.
• Ocean Spray let people remix the skateboarder vibe.
• McDonald’s watched users turn a purple shake into horror cinema.

This is user‑generated content with a meme twist: you’re not just asking for reviews or testimonials; you’re giving people a format that’s fun to play with.

4. They’re self‑aware about brand perception.
Ryanair knows it’s cheap. Stanley knows it’s become a personality trait. Popeyes knows its sandwich started an actual culture war. The humor works because it acknowledges what people already say privately.

How to adapt these examples of 3 examples of viral meme campaigns to your brand

You can’t copy‑paste Wendy’s tone or Duolingo’s chaos, but you can borrow the mechanics behind these best examples.

Start with your “memeable truth.”
What do people already joke about with your product or industry?

• A fitness app: the eternal “I’ll start Monday” meme
• A project management tool: “This meeting could’ve been a comment”
• A coffee brand: “I’m 90% caffeine and 10% bad decisions”

Your most powerful meme campaigns will exaggerate that truth, not fight it.

Use existing formats instead of inventing your own.
Most of the best examples of 3 viral meme campaigns use formats people already recognize:

• Image macro templates (“Is this a pigeon?”, “Woman yelling at a cat”)
• TikTok audios and trends (dance challenges, POV storytelling)
• Poster or cover generators (Barbie, fake Spotify covers, etc.)

You’re not trying to birth the next global meme from scratch; you’re trying to plug into the ones people are already using this week.

Give your audience something easy to remix.
Follow the Barbie and Ocean Spray pattern:

• Provide a simple visual or audio hook.
• Make it easy for people to put themselves into the story.
• Reward or highlight the funniest or most creative versions.

Even small brands can do this. For example, a local coffee shop could:

• Post a simple caption format: “This latte is for people who ___” and invite comments.
• Turn the best comments into meme images or TikToks.
• Feature customers reenacting their own jokes.

FAQ: examples of meme campaigns, best practices, and guardrails

Q: What are some other real examples of viral meme campaigns beyond the big global brands?
A: Smaller‑scale examples include local restaurants jumping on “NPC streamer” trends on TikTok, indie bookstores using “sad girl autumn” memes to recommend books, or niche SaaS tools using “distracted boyfriend”‑style templates to joke about switching from spreadsheets. They don’t always hit global virality, but they can dominate a niche feed, which is often more valuable.

Q: How do I know if a meme format is safe for my brand?
A: Before you touch a meme, search it across platforms and check its origins. Some formats look harmless but are tied to darker subcultures or offensive jokes. When in doubt, skip it. General digital literacy resources from organizations like Stanford University and media literacy initiatives can help teams get better at vetting trends.

Q: Can B2B brands use memes without looking cringe?
A: Yes, but the bar is higher. Your best examples will usually focus on shared workplace pain: endless meetings, confusing spreadsheets, bad slide decks, confusing acronyms. Keep the humor specific and grounded in real frustrations your audience actually has. Think “LinkedIn‑safe chaos,” not full TikTok unhinged.

Q: Do I need a huge budget to create something like these examples of 3 examples of viral meme campaigns?
A: Not at all. Many of the best examples—Ocean Spray’s skateboarder, Grimace Shake horror edits, Little Moons mochi hunts—were shot on phones. Budget matters more for monitoring, moderation, and rapid response than for production value.

Q: What’s one example of a meme campaign mistake to avoid?
A: The biggest one: forcing your brand into a serious or tragic news moment with a meme format. If the topic is sensitive, skip the jokes. Also avoid over‑explaining the meme in the caption; if you have to explain it, it’s not for your audience.

If you treat these stories as living playbooks instead of internet folklore, you’ll start to see opportunities everywhere: that odd customer habit, that running office joke, that one review you screenshotted because it was unhinged. Those are the seeds of your next campaign—and maybe the next entry in someone else’s list of examples of 3 examples of viral meme campaigns a year from now.