Dive Brief:
- After the hashtag #5worddealbreakers started trending Wednesday because of the Comedy Central show @Midnight, brands jumped into the conversation with a tired joke.
- Brands like Pizza Hut, Reese's, and Chick-fil-A all made a joke about someone taking the last of their product—a humorous attempt that AdWeek points out is overdone on Twitter.
- The same joke has been continuously recycled, as it was a common theme for other hashtags like #5waystoruinadate and #goodadvicein4words.
I ate both of them #5WordDealBreakers
— REESE'S® (@ReesesPBCups) March 11, 2015
I took the last slice. #5WordDealBreakers pic.twitter.com/KEy6as2CxI
— Papa John's Pizza (@PapaJohns) March 11, 2015
I ate the last Nugget. #5WordDealBreakers
— Chick-fil-A, Inc. (@ChickfilA) March 11, 2015
Dive Insight:
Twitter is now so saturated with brands that it is difficult to stand out. It may seem like a good idea to jump in on a fun trending topic and make a joke, but companies need to be careful not to seem tired or redundant. Followers won't find it as clever when 10 other brands in their feeds are making the same joke. A better approach is to find a twist on the idea, like State Farm did with this khaki joke about its "Jake from State Farm" character.
#5WordDealBreakers We do not sell khakis. (Uhhhhh....Buh-bye then.)
— Jake from State Farm (@JakeStateFarm) March 11, 2015
