Brands Couldn’t Resist The #PolarVortex Hashtag

Baby, it’s cold outside. Freezing arctic air has blanketed the eastern two thirds the nation — with temperatures in some areas dipping below zero. Yikes.

One side effect of what has become known as the “polar vortex” appears to be a chilling effect on the common sense of brand social media editors. As they so often do, companies have spotted an opportunity in a trending hashtag in #polarvortex and, rather stiffly, attempted to play along.

Here are a few that warrant their chilly receptions:

Crest

Screen Shot 2014-01-07 at 10.38.21 AM

There was so much more Crest — a minty-fresh and cool-tasting toothpaste! — could have done here. But this makes no sense. Is the “polar vortex” supposed to be synonymous with “sweet tooth or “Achilles heel”? Even so, we’re not sure get it.

TGI Fridays

Screen Shot 2014-01-07 at 11.26.52 AM

Yuck. No thanks, Friday’s. We are fighting the cold one layer of clothing at a time.

AMC Theatres

Screen Shot 2014-01-07 at 10.44.17 AM

You got lucky with this one, AMC Theaters. We’re suddently glad this wasn’t the week some zombie pandemic horror movie topped the list.

Corona

Screen Shot 2014-01-07 at 10.47.19 AM
Cold beer on the coldest day of the year? We’ll pass. Hot toddie, please.

Junior Mints

Screen Shot 2014-01-07 at 11.11.47 AM
But if we throw them outside, how will we eat them? This doesn’t seem like it’s in your interest, Junior Mints.

Though still a little cheesy, Wendy’s deserves a pat on the back for at least putting a bit of effort into their tweet:

Screen Shot 2014-01-07 at 11.55.47 AM

Their photoshopped Spicy Chipotle Sandwich weather app brought them 380 retweets and 402 favorites. Bonus points because the burger chain didn’t spam the #polarvortex hashtag. Good job!

https://digiday.com/?p=59969

More in Marketing

Pitch deck: Here’s how Amazon has been selling its DSP so far this year

The 24-page pitch deck for Amazon’s demand-side platform is telling: it puts its off-Amazon’s ambitions in black and white.

Amid sports marketing’s gold rush, some brands are targeting niche fan communities

As the ceiling on sport sponsorship investment rises, room for non-standard approaches is also growing for a variety of brands.

Startups try to make smart bets with marketing budgets ahead of a potentially volatile summer

While summer might be a slower season, it’s an important time for brands and retailers to ensure they’ve still got customers’ attention.