Let me age myself for a second to set the stage here: Facebook launched my senior year of college.
Back in my agency days, I worked on the first-ever digital ads and social media efforts for Coca-Cola. I vividly remember making colorful sticky note sketches of 160×600, 300×250, and 728×90 banner ads for my office bulletin board to keep track of these new, weird sizes. It was like learning a foreign language while landing on a new moon…
Fast forward 20 years, as a seasoned social media pro I’ve seen it all. As such, I don’t get overly surprised nor excitable these days.
Platforms have come and gone (RIP, Tumblr), trends have risen and fallen, and marketing fads have given us whiplash. It wasn’t that long ago when we were all about long YouTube vlogs, and now we’re playing a game of “the shorter, the better” to please algorithms.
But recently, I found myself feeling freshly energized and full of passion with those creative warm and fuzzy vibes from what I’m seeing on TikTok.
Something crazy cool is happening on the “clock app” and it’s proving that brand marketers must pay attention and be prepared.
No, it’s not the latest dance craze or trying-too-hard corporate ads.
It’s that brands are going mega-viral without even trying.
Now, I know that’s not “new”, but super fans have been picking up products and running with them like never before. Products fly off-shelves, videos are reposted, sales (and reseller prices) skyrocket, and let me tell you: If your product goes on a viral joyride of its own, you better be ready to ride that wave.
Let’s take a look at four brands that exploded on TikTok and, more importantly, how their marketing teams took note and took action.
Four Brands That Leveraged TikTok Virality into Real Results
I always preach to clients that trying to go viral is a terrible idea. That’s still true. Your focus should be on making content that’s strategically sound, creatively awesome, and that will resonate and engage your key audiences.
In these case studies, the products went viral thanks to their customers and fans, not a brand-led campaign or product launch. But how these brands responded is what you want to pay attention to. You may be lucky enough to need these examples soon, so bookmark this, share it with your team, and keep it handy.
1. Dr. Scholl’s: Comfy Shoes, Hot Trend
Picture this: I’m texting my sorority sisters a photo of my new sneakers, raving about how stylish AND comfortable they are, while joking about how old I am for wearing Dr. Scholl’s. What I didn’t know was that I had stumbled onto a viral TikTok sensation.
My sisters schooled me hard—those shoes? Yeah, they’re TikTok-famous. I had no idea what I had on my hands (well, feet) with this random find from Nordstrom Rack.
It all started when a creator showed off how comfy and cute these Dr. Scholl’s sneakers were while walking all over Europe on vacation this summer.
The video launched this dinosaur of an orthopedic brand into the warm and welcoming arms (feet?) of a whole new, younger generation with 3.1 million views and counting.
So, what did Dr. Scholl’s do once the video took off? They left no crumbs, as Gen Z would say.
Their website now proudly sports an “As Seen on TikTok” banner on the product page and search results, akin to those old-school “As Seen on TV” products you’d find at Costco.
They even featured the viral creator’s video and imagery on the product page. Plus, they’ve quickly rolled out more styles and new colors to capitalize on the buzz.
Some of my more cynical consultant friends think this was a calculated and covert sponsorship, but I disagree. There are no disclaimers or #ad hashtags, so I would like to think that it is very real and really great.
What do you think? We’re thinking we probably need to get their team on our award-winning Social Pros podcast ASAP.
Here’s a photo of me wearing my viral sensation and pain-free favorite new travel sneaks at the airport.
2. Stanley: The Cup That Won’t Quit
Yes, yes – I’m going to talk about Stanley. Sorry, not sorry.
If you’ve got a tween daughter, you’ve probably heard way too much about Stanley cups. And unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve likely seen the viral video of a woman’s car that burnt to a crisp in flames—yet her Stanley cup not only survived but thrived. It even still had ice in it!
@danimarielettering Thirsty after you catch on fire? @Stanley 1913 is like no problem i gotchu #fyp #carfire #accident #stanleycup ♬ original sound – Danielle
That video got a whopping 96.9 MILLION views, not including re-shares and media outlet coverage. 96.9M. (When’s the last time your commercial got that high of a reach?!)
You probably already also know that Stanley’s CEO quickly responded with a heartfelt video message, showing care for her safety, thanking her for being a fan and gifting her with a new car. That’s in addition to their social media manager’s quick, previous responses via comments.
With today’s average price of a new car being about $48,000, I’d say the ROI on their “Stanley has your back” post and follow-up video impressions were likely prettttttyyyy gosh-darned good.
@stanleybrand Thank you for allowing us to join you on this ride, @Danielle ♬ original sound – Stanley 1913
Stanley’s brand marketers took bold, quick action. They took care of their super fan, seized the moment, and showed off their product as high-quality, durable, and way more than just another trendy cup. (And they inarguably went on to become one of the top requested Christmas gifts of the year.)
Kudos, Stanley! Please send me your new Pumpkin Spice Quencher for this shoutout. Speaking of pumpkin spice…
3. “Pumpkin Spice Café”: The #BookTok Boom
As a book lover and host of a monthly book club, I pay close attention to #BookGram and #BookTok recommendations. Sometimes, the books don’t live up to the hype. But when I saw the Pumpkin Spice Cafe in my feed for the 800th time, I knew I had to check it out. (Shoutout to all the Basic Fall Bs!)
@thebookshelfbaker It’s officially cosy season, which means it’s finally time to start the pumpkin spice café!#BookTok #bookrecs #thepumpkinspicecafe #lauriegilmore #cosyseason #pumpkinspice #autumn #fallbooks #spookyseason #falltbr ♬ Amas Veritas – Alan Silvestri
Turns out, this book, written over a year ago, went viral thanks to TikTokers sharing super-aesthetically pleasing, fall-themed videos featuring its gorgeous cover this year. It was deemed the perfect autumnal read, promising Hallmark vibes with some “spice” mixed in for good measure.
And then—boom! It hit multiple best-seller lists. The cover was suddenly everywhere you scrolled. TikTok Shop jumped on the trend, producing an exclusive edition with gold-shimmer leaves, autumn leaf sprayed edges, and dreamily illustrated inside cover pages. It sold out in minutes.
Enter the publisher and UK author. Lori Gilmore (sounds suspiciously like a Gilmore Girls character, right?) has been open about the shock of suddenly becoming a best-seller almost a year later.
All that to say, she and Harper Collins are doing all the right things:
Resharing fan art and videos constantly across socials
Engaging with and thanking readers for all the love and success
Promoting the TikTok Special Edition and how it’s TikTok Book Awards Winner status
Publishing not one but TWO new books in the newly established ‘Dream Harbor’ series to keep the interest (and sales) momentum, including one not-yet-written tome that’s already a pre-order success
By the way: I snagged one of those limited editions before realizing it was the hot item—and let me tell you, it’s gourd-geous! And the story inside? Delightful. My friend said she could, “Smell fall in the air while reading it.”
4. Lenox: A Lenox Spice Village Revival to Remember
Now, here’s a masterclass in owning a viral moment beyond socialmedia. Remember Lenox? The fine china company from the ‘80s? Maybe you do, but when’s the last time you bought something from them?
Exactly.
Well, over four decades ago, they had a product called the Spice Village—a collection of adorable ceramic houses that store spices.
Fast forward to 2024, and Gen Z rediscovered the set and went CRAZY for them. Fueled by a love for cottagecore, #thrifting, and quirky nostalgia, Spice Village videos of searching for and finding them in thrift stores, and decorating and baking with them started to majorly trend.
Insert these sets starting to sell for ridiculous prices on eBay, Mercari, Facebook Marketplace, and even Etsy. Like, for thousands and thousands of dollars.
@daniklaric truly one of the most special gifts ily @Loi ♬ A tu lado – Edgar
Does Lenox see a penny of that profit. Nope!
So what did Lenox do? They. Brought. Back. Spice. Village 2.0. Same design and same ’80s price ($285 vs. ~$2000 resale value).
They didn’t stop there though. Lenox:
Maximized press coverage of the announcement with the likes of Martha Stewart Living and other media moguls
Set up a Pre-Order Alert sign-up, building a massive email and SMS list of new subscribes along the way
Deployed a savvy set of new subscriber emails as part of a Welcome journey, highlighting their other products and brands as people waited for Spice Village 2.0
Gave alert subscribers early access to pre-order before going public
Are still accepting pre-orders today for what’s rumored to be a September 2025 fulfillment date (meaning, they’re probably planning to only make as many as are ordered.)
Will a one-year pre-order period prove to be worth the wait? We’ll see. But their efforts are sure to pay off, even if just for the sheer volume of new email and SMS prospects they’ve gained. Plus, I absolutely love when resellers are thwarted at their own game.
Lenox didn’t just take the reins of this wild narrative back from creators and resellers. They inserted themselves back into the hearts (and wallets) of a whole new generation.
(And yes, I pre-ordered the entire 24-piece set, bringing my tally for purchasing the popular products mentioned within this blog article a perfect 4 out of 4. Don’t tell my husband…please. Seriously.)
Wrapping It Up: A Lesson in Viral Listening and Tangible Action
In all four instances, these success stories weren’t on a marketing plan or annual strategy or roadmap. However, these brands showed they are watching, listening, and—most importantly—nimble enough to respond in big ways.
They found ways to sell even more of these popular products, without coming off as opportunistic or overly corporate. And all four capitalized on relevancy with new, younger audiences while bolstering their journeys, lists, and pipelines.
To summarize, they exhibited:
Active social listening
On-brand community engagement
Nimble responses once videos took off, likely thanks to aligned cross-tactical teams and swift leadership decision-making
If you need help with being prepared with a Social Media Mission Statement, Guardrails, Community Management best practices and the like, make sure you reach out to our rockstar C&C Social Media Consultants!
A recent Social Pros podcast guest said this best: “We do our best to be as proactive as possible so that we can be reactive when necessary.” – Emily Stulz, Director of Social Media at The University of Arizona
A willingness to participate in unowned social conversation and trends
Pivots in how they marketed and even what to produce next
In short: they rocked the Tok. (Cringe, sorry. But it’s true.)
Future marketing textbooks will no doubt include these as modern case studies. Who knows, maybe your brand will be next. So, keep your ears to the ground—or rather, your eyes on TikTok.
Ready to ride the next viral wave? Share this article with your marketing team and get ready to take action.
Want even more? Check out our Visit California TikTok case study and let us know how Convince & Convert can support your brand.
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