How Oreo, Other Brands Dominated Twitter During the Super Bowl Power Outage What you can learn about tweeting about trending topics from marketing giants.

By Jason Fell

Many people log into Twitter to follow and add to real-time commentary about what happens on their favorite programs, sports or other events on TV. Since Twitter has such a presence as consumer's "second screen," it makes sense that businesses large and small want to be a part of that commentary, and get their marketing messages seen by the masses that are participating.

That's exactly what happened during last night's Super Bowl between the San Francisco 49ers and the Baltimore Ravens. A power outage knocked out many of the lights in the stadium for more than 30 minutes. During the delay, many viewers migrated to social media to keep the conversation flowing. Brands, naturally, followed.

Perhaps the best example of how a business successfully latched onto this trending topic to market their wares came from cookie company Oreo. It tweeted: "Power out? No problem." Then Oreo linked to an ad of an Oreo cookie, with the copy, "You can still dunk in the dark." By the time the lights came back on in New Orleans, the tweet had already been shared more than 12,000 times.

Related: The 5 Biggest Twitter Marketing Fails of 2012

Why was the tweet so effective? It was smart, brand-appropriate and it came together quickly. Oreo's brand team and a crew from its creative agency, 360i, were together and on-hand to find a creative way to take advantage of the social media opportunity. "You need a brave brand to approve content that quickly," 360i agency president Sarah Hofstetter told BuzzFeed. "When all of the stakeholders come together so quickly, you've got magic."

Not all brands have success when attempting to piggyback onto trending Twitter topics or other events in the news. Last summer, for example, baked-goods behemoth Entenmann's faced a backlash after its marketing agency tweeted from the @Entenmanns feed: "Who's #notguilty about eating all the tasty treats they want?!" following the "not guilty" verdict in the Casey Anthony murder trial. This fall, home appliance company KitchenAid caused a minor meltdown when it sent a strange tweet about Obama's deceased grandmother during the first presidential debate.

If a business is going to try tweeting about a trending topic, it should do so with a tone that reflects its brand. And it doesn't hurt to avoid tweeting personal or political opinions.

Related: 10 Questions You Must Ask When Hiring a Social Media Consultant

In addition to Oreo, here's how some other brands got their creative marketing juices flowing during last night's Super Bowl power outage:

  • Walgreens. The drugstore chain tweeted: "We do carry candles. #SuperBowl." Then followed it up with: "..we also sell lights. #SuperBowl."
  • Audi. The car company took the opportunity to make a jab at competitor, Mercedes, with this tweet: "Sending some LEDs to the @MBUSA Superdome right now..."
  • Tide. The laundry detergent brand tweeted this one: "We can't get your #blackout, but we can get your stains out. #SuperBowl #TidePower" Then it followed it up with this, "The lights are back on, now you can see our #MiracleStain," and it linked to a picture of the stain featured in Tide's Super Bowl commercial.

What was your favorite Super Bowl-related marketing tweet? Let us know in the comments below.

Jason Fell

Entrepreneur Staff

VP, Native Content

Jason Fell is the VP of Native Content, managing the Entrepreneur Partner Studio, which creates dynamic and compelling content for our partners. He previously served as Entrepreneur.com's managing editor and as the technology editor prior to that.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Leadership

7 Telltale Signs of a Weak Leader

Whether a bully or a people pleaser who can't tell hard truths, poor leadership takes many forms.

Business News

'Everyone Can Profit From It': What Is DeepSeek? China's 'Cheap' to Make AI Chatbot Climbs to the Top of Apple, Google U.S. App Stores

DeepSeek researchers claim it was developed for less than $6 million, a contrast to the $100 million it takes U.S. tech startups to create AI.

Business News

Uber's CEO Says Drivers Have About 10 Years Left Before They Will Be Replaced

Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi says the jobs of human drivers are safe for the next decade, but after that, another type of driver will take over.

Business News

Elon Musk's DOGE Is Hiring People Eager to 'Work Long Hours' to Eliminate 'Waste, Fraud and Abuse' in the Government. Here's How to Apply.

The Department of Government Efficiency is hiring U.S. citizens to help cut spending and headcounts in the federal government.

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2025.

Business News

'I Love Doing Product Reviews': Bill Gates Stepped Down from Microsoft in 2020, But Admits He Still Spends 15% of His Time Working at the Company

In a new interview with the Wall Street Journal, Gates also said he is still close with Microsoft's CEO Satya Nadella.