Digital marketing

How brands used “Pen-Pineapple-Apple-Pen” for marketing newsjacking?

Photo of Think Marketing Think Marketing Follow on Twitter September 29, 2016
0 1 minute read

“Pen-Pineapple-Apple-Pen”, also known as “PPAP” was posted to the YouTube account of Piko Taro, a performer garishly dressed in leopard-print clothes. Several Facebook accounts sport his video as it amusing listeners across the world.

The lyrics, in English, are about having a pineapple, an apple, and a couple of pens and it goes like this:

“I have a pen. I have an apple. Apple-pen!

I have a pen. I have [a] pineapple. Pineapple-pen!

Apple-pen. Pineapple-pen. Pen-Pineapple-Apple-Pen.”

The video quietly launched last month but it garnered global traction following 9GAG article and attracted more than 9.8M viwes till now. While the heavy metal version of “Pen-Pineapple-Apple-Pen” just released 10 days ago with more than 450,000 viwes, a new Twitter hashtag #PPAPchallenge created then the imitations began and people allover the world started creating their own version.

The viral YouTube video has attracted millions of hits since late August and we are not sure if it will continue to grow. Some people even went to call it the next “Gangnam Style”. Even Justin Bieber couldn’t resist Pen-Pineapple-Apple-Pen:

Malaysian celebrity Amber Chia also posted a video of herself dancing to the song with her son, Ashton Wong, while pop star Justin Bieber declared the original as his “favourite video on the Internet”.

Amber Chia version of “Pen-Pineapple-Apple-Pen” attracted 1.2M Views on Facebook in less than 4 days.

YouTube Pen-Pineapple-Apple-Pen Newsjacking by Brands:

Newsjacking concept popularized by marketer David Meerman Scott, newsjacking is what happens when brands cashing in on the hype and capture biggest news stories to draw attention to their own content.

This viral video will take over the world whether you like it or not. Pen-Pineapple-Apple-Pen become very popular around the globe, specially in Asia where the hashtag #PPAP quickly became the next trending topic and brands in Singapore and Malaysia. Let’s see how brands re-created “Pen-Pineapple-Apple-Pen”

Netflix Asia

Tesco Malaysia

YouTube

Huawei Mobile

Only time will tell if PPAP will reach the viral heights of Psy’s Gangnam Style. Let’s see if more brands will join the #PPAP trend? If you noticed any, let us know.

Photo of Think Marketing

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