By Emily Trant, Associate Creative Director, 72PointPLAY
The obvious issue with jumping on viral moments is if you blink, you’ll miss it, and if you blink twice, it’s over, done to death, dead in the water – yesterday’s news.
That’s the cutting truth of the internet’s attention span.
In 2025, the shelf-life of a meme is shorter than Emma Stone’s edgy new pixie cut and if a brand isn’t straight off the bat executing a reactive idea they end up looking irrelevant and downright cheugy…
Take the Ibiza Final Boss – knowing Jack Kay’s 5 minutes of fame would probably be more like 3, brands scrambled to pitch the perfect idea, knowing it had to be speedy, funny and social led.
Those who nailed it were lightning quick, weaponising their socials to bash out memes and mock-ups riffing on Jack’s infamous bowl cut, with the likes of Gregg’s, Curry’s and Halfords serving the goods (as per) …
Anyone putting out a brand deal at this point, we’re interested to see if the ROI is worth the “5 figure fee” No names here through, we’re professionals (sort of).
So, you’ve spotted an internet moment and you’re ready to assemble your “Viral Vanguard”, a crack squad of creatives, in the hope that you can come up with something viable and have it on shelves (or at least socials) before the world has moved on.
Before you do this, whether you’re in house or agency, here are five tips on how to ensure your finger stays firmly on the pulse when it comes to reactive content:
- Be quick (obvs)
The best reactive stunts latch onto a moment people are already talking about, while people are still talking about it – they don’t claim to own the conversation; they piggyback on it in a way that feels funny and smart.
if you’re dropping your “reactive” gag a even a week late, it’s less viral moment, more yesterday’s breakfast.
- Scrolling on social media is work, don’t let anyone tell you otherwise
Instil a culture within your team that encourages time for reading/scrolling/, because these moments are where all the internet’s hidden gems are mined. Whether it’s reading the papers first thing with a coffee or a cheeky TikTok scroll on the loo, keep a phones out policy – it’s not procrastination it’s research.
Those ‘did you watch Love Island’ conversations are cultural catalysts for ideas, don’t shut those down either.
(It goes without saying that equipping your team with proper social media listening tools is also essential. No one is THAT quick.)
- Be the silliest person in the room
Don’t be afraid to go fully weird during the ideas process – this is where the good stuff grows. Out of the madness, brilliance is harvested.
Reactive PR only works when it feels unexpected and clever, AND it reads that you’re in on the joke. The cheekier the execution, the more likely it is to cut through.
- Simple is always better
If people can’t “get it” in 3 seconds, it won’t work. Don’t overthink it or over complicated it – a funny social post will beat a 37-slide strategy deck every time.
Look at Oreo’s iconic “You can still dunk in the dark” tweet during the 2013 Super Bowl blackout – that was approximately ten seconds of reactive thinking that PRs are still banging on about over a decade later.
- Try to know a little bit about everything
The really good ideas rarely come from big budgets, they come from cultural literacy, speed, and a big old glug of good humour.
Stay curious, read about everything, even if it’s just the headline.
If you can name three lionesses and why Greg Wallace is no longer on Master Chef, you’re probably ok…
So, there you have it – that’s our advice, take it or leave it – the important thing to remember is that a solid reactive idea on your roster makes anyone look like a rockstar so you might as well have a craic, what’ve you got to lose?