Most fandom advertising borrows what fans already know. Build or Extend Fan Lore gives them something new to know. It adds a character, history, event, rule or rumour that can become part of the community’s shared canon. Done well, the campaign does not simply entertain fans for a moment. It gives them more material to discuss, interpret and carry forward.
- Make a Fan Myth Official
- Give a Cult Character an Origin Story
- Leave the Canon Open
- Let Something Happen to the Character
- Expand the Rules of the World
1. Make a Fan Myth Official
Take something fans already believe, invent or repeatedly request—and make it real.
Secret Menu — McDonald’s UK, Leo UK, 2026
For decades, McDonald’s fans had speculated about a secret menu assembled from unofficial combinations of familiar products. Rather than correcting the rumour, McDonald’s confirmed it. The Surf N’ Turf, Chicken Cheeseburger, Espresso Milkshake and other fan-created inventions became nationally available menu items. Teasers and hidden clues encouraged further speculation before the reveal. McDonald’s did not manufacture a new piece of folklore. It rewarded the people who had kept an existing one alive by finally making their myth official.
