Culture is the conversation everyone's already having. The brands that earn attention don't interrupt it — they join it, speak its language, understand its references, and show up where the audience is already emotionally invested. A language app teaching Valyrian, a snack brand reuniting Walter White and Jesse Pinkman, a soap opera character donating a kidney to a character in a different show — none of those brands bought their way in. They earned it by making the cultural moment bigger.
Here are nine creative tactics from the Get Into Culture Engine that put the brand inside the conversation.
- Own the obvious
- Resurrect a dead character to make the point
- Hijack the format to expose the issue
- Rewrite the script from the inside
- Bring the fictional world into the real one
- Turn a trending cultural object into a targeted offer
- Make the background character the star
- Use the cultural moment to expose a real problem
- Let the product steal the scene
1. Own the Obvious
Find the cultural moment where your product is the only logical fit — and get there first.
High Valyrian Lessons — Duolingo, HBO Max, 2022
For the launch of House of the Dragon, the most anticipated TV prequel in years, Duolingo didn't buy a sponsorship or run a pre-roll. They built a High Valyrian language course — teaching fans the fictional language from the Game of Thrones universe. The launch included cryptic billboards written entirely in Valyrian, a challenge for a real sword, and viral content showing Duo the Owl on the Iron Throne. The partnership earned more press coverage for Duolingo than any campaign before it. Over 300,000 fans started learning High Valyrian, and 43% went on to start a real language next.
The Red Cross's Bleed for the Throne (Warner Media, 2020) used Game of Thrones' most distinctive cultural attribute — its bloodshed — to drive blood donations during an emergency shortage. Anyone who donated had the chance to watch the season eight premiere before the worldwide release.
2. Resurrect a Dead Character to Make the Point
Borrow the drama of a show's most affecting moments — and attach your message to the aftermath.
The Last Performance — Partners Life, Special Group, 2022
New Zealanders are among the most underinsured people in the world for life insurance. Partners Life wanted to change that — but a post-credits message from an insurance brand wasn't going to cut through. Instead, they integrated into a popular New Zealand crime drama, The Brokenwood Mysteries, where a character dies in almost every episode. Before the credits rolled, the dead character came back to life to make the case for life insurance — a custom scene for each victim, attached to the show's most emotionally resonant moment. During the campaign period, the Partners Life website saw 135% more traffic and a 75% increase in leads to financial advisors. See campaign ->
HBO's Sopranos Nicknames (Engine Group, 2019) used the 20th anniversary of the show's final episode differently — a single tweet offering custom mob nicknames to anyone who replied. Over 24,000 people responded, including Roger Federer, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Laura Dern. Each nickname was custom-written in real time, referencing the person's name, reputation, and the show. One tweet. One day. One of the greatest Twitter threads of all time.
