Viral moment branding: how to build a brand on a moment you can't use

How do you build a brand on a viral moment you can't use?

You build on what the moment means. Name the feeling or idea that made it spread, then express it in a name, a pack and a voice you own outright, so the clip itself never has to appear.

At IW Agency, we think this is the stronger route anyway, because a name and a pack can be built on for years after the footage has dated.

Ey'Bro shows how. Åbro's beer grew out of a viral Eminem clip that it was not allowed to use. Sweden's Alcohol Act also sets tight limits on how alcohol is marketed. Identity Works, now IW Agency, designed the packaging, and IW Edition made the launch films in 2020 (Resumé, 2020).

In 2021, Ey'Bro was Sweden's second best-selling beer, with 10.2 million litres sold (Systembolaget figures, reported by Vinbanken). Price and distribution played their part, so the design did not do it alone. But the brand had something to stand on without the clip.

Conclusion: You can't own the clip. You can own what it meant.

How do you work out what you can and can't use?

List everything in the moment that belongs to someone else, then check the rules for your category. Do this before the creative work starts, while a change of direction still costs little.

You need these in place before you begin:

1. A rights map. Note every element and who owns it.

   • Footage, audio and music.

   • The faces, voices and names of the people in it.

   • Any phrase that could already be protected as a trademark.

2. Your category's rules. Some categories carry limits on top of copyright.

   • Alcohol, gambling, pharmaceuticals and products for children are typical.

   • For Ey'Bro, the Alcohol Act shaped what the brand could say and show.

3. A reason the meaning fits you. If you can't say why the moment belongs with your brand, buyers won't see it either.

Then check who is in the moment. Viral clips often feature real people who never chose to become content. Building on someone's worst day is a risk, whatever the law allows. For categories where advertising itself is restricted, see our guide to building brands in regulated markets.

How do you find the meaning behind the moment?

The meaning is the reason people shared the moment: the feeling, attitude or question it gave them. Write it in one sentence that doesn't mention the clip. If the sentence still works, you have something to build on.

1. Ask why it spread. Look for the joke, the attitude or the shared reaction. Read the comments, not the view count.

2. Strip out the material. Describe the meaning without footage, names or quotes.

3. Test it against your brand. If the meaning only works with the clip attached, drop it.

The best references need no footage at all. In July 2025, Astronomer's then chief executive and its head of HR were caught on the kiss cam at a Coldplay concert in Boston (Billboard, 2025). Shortly afterwards, the company released an ad with Gwyneth Paltrow as a "temporary spokesperson" for its employees.

Paltrow was married to Coldplay's Chris Martin from 2003 to 2016, so the casting alone carried the reference. The ad never addresses the scandal directly. Questions like "OMG! What the actual f—" scroll across the screen, and Paltrow answers with product messages. According to NBC New York, it was Astronomer's first formal marketing campaign (NBC New York, 2025).

How do you turn the meaning into a brand you own?

You put the meaning into assets nobody can take from you: the name, the pack, the films and the voice. Each one should carry the idea on its own, so the brand works for people who never saw the clip.

1. Name. Make sure you can register it and use it.

   • Screen trademarks early, before the team falls in love with a name.

2. Pack or core visual. Let design do the work the clip can't.

   • In a regulated category, the pack is often where the brand meets most people.

3. Films and content. Make your own material that expresses the meaning.

   • Don't recreate the original clip shot for shot.

4. Voice. Write down how the brand speaks, so every channel carries the same attitude.

Ey'Bro followed this logic. The packaging and the launch films carried what the clip meant, and they were Åbro's own brand assets from day one.

Conclusion: The meme fades. The pack stays on the shelf.

How do you know it's working?

It's working when people recognise and choose the brand without needing the original moment explained. Repeat purchase is the clearest sign, because early buzz only proves the reference landed.

1. People use the name on its own. They talk about the brand, not the clip.

2. New buyers choose it. People who never saw the moment still pick it.

3. Sales hold after the talk fades. Compare later months with the launch weeks.

4. The assets are recognised alone. People know the pack or the voice without help. Our guide to distinctive brand assets covers how to measure this.

Judge it over a year. For Ey'Bro, the figure that counted was a full year of sales in 2021.

What does this mean for your brand?

• Clear the rights first. Map every element of the moment and its owner before any creative work begins.

• Write the meaning in one sentence. If it needs the clip to make sense, it isn't yours to build on.

• Put the meaning in assets you own. Name, pack, films and voice, each strong enough alone. Our packaging design work starts from the same principle.

• Check who is in the moment. Real people pay the price when a joke goes too far.

• Measure the brand, not the buzz. Repeat purchase a year on matters more than shares in week one.

Frequently asked questions

Can a brand use a viral video without permission?

Usually not. Footage, music and a person's likeness belong to someone else, and commercial use needs their permission. Check the rules for your country and category with legal counsel.

Is newsjacking risky for brands?

Newsjacking is riskiest when the moment involves real people's embarrassment or a regulated product. Building on the meaning rather than the material reduces legal risk. It doesn't remove the reputational risk.

What if the viral moment fades before launch?

If the meaning holds without the clip, the brand still works.

Is a viral moment worth building a brand on?

It is when the meaning outlasts the material. Clear the rights, name the feeling, and put it into assets you own. If you're weighing a moment like that, write to us at hello@iwagency.com.

Sources

• Gwyneth Paltrow Joins Astronomer as 'Temporary Spokesperson' After Coldplay Kiss Cam Scandal — Billboard, 2025

• Ryan Reynolds' ad agency helps turn Astronomer kiss-cam scandal into marketing win — NBC New York, 2025