🟢 What happened?
Back in 2016—literally hours after the Angelina Jolie–Brad Pitt breakup hit the tabloids—Norwegian Air dropped a cheeky ad:
“Brad is single.”
…followed by a discounted Oslo-to-LA fare. Textbook real-time marketing.
Before we unpack the “why,” here’s what it delivered:
📈 Campaign results* :
- +32 % sales on that route overnight
- 300 million media impressions
- 53.2 million earned impressions on social alone
- Coverage in 890 stories & blog posts worldwide
- 94 % positive sentiment
- A spike in plain old “Brad awareness” 😄
🔴 Why did it crush it?
⏱️ Timing, timing, timing
The ad went live within 48 hours of the divorce news. Social feeds were on fire; everyone had an opinion.
🎨 Ultra-minimal design
Solid red background (on-brand), giant white letters: “Brad is single.” No clutter—just the joke, the route, the price. Instant click-bait for the eyes.
🔫 One-breath hook
Celebrity name, tabloid drama, killer deal—all in three words. You read it, laugh, then realise “Oh, cheap flights!” The punchline is the CTA.
✅ Steal-this-playbook
- Catch the train early. Track upcoming news cycles so you’re ready to pounce.
- One-sentence hook. Tell a whole story in three words if you can.
- Keep it clean. Bold, readable visuals; nothing extra.
- Add (just enough) humour. Wit fuels shares.
- Make it newsworthy. Craft something reporters want to screenshot.
🫵 Your turn!
Pick a headline-making event, pick a brand, craft a three-word zinger.
Example:
Event: Eurovision is coming
Brand: HBO (Game of Thrones)
Line: “Voting is coming.”
Side-note: The throne wars are over—now it’s battle of the bands.
