Stanley’s brand was able to create a viral marketing campaign after a car fire.
On November 15, TikTok user @danimarielettering posted a video showing the aftermath of her car catching on fire. Though the car was totaled, her Stanley Quencher tumbler was intact and still had ice in it.
The video went viral quickly and now has more than 84,000,000 views.
Terence Reilly, Stanley’s President, stitched Danielle’s original video two days later. He offered to send Danielle some new tumblers as well as replace her car. This response has garnered over 32 million views and is quickly becoming the feel-good story of the year.
TikTok users praised the brand in their comments on Reilly’s reply.
They responded that is freaking awesome. I’m going to have to get a Stanley now .”
Do I really need one? No. Do I want to buy it on principle? Yes.”
Stanley is not new to TikTok virality despite the unusual circumstances surrounding this particular marketing moment.
Become a viral brand of water bottles.
There have been many trendy water bottle brands over the years, including S’well Hydroflask Yeti and now Stanley.
Stanley has been around for over 100 years. It was known for its durable outdoor products. The brand’s demographic began to change after the Quencher tumbler was introduced in 2017.
Bloggers behind The Buy Guide shared links to Quencher that same year. They introduced the cups to an audience who wasn’t aware of Stanley’s outdoor roots. Stanley discontinued the Quenchers from its website in 2019.
The Buy Guide founders thought there was an opportunity to market these tumblers more to women. They worked with Stanley to create a wholesale agreement to sell the cups through their website.
The New York Times reports that they sold out their initial production of 5,000 tumblers quickly in 2019. According to The New York Times, the initial run of 5,000 tumblers was quickly sold out in 2019.
These tactics worked. Stanley tumblers were the most popular viral item on social media by 2022. They sold out frequently. The sales of Stanley tumblers increased 275% last year.
The brand, which was already well-versed in social media, received positive PR and over 100,000,000 impressions from what began as a simple accident.