#CrackinStyle

During the 2013 Super Bowl, Wonderful Pistachios aired its first-ever Big Game Commercial.  The ad stars South Korean pop celebrity, PSY in a parody of his K-Pop hit “Gangnam Style.”  The original video went viral and became an international hit; with almost 1.5 billion views, it is the most watched video on Youtube.

 Considering the amazing influence the Gangnam Style craze has had over the past year on global pop culture, having PSY as an Opinion Leader is great marketing strategy.  It says a lot about the market of potential customers Wonderful Pistachios is targeting.   Wonderful Pistachios is clearly marketing to the Millenials, an audience that is tuned into technology trends and social media (observing customer behavior—not necessarily demographics).  The marketing team is seizing the opportunities of social networking to reach out to an audience that (according to the textbook) actively avoids advertising.  Not only does the ad have a viral internet sensation endorse its product, but it also includes a quirky hashtag to engage the audience for feedback about the ad and the healthy snack.  #CrackinStyle

You can love the Gangnam Style craze or hate it—that is beside the point. The point is that you and a large segment of the world populous recognize it; and when potential customers see Psy in a parody of his own song, dancing with life-sized pistachios, they will come to recognize (and prefer) the Wonderful Pistachio brand too.  Just like the narrator said, “ Psy does it and we all go nuts… Get Crackin!”