Most corporate attempts to leverage recurring internet memes fall flat because marketing teams arrive late and take themselves too seriously. Slapping an image macro on a corporate Twitter account often comes across as clumsy posturing.
The Great Wolf Lodge campaign succeeded by avoiding corporate vanity. They brought in actual participants from the original cultural moment, embraced self-effacing humor, and gave consumers an actionable benefit. Offering concrete hotel discounts tied directly to an annual joke gave fans a reason to share the post without feeling like unwitting corporate shills.
