Brands Turned a Viral Proposal Into Marketing Gold
humourmarketing Love went viral. Brands made it legendary. After the Empire State Building proposal took over...
A romantic Empire State Building proposal went viral, but brands looked past the ring and saw a giant billboard. The dramatic shot of two climbers dangling a black banner became the perfect meme template, and marketers rushed in with their own messages. In a few hours, love-story content morphed into some of the sharpest, funniest moment marketing of the year. Here’s how those simple banner edits turned a proposal into marketing gold.
How to steal this play for your brand
Watch for viral visuals with a clear, editable element: a sign, banner, screen, or caption area. Swap in a message that is hyper-specific to your product, one clear benefit, or a sharp announcement. Keep the text short, bold, and legible at a glance. Then publish fast while the meme is still hot, credit the original trend, and join the conversation instead of awkwardly chasing it three weeks later.
Why the Empire State banner template worked so well
- Visual drama: two masked climbers and a huge flapping banner instantly stop the scroll.
- Ultra-simple format: one stark line of white text on black makes any message feel bold.
- Built-in story: piggybacking on a viral proposal lets brands borrow emotion and attention.
- Easy remix: swapping the banner text takes minutes, so creative teams can react same-day.
Brands that hijacked the proposal moment
Petco used the banner to command pet parents to “stop breaking treats in two,” turning a relationship meme into a playful pet PSA.
City Home remixed the image with the line “CITY FURNITURE IS NOW CITY HOME” to announce their rebrand in a high-drama, low-cost way.
