We’ve all seen content for how to go viral. But virality isn’t always the main goal for brands. Instead of crafting a plan with the intention of creating viral social media campaigns, they have other goals in mind, whether it’s building their brand story or promoting a new product line. For Miami Beach, it was finally breaking up with the infamous spring break mayhem.
We spoke with Madison Brown, Digital Media Manager, and Melissa Berthier, Director of Marketing and Communications for the City of Miami Beach to get an inside look at the “Breaking Up With Spring Break” campaign. They gave their advice for what brands should do after gaining widespread attention for highly shareable content. In this article, we’ll share the story behind the Miami Beach spring break up. And we’ll highlight some of Sprout’s favorite viral social media campaigns to inspire your own strategy.
What makes social media campaigns go viral
There isn’t a perfect recipe for massive attention online, but at its core, virality is driven by emotion–our need to connect with others, our desire to be part of something bigger and our insatiable hunger for shareable content that makes us feel something.
When campaigns trigger strong emotional responses—be it laughter, empathy, intrigue or outrage—they strike a chord that compels people to share. Campaigns that resonate transform audiences from passive viewers into active participants in a brand’s story. These posts become cultural phenomena that people talk about and share with their friends and family.
Although emotion fuels virality, it’s not solely about the feels. Marketers have goals in mind when shaping social campaigns. For “Breaking Up with Spring Break,” promoting public safety was the main objective. Berthier shared in previous years there was widespread violence during spring break season, including several shooting casualties.
Following a commission directive from Miami Beach elected officials, City of Miami Beach partnered with the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau and VML, its agency on record, to ideate a campaign.
“It’s hard to make your goal to go viral because you never know how people are going to react to things. In [our campaign video], at first you don’t really know what you’re watching. It’s not dialogue you’re used to seeing from a city government. Normally, they’re saying to visit, but in this case, we’re saying we only want you to come if you’re going to follow our rules,” Brown says.
Brown shared that she opened a social listening query in Sprout the Monday after the campaign went viral. She says she saw a large volume of messages coming in and media mentions from local, national and global publications. The “Breaking Up with Spring Break” campaign got 20 billion earned media and social media impressions. The campaign was also later shortlisted in three categories for Cannes Lions.
“The virality was unexpected to an extent. I don’t think we were expecting to get the number of impressions and eyeballs that it ended up getting. We were happy that the message went out and people heard it. Thankfully, we had a safe spring break and there was a drastic difference between this year and previous years. The message was received, and that was the goal of the campaign,” she says.
What the best viral campaigns on social media have in common
Whether it’s a singular social media viral video or a series of static posts, viral campaigns have commonalities. Here are four components that the best viral social media campaigns encompass.
1. Attention-grabbing wordplay and calculated shock value
Brown says a strong headline that’s shareable and click-worthy helps make viral campaigns on social media.
“I think that shock value is a good thing to think about when trying to be creative,” she says.
For example, the idea of “breaking up with spring break” made people think about what that meant for the City of Miami Beach. The campaign’s message also juxtaposes “break up” and “spring break,” leaving a lasting impression.
Campaigns that break the mold, challenge the status quo or spark intrigue are often the ones that get shared.
2. Understanding trends and your target audience
Trendspotting and understanding your key target audience are foundational elements of social media marketing. The same applies for viral marketing, according to Brown.
“It’s good to stay in touch with trends and what people are doing. For example, we leaned into the dating apps and text messaging concept because it is a sign of the times. People use their phones to communicate and connect, so meeting people where they are is a good thing to try to do,” she says.
“We didn’t want to alienate people, but we wanted the message to be loud and clear. We wanted a playful, cheeky approach. That’s why we leaned into the ‘break up’ vibe” she says.
Following the success of “Breaking Up with Spring Break”, Miami Beach launched another campaign, #FindYourMatch. This new campaign is inspired by the aftermath of a breakup when you’re ready to get back to dating.
Brown explains the team wanted to move quickly and leverage the success of the viral spring break campaign to show that Miami Beach is a cultural destination, not just a place for spring break partying. They wanted to maintain the relationship theme by alluding to “finding a match” because after a breakup, one of the first things people do is go on a dating app. Brown advises brands to look at their overall campaigns and define what went well to inform future efforts.
“It’s hard to pinpoint why something goes viral because there’s so much that goes into it: timing, engagements, comments. Some people want to go viral by doing the most out-there thing possible. You can’t do that either because it seems click-baity. But if you come up with a list of reasons why it was successful, you can leverage that without doing the same thing or being too crazy. You want it to make sense,” Brown says.
3. Embrace diversity of thought and collaboration
Brown also says it’s important to get diversity in opinions during the ideation phase of a campaign. It’s ?best practice to speak with people from different backgrounds, demographics and cultures to weigh in and give their point of view.
Berthier says VML, the agency that worked on the campaign, had their diversity, equity and inclusion team review content and the creative direction.
“Everyone sees something from a different lens. Getting those different perspectives and having an open dialogue on how to make the content better is super important. Within our own team, we also have people from different generations, cultures and backgrounds who were part of the ideation for the campaign. Collaboration and being receptive to feedback are very important,” Brown says.
4. Meaningful partnerships with influencers
Influencers play a crucial role in viral campaigns by leveraging their engaged following to help amplify a message or promote a new product or service. Whether they’re a micro-influencer or have millions of followers, influencers create buzz and generate interest in a campaign, leading to increased visibility and the potential for it to go viral.
By partnering with the right influencers who align with the target audience and campaign goals, brands can extend their reach. Influencers can also provide authentic, relatable content that resonates with their followers, making the campaign more impactful.
The impact of Charli XCX’s “Brat Summer,” shows the power of influencers within marketing. From retailers like Target to notable figures including Vice President Kamala Harris, social teams have leaned on the brat summer trend to connect with Gen Z and Millennial audiences, adorning their social feeds with slime green background and Arial font.
3 brand examples of viral social media campaigns
Now that we’ve explored some commonalities, let’s explore three examples of viral campaigns on social media that incorporate those elements.
1. Australian Lamb
Meat supplier Australian Lamb released a YouTube video satirizing the generation gap, a term used to describe the varying perspectives and lack of understanding between age groups. In the video, Australians from different generations are separated by an abyss. And, of course, the only thing that closes the gap is the sweet smell of delicious lamb barbecue.
Australian Lamb appeals to all age groups by poking fun at generational archetypes. The title references a well-known term that wouldn’t normally be associated with lamb, sparking interest. The video also leans on influencer marketing with a brief cameo of John Allen.
2. Marc Jacobs
Marc Jacobs’ TikTok account is a masterclass in viral social media campaigns. The brand leans on niche trends/memes and communities on the platform. For example, they had a campaign with Sylvanian Drama, a faceless account known for its soap-opera-esque series featuring Calico Critters.
Along with featuring celebrities with strong ties to internet fashion culture like Lil Uzi and Alex Cosani, the designer brand works with a range of influencers. In the video below, they feature Raymonte, an influencer known for his videos where he compliments strangers in public. The collaboration was one of Raymonte’s first brand partnerships, but earned over six million views.
They released several videos in their campaign with Nara Smith. The most popular video references her homemade lifestyle. She’s shown creating the iconic Marc Jacobs Tote Bag “from scratch.” The video earned over 16.1 million views and thousands of positive comments.
3. Swehl
The breastfeeding brand Swehl ignited controversy for their Times Square billboard featuring celebrity cookbook author Molly Baz. In the ad, she’s pregnant and partially nude holding cookies over her breasts with the tagline, “Just add milk.” Although the ad was removed after three days, the campaign sparked both outrage and support across social. The campaign illustrates the impact of shock value and influencer marketing.
Manage your viral social media campaigns
The truth about viral social media campaigns? The most successful campaigns don’t have virality in mind. Instead of trying to find a guaranteed recipe for mass reach, marketers should consider their goals and brand story while understanding the commonalities that shape viral content. With all the planning that goes into social media campaigns, you’ll need a comprehensive roadmap to guide your efforts. Our social media campaign brief template outlines everything you need from a content distribution strategy to a paid activation plan.
