Love Island: It is what it is

""Are you even a Love Island fan if you don't spend the ad break sifting through memes on Twitter? The hashtag #LoveIsland was used nearly 200,000 times on the UK 2019 launch date as viewers competed to win the internet with the perfect meme, and before the first ad break we already knew that "It is what it is" was the catchphrase of the series."

"Each night, our feeds are filling up with memes about the islanders. But what does this mean for brands? Meme marketing works because memes are native to the language of social media, and because of the amount of noise the show makes, Love Island provides an opportunity to be reactive and relevant with sharable branded content. Just make sure it's a good fit for the brand. Royal Mail did this brilliantly by creating the 'Loyal Mail' meme with 2018 star, Georgia, after she made the phrase 'I'm loyal' notorious""

""With 5.8m people watching Love Island already this year, brands have huge PR opportunities available to them by getting into bed with the show. However, caution should be taken with this type of partnership. With so many people watching the show, slip ups can quickly go viral and potentially damage a brand's reputation via association. Whether directly involved in the programme or simply jumping on the back of the latest catchphrase, brands that embark on capitalising on popular culture events"

Love Island generates intense social-media engagement and meme activity that brands can harness for timely, shareable campaigns. High hashtag volume and nightly meme culture create opportunities for reactive creative that feels native to audiences. Successful brand activations can turn catchphrases into memorable branded moments, as seen with a popular postal brand's 'Loyal Mail' meme. Large viewership delivers major PR reach but also magnifies mistakes, making slip-ups potentially viral and damaging by association. Brands should prioritise authenticity, clear brand fit and cautious execution when responding to popular culture moments to avoid reputational harm.

Read at The Drum