When Nathan Apodaca’s viral TikTok first began circulating on the internet a little over a week ago, the pure joy of it captivated audiences.
In a year when good news is hard to come by, Apodaca’s skateboard cruise down the street while sipping on a bottle of Ocean Spray Cran-Raspberry and singing along to the hypnotizing tune of Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams” was exactly the vibe we were all craving. It felt like an escape, and the entire internet wanted in.
Naturally, remakes proliferated on TikTok, snowballing into one of the purest memes of the year. Eventually, the trend made its way into the feeds of notable figures like the Democratic candidate for governor of Montana, Mick Fleetwood himself (who joined TikTok solely to participate) and president and CEO of Ocean Spray Tom Hayes.
“We are just delighted that Nathan Apodaca has put a spotlight on our superfruit,” said Hayes, speaking on behalf of the more than 700 cranberry farmers who make up Ocean Spray’s agricultural cooperative. “Nathan’s video has brought us all such joy—particularly during a challenging year.”
As some on social media have noted, Ocean Spray had the foresight to let the meme play out organically and refrained from jumping in on the action too soon. Hayes posted his remake of the viral video today, and a team from Ocean Spray surprised Apodaca with a new, “cranberry red” pickup truck filled with Ocean Spray products.
“We wanted to gift Nathan with something of importance to him—something we knew he needed,” said Hayes. “We can’t wait to see him driving it around as he listens to his tunes.”
Apodaca said it was “pretty humbling” that the brand surprised him with the truck and all that Ocean Spray.
“It’s been a wild ride for sure, and it’s awesome that I’m putting out good vibes for everyone right now,” he told Adweek. “I mean, I love my Cranberry Raspberry Ocean Spray, so now I have a truckload which is pretty cool!”
Apodaca posted a video of the new truck on his Instagram today and recreated his original “Dreams” TikTok from his new set of wheels.
Join Adweek and Taboola for In With the New: Driving Discovery in 2021, a live virtual event on Oct. 8, to hear from content leaders and brand marketers on what they’ve learned in 2020 and how it’s informing 2021 plans. Register now.
https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/ocean-spray-joins-the-viral-dreams-meme-and-surprises-tiktoker-with-a-cranberry-red-truck/