Have you met Tyrrells? They make crisps, and they occasionally make jokes on Twitter. We take a look at their recent viral comedy success, involving Jacob Rees-Mogg and a bag of Walkers crisps…
Tyrrells’ comedy social media marketing isn’t quite consistent enough for us to declare them officially ‘AWESOME ON SOCIAL MEDIA’ and join the likes of Innocent in our hall of fame. But they’re certainly showing promise. Even before their recent big success, we were impressed by their willingness to try new approaches to comedy and write in a believable, human, light-hearted tone of voice.
Maybe they read our article about the benefits of using comedy in your social media customer service.
In fact, Tyrrells’ take on the trending #DollyPartonChallenge was one of the more imaginative efforts we saw. The ‘Grindr’ pun is inspired, and we love the effort that’s gone into ensuring the aesthetic is cohesive with their vintage branding:
Find yourself a pepper mill that can do them all.
How are you feeling today?#DollyPartonChallenge pic.twitter.com/arCEpzb0nQ— Tyrrells (@Tyrrells) January 30, 2020
But the measly attention that content received was nothing compared to the huge win they scored when they tried their hand at topical comedy.
When Tory MP and close personal friend of Voldermort, Jacob Rees-Mogg tweeted a bizarrely posed photo with the caption, “I can reassure the manufacturers of artisan crisps that they are in no danger, in fact I am a Walker’s crisps man or Pringles when I’m feeling extravagant”, he was referencing an article about Yorkshire Tea’s recent social media crisis.
You remember — the one where Chancellor Rishi Sunak posted a photo that led to a ‘rough weekend’ for the Yorkshire Tea social media team.
While Rees-Mogg’s tweet didn’t provoke calls to boycott Walkers or Pringles, it did tee up the perfect opportunity for a ‘manufacturer of artisan crisps’ to take a straightforward, confident and funny shot at their competition:
Our social media team has never been so chuffed to see someone eat Walkers crisps… https://t.co/NMqok1gL2l
— Tyrrells (@Tyrrells) February 26, 2020
It paid off. Look at those numbers! Social media audiences respond to brands who can jump on a trending topic with a wry, tonally appropriate observation. True, that’s easier said than done — but these guys have been working on their comedy chops for a while now.
Congratulations, Tyrrells social media team! Keep up the funny work, and we’re sure we’ll be adding you to the hallowed ranks of brands who are ‘Awesome on Social Media’ in no time. Everyone else — follow @Tyrrells to see if they accept our challenge!