Meme remake
The brand redoes a known meme or trend format in its own voice.
- Difficulty
- Shoot on a phone
- Video length
- 5–15 s
- Brand cases
- 7, 3 with video
- Markets
- United States, South Korea
- Sources checked
- Nov 2026
What the format is
A brand takes a format the audience already knows, such as a sound, a caption template, a dance or a phrase, and fills it with its product or its world. The format brings recognition; the brand brings the specific joke.
Beat by beat
- 1Recognisable opener0–1 s
- 2Brand substitution1–4 s
- 3The twist4–7 s
- 4Quiet branding7–10 s
- 1. 0–1 s
Recognisable opener
The sound, caption or framing that identifies the format at once.
- 2. 1–4 s
Brand substitution
Swap in the product, the staff or a customer situation.
- 3. 4–7 s
The twist
The beat of the format that carries the joke, made specific to the brand.
- 4. 7–10 s
Quiet branding
Product or handle visible, no hard sell.
Why it works
- The audience already knows the rules, so the brand only has to deliver the twist.
- Formats that are still rising tend to get extra distribution on the platforms.
- It shows the brand is paying attention, which matters to younger audiences.
How brands shot it
7 cases, 3 with the original video. The videos come from the brands’ own accounts or their agencies and play in the platform’s player.
Dunkin'
Drive-ThruThe Super Bowl spot turned years of memes about Ben Affleck and his Dunkin’ orders into the premise: Affleck works the drive-thru window himself, and Jennifer Lopez turns up.
- Made by
- Artists Equity
- Video
- YouTube, posted by Dunkin' (brand account)
Trade pressRead the source: Adweek
Subway
Subway made a new ad parodying a viral Korean fisherman meme, casting the actor Park Ji-hwan as the fisherman, to promote the summer limited-run Spicy Shrimp sandwich.
- Video
- YouTube, posted by 써브웨이 (brand account)
Trade pressRead the source: Dailian
Kooksoondang
3.75M+ viewsFor its fresh makgeolli, Kooksoondang had actor Heo Sung-tae re-perform the viral dance from his SNL Korea sketch and add three new dance moves in a YouTube ad.
- Result
- The video passed 3.75 million cumulative views. According to Dailian.
- Video
- YouTube, posted by 국순당 (brand account)
Trade pressRead the source: Dailian
No original video yet
Batiste
11M+ TikTok viewsAfter a creator posted a video asking for a dry shampoo collab with a reality-TV cast member who had been mocked for her hair, Batiste reached out within a day and launched a paid and organic campaign with her within five days.
- Result
- The campaign passed 11 million views on TikTok. According to YPulse.
Trade pressRead the source: YPulse
No original video yet
CeraVe
Its 2018 'Hey It's Me' TV jingle had become a running joke on TikTok, so CeraVe leaned in: House of Evo remixed the ad's opening monologue and about 50 influencers danced to it while using the moisturizing cream.
- Made by
- Remix by House of Evo
Trade pressRead the source: Adweek
No original video yet
Kundal
Kundal made a viral video parodying the Everland Amazon Express ride announcement, with the original meme figure himself performing a rapid-fire rap about the brand and its products.
Trade pressRead the source: Dailian
No original video yet
Arby's
$5 Missing Menu Meal+200K TikTok followersA viral TikTok claimed a cheap TV could only show an Arby’s menu deal. Arby’s answered with duets, put the clip on its own menu screens and created a meal people could order by saying “I have your TV”.
- Result
- Arby's gained more than 200,000 TikTok followers in the two weeks after its first video. According to Marketing Dive.
- Videos with the #Arbys hashtag gained more than 88 million views in two weeks. According to Marketing Dive.
Trade pressRead the source: Marketing Dive
Where it took off
Brands jumping on viral TikTok moments drew heavy trade-press coverage in autumn 2020, from Ocean Spray’s unplanned Fleetwood Mac moment to Arby’s turning a viral clip into a menu item. In 2021 TikTok ran its own programme inviting brands to have classic ads remade.
Make it yours
- Food & drink
A bakery answers a “tell me without telling me” caption with a tray of croissants steaming at 6 a.m.
- Finance
A bank’s support team does a “day in the life” format about a single refund.
- Travel
An airline runs a “things that just make sense” format with seat-pocket items.
Make your version
Type your product and get a storyboard of this format, with one prompt per beat, ready for a video generator.
This format lives on the joke: a generator can shoot it, but you have to write it
Storyboard
- 1. 0–1 s
Recognisable opener
Front-camera phone shot in an office. A meme caption sits at the top of the frame.
- 2. 1–4 s
Brand substitution
A person acts out the meme with your product in hand.
- 3. 4–7 s
The twist
The punchline: an exaggerated reaction tied to your product.
- 4. 7–10 s
Quiet branding
A quiet ending with your product visible on the desk.
The whole video in one prompt
Enter your email to open the full prompt. We’ll also send you the weekly brief; unsubscribe any time.
The prompt also works in Kling, Veo, Seedance and other video generators.
Before you generate
- Upload a photo of your real product to the generator (image to video), so the packaging, logo and label stay right.
- Make a still frame first and animate only the one you like: video costs more.
- Label the result as AI-generated where the platform asks for it, and say it is CGI if it could pass for a real stunt.
- This is your own take on the format, not a copy of a brand’s ad. Leave out other brands’ logos, people and music.
How to produce it
A phone and a fast approval loop. Speed matters more than polish, because most formats peak within weeks. Check the licence of any sound before using it in paid ads.
Seen a brand use this?
Send us the link. If it checks out, it goes into the library with credit to you.
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