Sports leagues, athletes and teams rely on social media to connect with fans in real time, drive engagement and build brand awareness. But every once in a while, a moment explodes into our feeds and captures the world’s imagination. These viral sports moments, like a mascot’s hilarious antics or an NFL player’s troll-tastic handshake, transcend the box score and create indelible impressions on fans.
The best viral marketing campaigns deliver a combination of four key elements: social currency, practical value, emotions and stories. These elements are the reason that a simple blue dress or a cat in a box sparked global conversations and led to millions of shares, while an Olympic athlete’s statue reveal made headlines. A few years ago, Nike used the power of virality to launch a campaign featuring athletes thanking their mothers for the impact they had on their careers. This resonant campaign resonated with viewers and earned more than 74 million views and reactions.
The 2024 Olympics has already produced some head-scratching moments, from darts star Luke Littler’s ill-advised thong to the wacky reaction to Dwyane Wade’s statue. But we’ve seen a number of amazing viral sports moments throughout the summer, including “pommel horse guy” earning a bronze medal and a spot on Dancing with the Stars and French pole vaulter Anthony Ammirati’s — uh — manhood getting in the way of a record-setting attempt. All of these micro-moments showcase the power of virality and illustrate how to use it to grow a following or drive brand awareness.