Newsjacking Examples That Actually Worked
The best newsjacking examples of all time — Oreo's Super Bowl tweet, Aviation Gin's Peloton ad, and more — with the lesson behind each one.
Safe to overwrite: Trendedly's Topic Authority engine (git_repo provider) will
commit real supporting pages to content/authority/<slug>.md. -->
The fastest way to understand newsjacking is to study the brands that mastered it. Here are standout examples and the takeaway from each.
Oreo — "You can still dunk in the dark"
During the 2013 Super Bowl blackout, Oreo tweeted within minutes and earned thousands of retweets for essentially nothing. Lesson: a small, ready team beats a big, slow one.
Aviation Gin — the Peloton response
When the Peloton holiday ad went viral, Ryan Reynolds' Aviation Gin produced a parody spot within 48 hours featuring the same actress. Lesson: speed plus a sharp creative angle is unbeatable.
Heinz — "Barbiecue"
Heinz tied its sauce to the Barbie movie wave with pink-themed creative. Lesson: cultural moments are newsjackable too.
What they share
The common thread: they moved while the story was still hot. That is the entire game — spot the moment, find an on-brand angle, and publish before the window closes.
Part of our guide: What Is Newsjacking? The Complete Guide