In short, we wanted to get tongues wagging, penetrate new households, and sell a few packs along the way.

Oh, and we wanted to create a cultural phenomenon… Did we mention that?

To go beyond the expected, we spread our message far and wide, and featuring a commercial during the Super Bowl seemed like a natural choice. Knowing the sheer number of people who would have their eyes glued to the TV, meant the commercial had to be fun, punchy, and impactful.

Enter Breaking Bad. More than a TV series, an entertainment behemoth, we developed a campaign that had Breaking Bad fans fiendish for more.

Whether it was using the original cast and crew, staying true to the narrative, or using real props, people loved it. As content was shared far and wide, record-breaking results kept flooding in.

Well, when your product is this good, what do you expect?

Did you know that Breaking Bad is one of the most talked about shows on social media ever? We did.

The PopCorners Breaking Bad campaign was a creative stroke of genius that capitalized on the cult following of Breaking Bad to create a multi-verse around the product. The ad was instantly recognizable, fun, and shareable, inviting viewers on social media to put their own spin on it and even make fan-cuts.

The campaign engaged Breaking Bad fans on social, with a particular focus on TikTok and Reddit where we knew we could tease that a commercial was coming out, generating buzz around the launch of a new flavor and increase overall brand awareness. The Breaking Bad fan base proved to be a powerful marketing force of their own, with fans creating their own branded content and sharing it widely.

To increase engagement, the campaign included the “Stash Some Cash” social giveaway on

With over 35% of Americans having binge watched Breaking Bad, it was clear that there was an opportunity to engage with a passionate fan base. The team conducted extensive social listening ahead of the launch to ensure that the campaign hit the right note with audiences.

Recognizing the potential of TikTok as a platform for cultural relevance and shareable content, we focused on creating assets that resonated with the fans. Then, by examining scenes and quotes, we combined the fun of PopCorners with authenticity to the series.

In having the growth opportunity that TikTok presents along with an audience that is familiar with Breaking Bad, we created the perfect storm. Being present on a platform where people are creating content means we had to relinquish some control to users and facilitate user-generated content. This aligned well with the brand and meant we could leverage native content to go viral.

By using camera angles and dialogue that mirrored Breaking Bad, and even incorporating the original wardrobe and set pieces, we transported viewers to the world of the show. This authenticity and precision is thanks in part to the involvement of Vince Gilligan, the creator of Breaking Bad, who was brought on as Director.

Fans responded enthusiastically, creating their own content with the campaign assets. We relished the use of Breaking Bad memes, quotes, and gifs in response to the teasers as it helped to generate anticipation for the commercial. This could not have happened without the team passing some creative control to fans - a factor which proved essential to effective execution.

The campaign plays testament to the power of demographic alignment and attention to detail. By staying true to the show's aesthetic and working with its creator, we were able to create real vim for the PopCorners brand.

PopCorners generated billions of earned impressions across 1,625 media placements, and was the #1 talked about brand on Reddit leading up to the Super Bowl.

We also appeared in more Super Bowl headlines than any other advertiser brand and ranked #5 on USA Today Ad Meter.

We had a 514% total follower increase:

52% Instagram

8,130% TikTok

528% Twitter

This growth was partly fueled by high engagement in the comment section on YouTube as we generated 10 times more engagement than any other Super Bowl ad on the platform.

We have seen our business grow along with the campaign roll out in 2023:”

U.S.

-50% increase in Retail $ Sales vs. year ago

-1 million new buyers (32% increase) vs. year ago

Canada

-190% increase in Retail $ Sales vs. year ago

One of our TikToks got 29.6 million views…organically… even we will admit that that was unexpected.