Today’s opinion piece is from Chloe Peterson.
When Nathan Apodaca posted a TikTok on his skateboard driving down the highway in Idaho while drinking a bottle of Ocean Spray, I doubt he thought it would lead to what it did.
The TikTok, which can be found here, where he was lip-syncing Dreams by Fleetwood Mac drinking Ocean Spray riding down the highway after his car broke down on his way to work. The video has 70.8 million views and made the song reach number one on the charts. Even Mick Fleetwood reposted himself doing the same trend, so did Dr.Phil and plenty of other celebrities. Ocean Spray received a lot of free advertising from it. They could have basked in the free advertising and kept moving instead they decided to buy him a truck.
A few days after the TikTok went viral, decided to buy him a car and give him a bunch of free products. It’s not something a big brand was expected to do but it impacted someone’s life in a big way. Apodaca now has 5.8 million followers and he regularly meets with celebrities. His TikTok went viral without the help of Ocean Spray but they helped to change his life. Buying him a car allowed him to get to work, he meets big named people on a regular basis, and so many still recreate his first video. He also received $10,000 in donations to help upgrade his current living situation. He’ll soon have a shower, sink and a toilet.
This is a prime example of a brand doing something for the better when it wasn’t expected or necessary of them. They also bought Nathan a truck without too much exposure. Instead of posting about it, they bought him the truck and let news organizations post about it. He created happiness for others, Ocean Spray decided to pass on those same feelings.