Last week, social media lost its mind when Maurizio Cattelan’s “masterpiece” of a banana taped to a wall sold for $120,000, and another artist ate it in the name of performance art. While some viewed it as a big joke, marketers saw engagement as brands from Popeyes to the Mets capitalized on the buzz by producing their own “works of art.”
As far as producing social content, this one is pretty simple. All brands need is their product, some duct tape and a wall…too bad there isn’t a Peloton one yet.
Below, here are ways brands, unwilling to play second banana to Cattelan, are jumping in on the meme:
Popeyes
Ad Age ranked the fast-feeder as the second top marketer of 2019 for its hype around its chicken sandwich. It’s latest promotion for the sandwich is its own take on the masterpiece. Popeyes is selling a chicken sandwich taped to a canvas at the San Paul Gallery at Art Basel. Like the original artist, Popeyes thinks it can get away with charging an exorbitant price. In this case, even more than the original viral piece.