The Madix Effect
By Lauren Fiedler
Vice President
You may think that reality TV has no place in advertising and PR examples, but I think the recent plethora of deals garnered from such a show is a great look into how the advertising and public relations industries are evolving. The quick turnaround in partnerships shows how the landscape has changed and that you always have to be keeping your ears open.
2023 is the year of Ariana Madix. If you don’t know who this is you must just be strictly a non-ad streaming platform household who doesn’t access the internet because she has been EVERYWHERE. Madix is a character on a reality tv series called “Vanderpump Rules” on BRAVO. The quick explanation (because it is 10 years of drama) is that Madix’s partner of 10 years was caught cheating on her with none other than her best friend, another character on the show.
Brands were listening/watching the attention on #Scandoval and jumped on quickly helping Madix turn her trauma into advertising and public relations gold, some may say “good as gold” (series reference).
Here is a quick run down of some of the brands and opportunities that I thought were timely and on point with their execution of partnering with Madix in a strategic way.
The brands that paid attention
Duracell
Duracell saw an opportunity in the wake of the #Scandoval scandal by bringing Madix on board as a brand ambassador with a spot that poked fun at one of her previous partner’s comments about her not buying toilet paper or paper towels and that he has to buy the batteries and pens. This was featured on social, traditional, and streaming platforms.
@arianamadix It’s time for me to move on to something more premium. Thanks to @Duracell, I’m now fully stocked with the best. #Ad #Duracell ♬ original sound - ariana madix
Bic
Bic launched one of their largest investment advertising campaigns since pre-pandemic times with a new focus on digital, social, and influencers- pulling Madix in for a 30-second spot, digital and social assets.
“Historically, we have not been a leader in new technology. We’ve been a fast follower. This is the first time we’re leading with technology.”
-Katie Potocki, marketing director for Bic Blade Excellence
Uber Eats
Uber Eats was able to hop on board quickly with a campaign they had already been in the middle of featuring artists such as Kelis and Ylvis rethinking the Uber One jingle based on famous one-hit wonder songs. Madix’s friend and castmate, Sheana Shay, launched a single “Good as Gold” back in 2013 and it was the perfect muse to bring into a collaboration with the brand. This resulted in a :30 spot featuring three main cast members from the Vanderpump Rules franchise.
Raising Canes
Raising Canes took a different approach by bringing Ariana in for a day at one of their locations to capture the content in a more social format of her not only talking about the brand but also working the drive-thru. The TikTok video even features Todd Graves, the founder of Raising Canes voicing his support for Madix. The video has over 1.4 million views on the platform.
@raisingcanes This just in... @Ariana FancyAF Madix ♬ original sound - Raising Cane's
SoFi
SoFi has already taken a different approach to banking in general, but also quickly partnered with Madix to have her record a video with her financial planner “Dr. Money”, giving a shout-out to the company that ‘has your back’ and is #TeamAriana.
@arianamadix i’m only surrounding myself with ride-or-dies from now on. SoFi is the all-in-one finance app with a whole squad of financial planners who have YOUR best interests in mind. open an account with @sofi and you can get your own financial bestie to help you make the right decisions with your money, even during the tough times 💙 #SoFiAd ♬ original sound - ariana madix
Lays
Lays collaborated with Madix to have her weigh in on their viral campaign #ChipIN or #ChipOUT of sandwiches, playing on her upcoming ‘Something About Her’ sandwich shop opening in West Hollywood as the tie. This TikTok currently sits at over 3.5 million views.
@arianamadix #ad for me, there’s just Something About… chips in my sandwich. but now @lays and I are restarting this spicy debate. do you keep your @lays #ChipIN or #ChipOUT of your sandwich? #StayGolden ♬ original sound - ariana madix
Bloomingdales
Bloomingdales took a sponsored social approach to engage with Madix by offering her a shopping spree for ‘revenge’ dresses at their store and then posting her finds on Instagram. Although understated, it was a way to engage their brand in the cultural pop moment in a relevant way.
Beis
Beis took a very unconventional approach to jumping in on the #Scadoval virality after noticing that Rachel Leviss, the other woman in the scandal, was pictured with one of their bags. They took the image immediately and posted it to their social media noting ‘We provide the bag, not the baggage’ and ‘PSA: THIS IS NOT A SPONSORED POST’. While this could backfire, I think the quick thinking of the post really worked for the brand.
Strike while the iron is hot
In addition to all these large brands partnering with Madix, Madix also took her personal brand on the road and has been doing a plethora of on-air appearances on shows such as The Today Show, and The View and is rumored to be a contestant on the upcoming season of Dancing with the Stars.
All of these are great examples of how the advertising and public relations industries are evolving and evolving quickly. No longer can you spend months on a concept, attention spans are short and you must strike while the iron is hot or not at all. It also shows brands are buying more and more into the current event landscape to be seen as more in touch with their audiences and what they are focused on at the moment.
My advice? Keep yourself in tune with your audience and know when and when not to speak out on a topic. Some instances may not make sense for you or your brand, but others may be the perfect opportunity to use a viral wave to push your organization further.
