During the live broadcast of the Artemis II launch, NASA's e-commerce operation was selling merchandise like patches at a high velocity, generating an estimated $10 million in revenue. This showcases a powerful, often overlooked, revenue stream for public organizations.

After thieves stole a truck with 12 metric tons of KitKats, Nestlé and other brands immediately used humor on social media to turn the event into a viral marketing moment. This approach transforms a potentially embarrassing incident into positive brand engagement.

After a failed internal marketing campaign left iRobot with 250,000 unsold Roombas, an unexpected Pepsi commercial featuring the robot went viral. This free, third-party promotion single-handedly sold their entire inventory in six weeks, proving cultural relevance can trump technical marketing.

NASA aggressively enforces a policy against commercial product promotion, training astronauts to avoid naming brands. This prohibition makes accidental appearances, like Nutella or an iPhone, highly coveted and effective marketing moments because of their perceived authenticity.

Gary Vaynerchuk advocates for CPG brands to use their Super Bowl spots for direct-response marketing. Instead of focusing solely on awareness, the ad should drive viewers to a destination for mass trial and sampling, arguing that the cost of fulfillment is minor compared to wasted media spend.

To counter a competitor's expensive Super Bowl launch, the Old Spice team posted their ad on YouTube and Facebook the Friday before the game. The ad went so viral over the weekend that it was included in Monday's Super Bowl ad roundups, achieving massive reach for free.

The "candy salad," a consumer-driven trend on TikTok to combat candy inflation, was quickly adopted and productized by Ferrara (owner of Nutella) with a dedicated kit. This shows how major CPG brands now monitor social platforms to rapidly identify and capitalize on organic consumer behavior.

A jar of Nutella floating in the Artemis II capsule generated massive, organic media attention. This highlights how space, a marketing-restricted zone, has become the ultimate real estate for brands, offering prestige that traditional advertising cannot purchase.

Even B2B firms can capitalize on fastvertising when they unexpectedly enter the public conversation. The company Astronomer, after its executives were part of a viral 'Kiss Cam' moment, created a clever ad with Gwyneth Paltrow to explain what their business actually does.