What Makes a Marketing Campaign Go Viral

Viral videos of a 7-month-old baby monkey took the internet by storm after Japan's Ichikawa City Zoo shared footage of him being scolded and unwanted by other monkeys. Punch, a macaque born in June last year, was abandoned by his mother, reportedly due to labor complications, and has faced challenges integrating with the other monkeys at the zoo. Zookeepers provided Punch with an IKEA stuffed animal to help him build muscle strength, and he was often seen with it playing and walking around, which made a perfect marketing opportunity for IKEA.

©Photo by Victor on Unsplash

Punch, the star of the internet

Videos and photos circulated online showing Punch playing by himself, often being pushed away by older monkeys. The internet reacted quickly, and a hashtag started by the zoo, “#HangInTherePunch,” went viral overnight. One user wrote, “My mission in life now is to rescue Punch from the horrible monkeys he’s with and make him my baby.”

Supporting messages towards Punch extended beyond the internet. Many messages were sent to Japan’s zoo. Takashi Yasunaga, head of the Ichikawa Zoo and Gardens division, reported that about 8,000 people visited the zoo that weekend, which was more than double the number of people compared to the same time last year.

The zoo made a statement that he is gradually acclimating. Even though he initially faced difficulties, his behaviour was not unnatural for macaques. "Punch spends most of the day peacefully," the zoo added.

Why do we adore Punch so much?

Although IKEA is usually known for its furniture rather than stuffed animals, the Djungelskog (jungle forest) fluffy orangutan—the same one Punch was seen with—was sold out across all stores. Some even appeared on resale platforms like eBay at marked-up prices. This was an amazing marketing boom for IKEA, but rather than capitalising on it directly, they responded to it with a simple Instagram post. This choice allowed the emotional momentum of the story to carry the brand organically.

Chan Leong Teng, CEO of the digital marketing agency Skribble, said that during periods of fatigue or instability, consumers naturally seek small, affordable comforts. This aligns with a broader view in behavioural research: both behavioural science and marketing aim to understand how to influence human behaviour. In this sense, IKEA's response can be seen as an example of behavioural science in action.

Adorable characters have always been a powerful marketing tool. Why is that? It is in our natural instinct to care for small, vulnerable beings, a response often linked to what psychologists call the “baby schema”: features like large eyes and small bodies that trigger nurturing instincts. In Punch’s case, this effect was amplified by his unfortunate situation, making him not just cute, but emotionally compelling. From a marketing perspective, such content triggers the release of dopamine, which can be subtly shifted on to the brand itself.

It is (not) just a joke

In the case of IKEA, we saw a well-timed marketing reaction to the virality of an adorable monkey. It may seem like a straightforward choice, simply joining in on a trend, but reactive marketing carries risks. Although IKEA’s approach was successful, not every brand has done it well in the past.

Looking through marketing history, some responses have been criticised for being insensitive. For example, during Hurricane Sandy in 2012, American Apparel sent a marketing email with the headline: “In case you’re bored during the storm, get 20% off,”  By using an ongoing disaster as a sales hook, the brand came across as tone-deaf and opportunistic.

Marketing campaigns during ongoing situations need to be done thoughtfully. Using humor can be a great way to boost a brand’s profile, but it is important that the situation is truly understood. In 2014, DiGiorno used the then-trending hashtag #WhyIStayed on Twitter, without realising it was used by domestic abuse survivors to share their stories following NFL player Ray Rice’s case. The pizza brand’s attempt to participate in a trend backfired, accidentally making fun of a deeply serious issue, for which they had to apologize for immediately.

Marketing is a diverse creative field, which could include in-depth research campaigns, social media posts or emails. In today’s world, where we spend more time online than ever before, online marketing is part of our everyday life and it has become a nuanced and high-stakes psychological game. It is therefore important to understand your brand, your customers and your marketing vision. As Punch shows, the internet rewards not brands that react quickly, but those that react correctly.