‘Marketers took risks this year’: From Hawk Tuah to Raygun, these were the viral moments of 2024
We’re almost at the end of 2024 and what a year it has been. To celebrate, we sit down with Suzie Shaw, the CEO of We Are Social to talk about the year’s biggest moments and what to expect in 2025, accompanied by an exclusive end-of-year recap from Aussie TikToker, Starr McGowan.
1. In your opinion, was there a particular theme with the viral moments of the year?
This year’s viral moments showcased a fascinating duality, oscillating between biting sarcasm and deeply political undertones. The memification of everything – particularly news – has continued to amplify the speed and scale of these trends. They often satirically celebrate absurdity at both ends of the spectrum; new lows (like the chaos of Hawk Tuah Girl or Gen Z boss and a mini) and exaggerated highs (think Brat Summer).
Memes have evolved into a parallel language, essential for how we collectively process and discuss even the most serious news. They offer a self-deprecating lens on society, allowing emotional responses to be both shared and reshaped – whether reacting to the assassination of a healthcare company CEO or a wildcard Turkish shooter triumphing at the Olympics. Universally relatable yet highly adaptable, memes unite internet communities by fostering irony-laden iterations of the stories that matter most, building an ongoing, collaborative discourse.
