Who hasn't heard the now-viral Dr. Pepper jingle on TikTok that catapulted its creator, Romeo Bingham, aka @romeosshow and known to most as Romeo, into overnight internet stardom? In case you didn't know, it's "good and nice."
Other brands like Vita Coco noticed how the DIY tune's catchiness took off on social media and beyond. Last week, Romeo attended Super Bowl LX in San Francisco courtesy of Vita Coco. The TikTok creator, who's from Washington state, surprised the company with a separate freestyle-like jingle shortly after the Dr. Pepper hit. Maybe you heard it, or maybe you happened to see an official ad pop up on a Times Square billboard with these melodic lyrics: "Vita Coco, you'll go loco, 'cause it's so dang delicioso!"
Even though the coconut water brand didn't run a Big Game ad like other companies, it jumped at the chance to work with Romeo. It paid off. The move has inspired other TikTok creators to post homemade jingles, hoping to go viral and land a collaboration, while big brands are tapping into the app to connect directly with us -- the people. If you're an aspiring creator, could you be next?
CNET chatted via email with Jane Prior, Vita Coco's chief marketing officer, about TikTok, tech and connecting with Romeo for their viral moment.
Vita Coco's recent viral TikTok moment with Romeo -- and their fun jingle -- had people talking. The internet is happy for them, but this also earned the brand some goodwill and new customers. Can you talk about the backstory of how you connected with them, and what it's meant for Vita Coco?
Prior: One of our core TikTok strategies is actively participating in the comment section. It is free real estate and a powerful way to show up as part of culture rather than as an advertiser. When a comment resonates or a creator is clearly aligned with the brand, we explore ways to build something authentic from that moment.
With Romeo, we commented on their viral Dr. Pepper jingle, and the comment received over 110K likes. Once we saw that level of traction and audience response, we knew there was real interest in a partnership. Our team is also genuine fans of their content, which made the collaboration feel organic rather than opportunistic. We ultimately became the first brand to partner with Romeo in a paid capacity after their viral breakout, and the audience reaction was incredibly positive -- especially because people were excited to see a rising creator get meaningful brand support.
From there, we intentionally built the moment into something bigger than a one-off collaboration. Rather than follow a traditional brand playbook, we looked for ways to elevate Romeo and stand out creatively. That led to a billboard in Times Square featuring Romeo's lyrics -- something no other brand was doing -- and instead of investing in a traditional Super Bowl ad, we sent Romeo and their family to the game to experience it firsthand. The goal was to recognize their talent and treat them like a true creative partner.
The campaign ultimately generated roughly twice the impressions of a standard Super Bowl ad, and, just as importantly, it drove real goodwill for the brand. We saw overwhelmingly positive sentiment, with people praising the partnership and many saying they were trying Vita Coco for the first time.
Have there been any lightbulb moments since?
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