If you don’t know what we are talking about, then you probably haven’t been on TikTok lately. So if that’s the case, let us break it down for you: What happens when a silly little video that went viral meets the most viral olive oil brand out there? A brilliant marketing strategy. But hey, before we talk about Graza’s brilliant idea, let’s find out what this whole olive oil fuss is about. Shall we?
It started a night before school…
There’s been this TikTok trend lately where people tell a story using a “Pepe the King Prawn” photo (yes, the one from the Muppets) and the Deadpool and Wolverine “Like a Prayer” sound. There’s no explanation for it, it’s TikTok, we listen and we don’t judge. Anywhos, this silly little trend made New York City-based actress Megan Chacalos (@meganchacalos) tell her story.
It went like this:
When Megan was in high school, someone laughed at her saying that her hair looked like hay (rude). So she decided to do an olive oil hair mask in the middle of the night. As she explained in her video, she got thirsty, as one does, and decided to run downstairs, with her hair drenched in the mask and saran wrap on her head, to get a drink. Soon she realized that she had most definitely used way more olive oil than needed and dripped all the way down to the garage fridge. Suddenly, one of the family’s cats jumped out of nowhere and spooked her causing her to fall into the olive pool she had created. You think you see where this is going, but you don’t. Megan slammed into the door and passed out.
When she woke up, in the middle of the dark, she was so confused because of the beating she just took, that started to run into things and make a whole lot of noise. Accidentally, she opened the front door to the house and set off the house alarm. Chacalos sprinted upstairs as the house alarm went on full burglar blast to run into her very upset dad, holding a titanium baseball bat, thinking there was in fact a break-in going on. He turns off the alarm and she goes to bed. Wait, it gets better.
She puts a towel down on her bed to lay down because remember, her hair it’s still swimming in olive oil, and 15 minutes later hears a noise downstairs. Three men all dressed in black, with flashlights, trying to pick the lock of the front door. She panics and wakes up her dad yet again because now they are actually being robbed. Plot twist, they are not. It was the cops who were already in the neighborhood due to a waterline break, checking on the alarm. At this point, her dad was not a happy camper. She finally goes to bed, one hour before school.
When she wakes up, Megan goes to the bathroom to rinse her seran-wrapped, oil-drenched hair. But wait, there’s no water because the waterline broke the night before. End result? She goes to school with a seran-wrapped head.
Enter GRAZA Extra Virgin Olive Oil
This crazy story that had no other goal than to entertain and tell a story, went viral to a whole another level. It got 7.4 million likes and 55.4 million views. Everyone, and we mean everyone on the platform has been talking about it this week, and GRAZA Extra Virgin Olive Oil is no exception. The company that started in January of 2022, has taken the market by storm growing at a fast pace and becoming the cool kid’s kitchen essential. You might’ve seen it on all social media being used by celebrities, influencers, and chefs. Picked, pressed, and bottled in Jaen, Spain, Graza is packaged in an opaque 100% recyclable plastic squeeze bottle and has aluminum refill cans that you can purchase. Ok Graza, we see you.
In line with the influencer marketing strategy they’ve been using that made this great quality product go viral, they saw this opportunity and obviously couldn’t let it go. As they showed on their TikTok account yesterday, they created a label picturing a cartoon based on Megan’s story, of a girl with her head wrapped and slipping on a poodle of oil with a cat right behind her. They’ve changed the product description to “Cooking and hair oil” and on the “Use me for” list, they’ve added “Hydrating your hair. Disclaimer: Do not use in hair if waterline is broken”. Give their marketing team a raise ASAP.
Be where consumers are
In today’s fast-paced digital landscape, it’s crucial for brands to meet consumers where they are—especially on platforms like TikTok, where trends evolve in the blink of an eye. Graza Extra Virgin Olive Oil nailed this approach by tapping into a viral trend that was sweeping across the platform. By understanding the cultural moment and embracing the humor and relatability of Megan Chacalos’ olive oil hair mishap, Graza connected with their audience in a way that felt organic and authentic. This kind of marketing strategy—where a brand listens to what consumers are talking about, and then joins the conversation in a fun and relevant way—creates real-time engagement and fosters a sense of community. Not only did Graza capitalize on the virality of the moment, but they did so in a way that resonated with their target audience, proving that in the age of social media, brands that are able to adapt and be part of the conversation are the ones that truly stand out.
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