The Little Miss and Mr Men Trend: Relatable Branding
Seeing these cartoon characters with the titles of “Little Miss” and “Mr Men” on your social media feed lately? That’s the newest trend that has been taking TikTok and Instagram by storm after one user (@juulpuppy on Instagram) pioneered these memes which tapped upon specific yet funnily relatable experiences. Since then, businesses have taken to adopting this new meme format.
This meme format draws upon an original series of children’s books titled “Mr Men & Little Miss” launched in 1971 by Roger Hargreaves with its first popular title “Mr Tickle”. The cutely illustrated book for kids was highly successful, selling a million copies in 3 years. Today, these lovable characters which many millennials and Gen Zs have grown up with have been nostalgically revived and transformed online.
In the sphere of social media, “LIttle Miss” and “Mr Men” memes poke fun at things by which people identify themselves with or wish to point out in others. For example, lighthearted versions bringing up food such as “Little Miss Acai Bowl” and “Little Miss Cereal” serve to point out what social media users feel is a specifically applicable trait that makes up a part of their identity. The power of this meme format lies in the way in which it directly connects to users by highlighting what they deem as personality traits. From sleeping late to dancing at parties, everyday actions or things people do that evoke emotion become an endless pool of resources for these memes to draw upon. As content is user-generated and organic, they are more easily received by others who do not perceive the post creator as having an agenda.
When it comes to trandjacking for businesses however, there remains the challenge of subtly reminding audiences about businesses and their offerings without putting users off by sounding too salesy. Businesses and brands therefore have to toe the fine line between their agenda and entertainment value. One way to prevent the meme from seeming too inorganic could be focusing on the bigger brand identity as a whole, its target audience and the humour appeal it can bring to the table whilst promoting its own goals. A lot of the humour surrounding this trend comes from the seeming honesty of the descriptors which can be confessional or humorous in a way that appeals to millennials and Gen Z. For example, some disparaging “Little Miss” characters include “Little Miss Doormat” and “Mr Where’s My Hug At?” which poke fun at weaknesses and lack which people recognise in themselves and laugh about.
Here are some of the businesses or brands which have been quick to adopt this new trend in a rather lighthearted and fun manner.
These businesses have kept their messaging short, simple, yet relatable or easily accessible as evidenced by the thousands of likes and hundreds of comments across their pages. Trend-jacking has hence become an effective way for them to increase their exposure to potential customers while winning favour with them through relatable, trendy humour.
BCD believes in leveraging creative means to reach out to our clients. If you are an open-minded individual looking to grow and to learn how to be adaptable and creative, feel free to contact us. At BCD, our focus is YOU.
