Riding the Hype: The Marketing Power of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s Engagement

@taylorswift/ Instagram

It’s no surprise that celebrities have always influenced consumer behaviour around the world. But in today’s digital reality, the connection between “mere mortals” and their idols is closer than ever. A piece of news, an announcement, or even a short concert video can become much more than small talk for the next day at work; they turn into marketing waves that ripple across multiple industries.

From personal milestone to marketing trend

The recent engagement announcement of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce is a perfect example of moment marketing in action. What could have been just a personal milestone (though not so personal from the fans’ perspective) quickly became a cultural event.

And brands, of course, didn’t waste any time: Olipop celebrated the moment with playful posts, Starbucks shared themed content, Crumbl launched engagement-driven campaigns, and Panera Bread jumped into the conversation with creative twists. Scrub Daddy also surfed the trend online, and even LCBO found a way to join the wave. After all, it’s not every day that the English teacher and the Gym teacher decide to get married. (Or is it?)

When the news breaks, brands dive in

In just a few minutes (seriously, minutes), the internet’s eyes were on Taylor and Travis, and social feeds were flooded with couple photos or edits resembling the original engagement post. These weren’t random bursts of creativity. They were strategic actions aimed at capturing attention while the topic was still fresh in people’s minds, showing how companies use trending moments to amplify relevance and engagement (not Taylor’s engagement, but you get it). The classic “real-time marketing” in action. Even I, writing this article, am riding the wave… or at least trying to.

Why does moment marketing work?

This kind of marketing works because it taps into something that’s already at the center of attention. When news of this magnitude breaks, the audience creates what’s almost a collective hyperfocus lasting, on average, one or two days.

It’s the time when everyone is talking about the same thing, at work, in friend groups, across social feeds. Psychologists call it the bandwagon effect. Nobody wants to be left out of the conversation. And for brands, this is the perfect moment to jump in, because in marketing, just like pop culture, karma is a trend.

Beyond entertainment

At the end of the day, Taylor and Travis’s engagement is about more than gossip. It’s a reminder of how pop culture trends are increasingly intertwined with consumer behaviour and decision-making.

Brands that join the conversation at the right time can ride the wave of engagement and stay relevant, like being in the right place, at the right time, with the right punchline. In an era where attention is one of the most valuable currencies, the ability to turn cultural moments into marketing is no longer optional.

Ready to ride the next wave?

At Verve, we help brands catch the wave and stay on it, turning cultural moments into real, lasting engagement. Want to know how your brand can harness the power of moment marketing? Let’s talk!