Brands getting sassy and slangy with their tweets definitely created one of 2014's more dubious digital marketing trends, but the cuteness seems to be fading fast.
For evidence, look no further than the hottest Twitter feed of the moment, @BrandsSayingBae, which (as of this writing) is approaching 10,000 followers in just two days and has generated the attention of everyone from The Verge to Time.
The feed essentially compiles brand accounts tweeting slang terms like "bae" and "on fleek." The anonymous aggregator's tacit message to the featured brands is quite simple: Stop.
The examples are (so far as tweets go) relatively dated, with examples dating all the way back to March and April, when I'd argue that "bae" was considerably more novel. It's hard to call this trend an epidemic when you have to reach back nearly a year to stock your first few dozen examples, but perhaps the intent was to lay a historical foundation.
Have a look at some of the examples below and be sure to follow the feed for plenty more.
Wonderful. pic.twitter.com/fGt6ltN49X
— Brands Saying Bae (@BrandsSayingBae) December 27, 2014 Do whatever it takes to connect with your customer base. pic.twitter.com/Ih4LPtMFGi
— Brands Saying Bae (@BrandsSayingBae) December 28, 2014 It is straight-up someone's job to make a sandwich shop seem more likeable. People used to be blacksmiths. pic.twitter.com/4vrwhZ3nC4
— Brands Saying Bae (@BrandsSayingBae) December 28, 2014 This is what we in the business call a brandsterpiece. pic.twitter.com/brGnGhj5pS
— Brands Saying Bae (@BrandsSayingBae) December 28, 2014 Basically this says that anyone who voluntarily follows Pizza Hut is too stupid to get a pun without an explanation. pic.twitter.com/RhMZzmD3aG
— Brands Saying Bae (@BrandsSayingBae) December 28, 2014