Product launch ideas
Launches people talked about before and after they went on sale. Grouped into 5 formats, with a one-line version for your launch and a budget guide on each.
Doable with a small team, gifting or a simple partner swap.
Needs a paid creator, some production or a co-branded product run.
Celebrity fees, TV airtime or a large custom build.
Budget is our estimate of what it would take to run the same idea yourself, not what the brand spent.
The tease
5 examples
Clue: [A CHANGE / A RUMOUR / A LEAKED PHOTO] with no explanation Wait: [1–4 WEEKS] of guessing Reveal: the product, on a date you've hinted at Rule: don't pretend it's real harm or real news
Budget: Small to big. A changed logo is cheap; a celebrity tease is not.
Michael CeraVe
CeraVe spent a month seeding a fake rumour, with paparazzi shots and influencers, that Michael Cera had founded the brand, then paid it off with a Super Bowl ad.
Result 9 billion earned impressions before kick-off.
Why it spread
A believable conspiracy gave creators something to debate before the ad even aired. Source
The Laughing Cow stops laughing
The Laughing Cow removed its mascot's smile for the first time in over 100 years and refused to say why.
Why it spread
An unexplained change to something familiar makes people speculate and share. Source
Susan Boyle's jingle comeback
Cornetto launched Cornetto Max with a Susan Boyle remix of its old Just One Cornetto jingle, teased with paparazzi-style studio shots.
Why it spread
Nostalgia plus a surprise celebrity gave people something to speculate about before the reveal. Source
The pink launch
A pink-everything launch: a Malibu Dreamhouse on Airbnb, a poster selfie generator and a flood of brand collabs.
Why it spread
The selfie template let anyone make their own version of the poster.
Found footage
The filmmakers marketed the film as real found footage, with a website and missing-person-style flyers.
Why it spread
Doubt over what was real made people argue and share.
The launch video
6 examples
Hook: the product's one promise in the first line Tone: [DEADPAN / ABSURD / BRUTALLY HONEST] Length: under 2 minutes End: a line and a link
Budget: Small to big. Dollar Shave Club's cost $4,500.
The Epic Split
Jean-Claude Van Damme did the splits between two reversing Volvo trucks to show how precisely they steer.
Result Passed 59 million YouTube views within about a month.
Why it spread
A trucking spec sheet turned into a stunt anyone would watch. The product claim is the thing that makes the stunt possible. Source
Our Blades Are F***ing Great
Founder Michael Dubin starred in a low-budget launch video, walking through the warehouse pitching $1 razors.
Result About 12,000 orders in the first 48 hours. Unilever bought the company for $1B in 2016.
Why it spread
A founder roasting his own category made the pitch itself the joke people passed around.
Bucket For One
A single-serve bucket of chicken, launched with a campaign celebrating the urge to never share.
Why it spread
It says out loud what customers already feel about sharing fried chicken. Source
Murder your thirst
Canned water sold with heavy-metal branding.
Why it spread
Absurd branding on a boring product made it a talking point.
The pooping unicorn
A unicorn that poops rainbow soft-serve explained why the stool helps.
Why it spread
Absurd humour made an awkward product safe to share.
Girls Don't Poop
A prim, well-spoken spokeswoman explained the spray with bathroom jokes.
Why it spread
The contrast between the delivery and the topic made it quotable.
The limited drop
7 examples
Product: [COLLAB / ONE-OFF / SPIN-OFF] of [YOUR BESTSELLER] Run: [NUMBER] units or [HOURS] Drop: one date, one link Assets: 3 photos and a 10-second video
Budget: Mid to big. Production runs and partners add cost.
The Brick Clog
Crocs and LEGO launched a $149.99 clog shaped like a LEGO brick, the start of a multi-year partnership.
Why it spread
Two instantly recognisable shapes combined into one product that photographs well. Source
Lip Embalm
e.l.f. and Liquid Death's second collab: lip balms in mini tallboy cans based on Liquid Death flavours.
Why it spread
Both brands share an irreverent tone, so fans of each are primed for the joke. Source
Chupa Chups Impossible
To launch an easier-to-open wrapper, Chupa Chups made a limited run of lollipops in the hardest wrapper it could design.
Why it spread
It answers years of online complaints with a joke, so the fix itself gets attention. Source
The Pickle Puffer
A see-through puffer jacket filled with pickle juice and gherkins, with a built-in straw, for KFC's Pickle Mania menu.
Why it spread
Absurd merch gets the menu talked about far beyond people who'd see an ad. Source
World Cup shirts for dogs
Pet-sized versions of the Mexico, Colombia, Argentina and Japan home shirts for the 2026 World Cup.
Why it spread
Pets in football kits are made for social feeds, and it gives fans one more thing to buy. Source
The Crisp Egg
A milk-chocolate Easter egg studded with salted crisps, sold exclusively at Selfridges.
Why it spread
A strange flavour combo people want to try and talk about, timed to a gifting season. Source
The handbag popcorn bucket
AMC released a popcorn bucket shaped like a structured handbag for the sequel's opening night.
Why it spread
Merch that matches the film's world gives fans something to show off before they've seen it. Source
Launch it in public
7 examples
Place: [LANDMARK / STREET / TRAIN / BILLBOARD] Reveal: the product appears or does something there Format: [REAL BUILD / CGI VIDEO / LIVE BILLBOARD] Day one: press, creators and your own film crew
Budget: Mid to big. CGI is cheaper than a real build.
The BOSS sewing machine
To launch its new Double B monogram, BOSS released a CGI video of a giant sewing machine stitching the logo on the Champs-Élysées.
Result 24.1 million views.
Why it spread
A familiar street plus an impossible object makes people watch twice. Source
The flattened restaurant
A&W made a Toronto restaurant look squashed flat for a day to launch its first smash burger.
Why it spread
The whole building becomes a visual pun for the product. Source
The live-printed billboard
HP printed a whole billboard live on a Clapham street, one A4 sheet at a time, from 319 sheets.
Why it spread
The product builds the ad in public, which is its own proof. Source
The man in the billboard
Netflix put a live performer inside a furnished billboard above Sunset Boulevard to promote The Last House.
Why it spread
A real person living in an ad makes people stop, film and check back. Source
The Trafalgar Trojan Horse
A giant Trojan Horse appeared overnight in Trafalgar Square for the release of Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey.
Why it spread
A huge object that appears overnight in a famous square is a guaranteed photo. Source
The All Conditions Express
Nike ran an all-orange branded train at the Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics to relaunch its All Conditions Gear line.
Why it spread
A striking object at a global event gets filmed by everyone there. Source
The mascara buses
A CGI video of London transport wearing giant false lashes being brushed with mascara.
Why it spread
It looked real enough that people argued about whether it was, and shared it to ask. Source
Build demand before launch
3 examples
Access: [WAITLIST / INVITE / FAN VOTE] Mechanic: share to [MOVE UP / UNLOCK / BRING IT BACK] Show: people's place in line or the vote count Open: in waves, not all at once
Budget: Small. A landing page and a referral tool.
Mexican Pizza: The Musical
After fans campaigned for its return, Taco Bell brought back the Mexican Pizza, announced by Doja Cat at Coachella and promoted with a TikTok musical starring her and Dolly Parton.
Result It sold out, and Taco Bell made it a permanent menu item.
Why it spread
It rewarded a real fan campaign and let the fans be part of the launch. Source
The waitlist you climb
Before launch, Robinhood's sign-up page showed your place in the queue and how many people were behind you, and every friend you referred moved you up.
Result About a million people joined the waitlist before the app opened.
Why it spread
Showing people their position turns waiting into a game, and the only way to win is to share. Source
Invite-only Gmail
Gmail launched on April Fools' Day with 1GB of storage, but only to about 1,000 people, who could each invite a few friends.
Result Invites sold on eBay for $150 and more, per TIME.
Why it spread
Scarcity made an account a status symbol, and every invite was a personal recommendation. Source
How to plan a product launch
- Write the one thing people should remember about the product. Everything else supports it.
- Pick one format from this page that suits your budget and audience.
- Start building demand weeks before: a waitlist, a tease or seeded creators.
- Launch on one day, in one place, with photos and video ready for press.
- Keep a second push for week two, when the first wave of attention fades.
Launching a product soon?PRpackage.com gets your product into creators' hands and reviewed on launch day.
See brand packagesProduct launch ideas: FAQ
What are some creative product launch ideas?
Tease it with a mystery, launch with one memorable video, make a limited drop, reveal it in a public place, or build a waitlist people can climb by sharing.
How do you create buzz before a product launch?
Give people something to guess about or queue for: a rumour, a changed logo, a waitlist or an invite. Robinhood's waitlist drew about a million sign-ups before launch.
How do small brands launch a product?
A launch video, a waitlist or seeding to a few creators can all be done on a small budget. Filter by Small budget.
How long before launch should marketing start?
Most launches here started building attention 2 to 6 weeks before the product went on sale.
More viral marketing examples
By industry and season
Spot a mistake or know a campaign we should add? Email team@odim.co.