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Awards season hits… and suddenly the internet has a personality.

Oscars, BAFTAs, Grammys, they take over feeds, dominate timelines and spark real-time reactions across every platform.

And like clockwork, brands rush in.

Posting hot takes. Jumping on memes. Trying to be part of the moment.

The opportunity is HUGE.

But so is the noise.

And that’s where the tension sits: Visibility vs relevance.

Just because everyone’s talking about it doesn’t mean YOUR brand should be.

Big cultural events create a beautiful, rare gem of a moment: shared attention at SCAAALLLEEEEE.

Millions of people are watching the same thing, at the same time, reacting in real time. Emotions are high. Opinions are instant. Conversations are everywhere.

That’s marketing GOLD.

We’re seeing:

• Real-time reactive posts during live broadcasts
• Brands turning viral award moments into memes within minutes
• “Second screen” behaviour, where audiences are watching the event and scrolling social at the same time

This is where brands can feel timely, relevant and in the know.

And when it works, it really works.

Reach spikes. Engagement jumps. Brand awareness accelerates.

Cultural moments can supercharge visibility if they’re used right.

Not EVERY brand needs to be in every conversation.

Your audience is your lifeline, and if you’ve built a strong one, they can tell when something’s off.

We’ve all seen:

• Brands jumping on trends with zero connection to what they do
• Serious brands suddenly trying to be meme-heavy and chaotic
• Generic “X deserved to win” posts that add absolutely nothing

It becomes noise.

Worse than that, it becomes forgettable.

Even worse than THAT… it damages credibility.

Your once loyal audience has their magnifying glass out and they’re asking questions. 

“Why are you posting this?” 

“What does this have to do with you?”

“Is this actually your voice?”

Relevance without alignment weakens brands massively.

Here’s how the winners are actually nailing it:

• Knowing which events matter to their audience
• Identifying where they can naturally show up
• Building ideas in advance, ready to react in real time
• Adding a clear POV, humour or insight that actually feels true to them.

Smart, speedy, real. (We’d give them an award 👀)

Think of it like a perfectly put together red carpet outfit (stay with us here)… It can look effortless, but there’s a ton of people behind the scenes making it perfect.

Before jumping on any cultural moment, here’s a little criteria from us to you:

• Does this align with your brand identity?
• Do you have something original to say?
• Will your audience even care?!

If the answer isn’t a strong yes across the board… hit pause.

Not every moment is your moment (sorry to break it to you)

Cultural relevance is powerful, but it’s also temporary.

Moments pass quickly. Feeds reset. Trends move on.

Your brand doesn’t.

That’s why the smartest strategy balances reactive, moment-led content with consistent, brand-led storytelling.

If you rely purely on external moments, you’re building attention on borrowed time.

If you invest in your brand, you build something that lasts.

In the spirit of the season, we’re introducing our very own awards for the best brand moments so far this award season.*

*We won’t be giving out ACTUAL awards… you just get a pat on the back.

🏆 The “You Had To Be There” Award

InStyle

InStyle absolutely nailed awards season content by making their audience feel like they were in the room with behind-the-scenes access, quick-turnaround red carpet updates and insider moments.

Why it works:
They didn’t just report on the event.
They brought their audience into it.

🏆 The “Turned an L Into a W” Award

Alex Warren

Instead of ignoring a Grammys moment that didn’t go to plan… Alex leaned into it.

Lighthearted, self-aware and completely on-brand, he turned a potential “fail” into something audiences actually connected with.

Why it works:
Not every moment needs to be perfect, but it does need to feel real.

🏆 The “On-Brand or Nothing” Award

British Vogue

While everyone else focused on “best dressed”, British Vogue took a different angle by spotlighting sustainable and vintage fashion on the Oscars carpet.

Same event. Completely different lens.

Why it works:
They didn’t follow the conversation.
They filtered it through their values.

🏆 The “Built Their Own Moment” Award

Julian Sewell

Instead of reacting to awards season… he created his own version of it!

A full cast of characters. Fake award reveals. Running jokes.
And audiences treat it like a real event.

Why it works:
He didn’t chase the moment. He became part of it.

TL;DR: Cultural moments bring huge attention, but not all attention is worth having. Chasing every trend might boost short-term visibility, but without strategy it won’t build anything meaningful. The brands that win are the ones that prioritise clarity over speed and show up for an authentic, oscar winning performance.

What’s next?!

Our digital series Unthinkable is live on YouTube, we’re sharing the stories of people who survived the unimaginable.

Want to be top of the game with your brand strategy? Hit us up! 👉 welovewander.com