Maytag is using a reimagined version of the “It’s Gonna Be May” meme to sell its appliances in a new commercial. But is it effective?
The appliance company’s commercial for the campaign begins with NYSNC’s 2000 bop “It’s Gonna Be Me.” It’s set in a manufacturing plant and features an assembly line of doll-like Maytag men, much like the doll versions of the NSYNC boys in the original video.
But instead of saying “It’s Gonna Be Me” (or “it’s gonna be May”), the Maytag man bluntly says “It’s Gonna Be Maytag” at the end of the commercial.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxsExWw38bM
Brands have to use memes tactfully. Oftentimes, when a brand tries to use a meme for self-promotion, it comes off as cheesy and could be a sign that the brand is helping render the meme uncool or defunct.
That doesn’t seem to be the case here. Many on Twitter are finding Maytag’s marketing tactic brilliantly hilarious.
https://twitter.com/maggiex36/status/1123076014165250048
oh my god. it is not often I really appreciate an ad, but #itsgonnabemaytag is…. sort of extremely brilliant
— katie (@comealongphil) April 30, 2019
https://twitter.com/JulietRocco/status/1123284633800577024
https://twitter.com/graceyinger/status/1123250065349459968
https://twitter.com/BEdensDance/status/1123169570372636672
The campaign is tailored toward millennials who are forever NYSNC stans and have a basic understanding of the cult-classic meme—or any meme, for that matter. But are millennials even in need of new home appliances? Everyone knows that they don’t own homes. Maytag doesn’t seem worried, though.
“Millennials are a key demographic for appliance purchases both today and for the future,” said Maytag’s senior director of brand marketing, Robert Sundy, in a statement to the Daily Dot. “It’s critical to build relationships early with consumers and we hope younger audiences see this campaign and think of Maytag when they are in the market for kitchen and laundry appliances.”
Even though people on Twitter find the advertisement hilarious, it’s too early to say if it’s making people run off to their nearest Sears to purchase a Maytag appliance. It’s definitely making people want to buy one, though.
Props to @MaytagBrand for the ingenious #ItsGonnaBeMaytag marketing. Makes me wish I needed to buy appliances
— Vance Jarrard (@VanceJarrard) April 30, 2019
https://twitter.com/JackieVetrano/status/1123212490391924736
I was groaning at all the #ItsGonnaBeMay memes, but then I saw the #ItsGonnaBeMaytag campaign and I am so on board I might buy a washing machine just to reward this stroke of marketing genius.
— Katie Lincoln (@Katie_Lincoln) April 30, 2019
The commercial is being smartly advertised right before the actual “It’s Gonna Be Me” music video on YouTube, which is sure to see a spike in views on April 30, the unofficial day for the meme. It’s also being featured on Hulu.
@hulu replaced it with #itsgonnabemaytag and I am 1000% about it
— kirked up shawty (@notsigne_) April 30, 2019
https://twitter.com/christasleeve/status/1123089670156349440
Maytag got some of the NSYNC boys to promote the advertisement across their various social media channels.
https://twitter.com/LanceBass/status/1123225365806231552
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bw4HxVrH6SR/
The meme comes from the moment in NSYNC’s song when Justin Timberlake sounds like he’s singing “It’s gonna be May” instead of the real lyrics, “it’s gonna be me.” Circa 2012, someone posted a photo of Timberlake on Tumblr with the words “It’s gonna be May” plastered across it, according to Know Your Meme. Thus, the meme was born, and it was only a matter of time before a brand hopped on that meme train.
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