In 2025, "cringe" isn’t the career-ending mistake it used to be. It’s the whole marketing strategy.

The brands winning today aren’t the ones posting perfectly polished ads or carefully curated Instagram grids. They’re the ones embracing chaos, posting unhinged TikToks, and leaning so hard into awkwardness that you can’t help but stop scrolling, whether you’re laughing with them or at them.

Welcome to the Cringe Era. Here, perfection is boring. Weirdness is currency.And if your brand isn’t at least a little embarrassing online, you’re basically invisible.

What Exactly Is Cringe Marketing, Really?

First things first: cringe marketing isn’t bad marketing.

It's not posting a typo-riddled press release or accidentally tweeting from the wrong account (RIP, corporate interns). Cringe marketing is intentional weirdness: posting content that’s awkward, chaotic, or self-deprecating on purpose to feel more real and relatable.

It’s the difference between being "out of touch" and "in on the joke."

In a world flooded with polished, algorithm-optimized content, brands that dare to be weird, messy, and a little bit cringe stand out. They're not trying to be perfect. They're trying to be human, and humans are inherently a little embarrassing sometimes.

The Psychology of Why Cringe Works

Cringe isn’t just internet chaos, it’s a psychological reaction. When we see something awkward, chaotic, or offbeat, our brains light up. It’s called vicarious embarrassment, that secondhand "oof" that makes you squirm, laugh, and want to send it to a friend immediately. It’s uncomfortable, it’s sticky, and most importantly, it’s memorable.

In an era of endless scrolling and polished sameness, cringe cuts through the noise because it feels human. It’s flawed. It’s real. It taps into emotional tension, curiosity, and the universal urge to say: “I can’t believe they posted that.”

But here’s the kicker: when it’s done intentionally and with self-awareness, cringe becomes relatable, shareable, and trust-building. Why? Because people don’t trust perfect brands anymore. They trust brands that act like people. And people are messy, awkward, and funny without trying to be.

In short: cringe content gets attention because it makes us feel something, whether it’s secondhand embarrassment or chaotic joy. And in 2025’s attention economy, feelings are what fuel reach.

Why Cringe Marketing Works in 2025

1. The Attention Economy Rewards Chaos

‍Scroll through TikTok or Instagram for two minutes. What stops you? It's rarely the perfect ad. It's the unhinged owl threatening to ruin your life if you skip your Duolingo lesson.

We’re so overloaded with "good" content that only the weird, unexpected stuff cuts through.

2. Cringe Feels Relatable

‍Perfect brands feel fake. Imperfect brands feel like friends.

Gen Z and millennials don't trust brands that seem too polished or curated. If you’re willing to laugh at yourself or post something a little dumb, it makes you seem real, and realness is what builds loyalty now.

3. Algorithms Love Engagement

‍Weird, chaotic posts drive shares, comments, stitches, and duets. People want to react, whether it’s "omg same" or "what the hell did I just watch." That engagement boosts reach, turning your cringe into clout.

Brands Absolutely Owning Their Cringe Era

Duolingo

‍The green owl has gone full goblin mode on TikTok, threatening users, thirst-trapping, and inserting itself into random viral trends. It's chaotic, hilarious, and it works: millions of followers, constant viral moments, and a brand that's somehow both educational and a meme.

Ryanair

‍The budget airline’s entire social media strategy is roasting passengers and posting cursed photos of planes. They’re not trying to look premium. They’re leaning into being cheap, savage, and funny. Result? Viral fame and cult-like loyalty.

Scrub Daddy

‍It’s… a sponge. But somehow Scrub Daddy has become a TikTok darling by posting surreal, absurd memes and unhinged product videos. They embraced weirdness and now a cleaning product is a cultural icon.

Liquid Death

‍It’s just water. But marketed like it's a heavy metal band, complete with skulls, horror movie ads, and completely unhinged campaigns. It’s a masterclass in selling a vibe over a product.

How to Nail Cringe Marketing Without Being Actually Cringe

• Be Self-Aware: The best cringe marketing knows it’s ridiculous. There’s a wink behind every chaotic post.
• Stay On-Brand: Your chaos still needs to match your brand’s voice. Liquid Death’s heavy metal energy works because it fits.
• Lean Into Memes, Don't Force Them: If you’re not naturally funny, amplify real user memes instead of trying to invent bad ones.
• Low-Production Wins: Quick, scrappy, "ugly" posts often outperform slick, overproduced ads. Don’t overthink it.

When Cringe Marketing Flops: Real-World Faceplants

Burger King's "Women Belong in the Kitchen" Tweet

‍They tried to spark conversation about female chefs. Instead, they led with a tone-deaf, sexist-sounding tweet that backfired instantly.

ZOA Energy’s “Big Dwayne Energy” Campaign

Zoa, the energy drink co-founded by Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, rolled out a campaign centered around the phrase “Big Dwayne Energy” — a pun on, well, you know what. It was supposed to feel bold and funny… but instead felt like your gym coach trying to go viral. To make it worse, they were using the phrase months after it had already peaked online, making the whole thing feel like a brand arriving way too late to the party.

Totino's Gen Z Ad Campaign

‍Totino's attempted a TikTok-heavy "vibe" campaign that felt so manufactured and pandering that even the intended audience roasted it in the comments.

Lesson? If you’re forcing it, people feel it. If you don’t understand the joke, you are the joke.

Be Brave, Be Weird, Be (Strategically) Cringe

The brands that thrive today aren't the ones who play it safe. They're the ones willing to look a little dumb, a little weird, and a lot more real.

You don't need million-dollar ad budgets. You need guts. You need self-awareness. And you need to let go of the idea that "professional" automatically means "good."

Because in 2025, perfect marketing is dead. Cringe is the new clout.