Unhinged but On Brand: Marketings Obsession With Chaos

Let’s be honest: we’ve all liked one. A random, hilarious, slightly feral tweet from a brand. Maybe it was Wendy’s roasting someone, Duolingo’s owl threatening violence, Nutter Butter going off the rails, or just brands simply trolling one another. Whatever it was, it felt unhinged—and that’s what made it gold.

But, is this just a trend or is it strategy?

Truth is, everyone’s playing the algorithm, brands have stopped trying to be polished and perfect. Instead, they’re acting like your chaotic best friend. One who’s meme-fluent, kinda unwell, and fully aware of how online they are. It’s not about selling a product—it’s about being seen in the feed. 

Wendy’s kicked off the era as the “roastmaster,” but now we’ve got an entire genre of brands crafting their own voice. Leaning into a persona designed to blur the line between corporate and creator. And AI is only accelerating the shift by fueling faster content, sharper personas, and weirder bits at scale.

And honestly? It works. Engagement spikes. Screenshots circulate. People build real attachment—not to the product, but to the personality. It’s a gamble, of course. One misstep and the bit goes too far. But in a content landscape drowning in sameness, weird and unhinged often cuts through where polished doesn’t.

When attention is currency, chaos is a strategy. And the brands who dare to spiral? They're not losing the plot—they’re writing a new one.