Brief:

• Rubik's Brand is celebrating the 40th anniversary of its iconic Rubik's Cube puzzle with a campaign that is spreading organically on social media apps. The #CubeAtHome hashtag has generated more than 17 million views on TikTok as people share videos of themselves trying to solve the puzzle, per an announcement.
• Enlisted brand ambassadors including Keaton Ellis and Jack Cai will teach others how to solve the puzzle on Rubik's social channels, using the #FastFriday hashtag in their posts. Rubik's also created a campaign using the hashtag #AdventureEveryTurn, which has generated 2.2 million views on TikTok, to boost interest in the puzzle.
• Rubik's channel on video-sharing platform YouTube has dozens of tutorials on how to solve a Rubik's Cube, and its website has downloadable guides designed for easy readability on a smartphone, per its announcement.

Insight:

Rubik's Brand is seeing a resurgence 40 years after the puzzle was first introduced as the coronavirus pandemic forces people to stay at home, where they are hungry for ways to pass the time in isolation. That increased interest in home-based activities is reflected in recent jumps in internet searches for terms like "puzzles" and "board games," per Google Trends data. Rubik's is building on that interest with social media content aimed at helping people solve the Rubik's Cube, and sharing the results on platforms like TikTok.

The #CubeAtHome hashtag on TikTok appears to have developed organically, which is fortuitous for Rubik's. The trending hashtag shows how photos and videos can suddenly inspire social media participation, giving brands a chance to participate by creating their own content, as Rubik's is doing with its brand ambassadors. Last year, beauty brand Marc Anthony True Professional saw a 60% jump in sales as TikTok users started sharing videos of themselves using its products in mock shampoo commercials. Although the publicity was unplanned, Marc Anthony benefited from a fast-growing trend.

Rubik's is the latest brand to build on surging interest in puzzles and games. Toy maker Mattel this month launched a campaign for its Uno card game on Instagram and TikTok to connect with homebound mobile users. The campaign included a hashtag challenge that urged people to share their "player personalities" with friends and followers. Mattel also recruited social influencers for the campaign to broaden its reach.