Dive Brief:
- A Los Angeles tech startup is taking credit for the overnight viral success of #AlexFromTarget -- a photo shared on Twitter that gathered over 46,000 mentions and sparked a plethora of memes.
- Marketing company Breakr Tuesday posted on LinkedIn a note from CEO Dil-Domine Jacobe Leonares and a CNET interview that said that the company helped boost the tweet through its different social media channels.
- @Auscalum, the original tweeter of the photo, responded to Leonares' claims saying that she has never worked for Breakr. Alex Lee, the full name of Alex From Target, also tweeted a statement that he has never heard of the company.
Dive Insight:
Almost immediately after the CNET interview was published, multiple Twitter account Leonares claimed were part of the hashtag's success began disputing their involvement. With evidence of Breakr's role in the viral stunt slim, it seems that the company may have trouble convincing others that it was part of its success.
