The world has been in mourning for Queen Elizabeth II, who passed away on September 8 at the age of 96.
Everyone from President Biden to Sir Elton John to Paris Hilton have issued their condolences, as have eBay UK (EBAY), Heinz (KHC), and Domino's Pizza (DPZ).
Once social media, particularly Twitter (TWTR), began to take off in the ‘10s, every major brand decided it needed to have their own account, partly to drive consumer awareness of their product, and partly so they didn’t look behind the times.
Depending on the Twitter account’s voice and the current cultural mood, sometimes those brands are sassy (who knew Wendy’s was so sarcastic?), sometimes sad (we hope Sunny Delight gets the help that it needs), and sometimes a bit lascivious (take it down a few notches, Netflix (NFLX)).
But at the moment, the default mood of brand Twitter is one of mourning and sadness at the passing of the Queen.
Does Every Brand Have To Weigh In On This?
Whether this is genuine, uncontrollable grief from the people behind the brands and Twitter accounts or an attempt to stay in the conversation, it can make for a strange spectacle, such as when a company like Rockstar Games (TTWO), known for gleefully violent and profane video games like the “Grand Theft Auto” series, is paying tribute to a woman who very likely never played a video game once in her nine decades on this planet. Is is really necessary for every brand to weigh in on this subject?
But that’s how it goes on brand Twitter. Whether real or performative, the end result is an often incongruous display that can veer from “who thought this was necessary” to “grief is a necessary part of the healing process, and thank you for sharing, Heinz.”
Here are some of the stranger and/or cringe-inducing Tweets mourning Queen Elizabeth II. Many of them came from fast food companies and other products that she almost certainly did not partake in, but hopefully the people who loved her appreciate the sentiment nonetheless.
Heinz, Funko, and Domino's Post Tributes
No comment on this one.
Now, what was the plot of "Hamilton" again?
Do you think the Queen ever ate pizza?
Why is a California railway company chiming in?
Not exactly sure what ClutchPoints was going for here.
The Queen figurine is admittedly a nice touch.
Ok, Crazy Frog.
Sure?
