How Nutter Butter Went from Irrelevant to the Talk of the Town—

and What Marketers Can Learn from It

Let’s face it—Nutter Butter was on the fast track to obscurity. That is, until they threw a wild card onto TikTok, turning the brand from a forgotten cookie into one of the platform’s most buzzed-about players. It didn’t just post some ads; it introduced surreal, off-the-wall content featuring characters like the “Nutter Butter Man” and even fans-turned-influencers, like TikTok user Aidan Moloney. The approach was quirky, bold, and, yes, even a little confusing—especially to a 47-year-old like me. But here’s the kicker: my college students love it. They’re talking about it, sharing it, and creating their content around it, and that visceral, gut-level reaction? That’s something marketers dream about.

Embracing the Weird: A Strategy That Defies Logic

Let’s be real—most brand managers would have a heart attack at the thought of “absurdity” as a core strategy. Yet Nutter Butter’s team knew that making their content too logical would hurt its performance on TikTok, where the bizarre and unexpected thrive. As Zach Poczekaj from Dentsu Creative put it in a recent

New York Times

article, “too logical” doesn’t cut it on social media anymore. Instead, they leaned into a DIY, low-fi, and completely surreal approach, creating characters like “Nutter Butter Man” and turning fans like Aidan Moloney into unofficial mascots. Each post is a bit of lore in a growing saga that Gen Z eats up (no pun intended).

Their videos leave viewers scratching their heads, replaying clips, and then jumping into the comments to ask questions, tag friends, and share their theories on just what they’ve witnessed. And that’s the point. This isn’t a campaign that explains itself—it’s one that requires engagement to be fully understood (if it even can be understood, to be honest). And Nutter Butter listens to those comments, letting fan reactions and feedback directly influence their next piece of content. This feedback loop of “post, engage, repeat” is creating an ongoing, interactive experience that traditional ads couldn’t touch with a 10-foot pole.

Real-Time Engagement: Turning Fans into Co-Creators

Nutter Butter’s TikTok isn’t a one-way broadcast; it’s a two-way street that feels more like an ongoing conversation than a campaign. They’re not just tossing posts out and crossing their fingers for likes—they’re deep in the comments, responding to fans, shouting out top followers, and even reshaping future posts based on what’s resonating with their audience.

The message is clear: Nutter Butter isn’t just “doing TikTok”; they’re living it.

Here’s where Nutter Butter deserves serious credit: they’ve given fans a seat at the table, turning casual followers into loyal advocates and true co-creators. When a brand invites its audience to engage, tag friends, and even create their own content in response, they’re building something bigger than just a campaign. They’re building community. And in a world where algorithms favor interaction, this type of fan-powered, community-centric approach is key to keeping content relevant and top-of-feed.

Outdated Website? Who Cares When TikTok’s on Fire

Despite Nutter Butter’s social media fame, their website hasn’t exactly kept up with the times. The latest viral energy is nowhere to be found on Nutter Butter’s official site, which still has the same cookie-cutter layout as before. But here’s the thing—Gen Z isn’t hitting up the website; they’re living on TikTok, tagging friends, and sharing videos. It’s a good reminder that if you’re nailing it on the platforms where your audience actually hangs out, the website can take a backseat.

Taking It Beyond the Screen: Smart Moves in Product Placement and In-Store Visibility

Now, Nutter Butter isn’t just banking on TikTok buzz to drive sales—they’re smartly extending their reach with strategic product placement and in-store tactics. Case in point: they’ve popped up alongside Steve Kornacki on NBC, sneaking their cookie into moments where you might not expect it but definitely notice it. This clever cross-promotion is a reminder that while TikTok may be where the hype begins, making the jump to a broader audience requires a little help from traditional media, too.

The Fine Line Between “What Did I Just Watch?” and “I Need to Buy That”

So here’s the challenge to other legacy brands out there: Are you bold enough to embrace the bizarre? Are you willing to trade safe for standout, to let your audience in on the creative process, and maybe even let them shape it? Because the Nutter Butter playbook is clear—commit to the weird, make it interactive, and connect it back to real-life accessibility. For brands willing to take the risk, the rewards could be huge.

And we’ll be watching to see if all this buzz turns into cold, hard sales. Because at the end of the day, the real success of this campaign won’t just be in likes, comments, or shares. It’ll be in how many people reach for a pack of Nutter Butters the next time they’re in the snack aisle. We’ll report back when we see if Nutter Butter’s TikTok fame translates to sales success, but for now? Hats off to them for breaking the mold and proving that legacy brands can still shake things up.