Consumer excitement surrounding AMC’s “Breaking Bad” prequel “Better Call Saul” hasn’t gone unnoticed. Brands with legit ties to the series, such as those with cameos in the pilot, and brands with no ties to the series whatsoever tried to capitalize on the #BetterCallSaul hashtag during the two-night premiere.
“Breaking Bad” creator Vince Gilligan and star Bob Odenkirk are back on screens for the first time since September 29, 2013 and audiences – and brands – couldn’t be more thrilled.
In fact, according to a press release, the February 8 premiere of AMC’s hotly anticipated “Breaking Bad” prequel, “Better Call Saul”, was the biggest series premiere in cable history, attracting 4.4 million viewers ages 18 to 49 and 4 million viewers ages 25 to 54.
In addition, according to social analytics firm Topsy, the hashtag #BetterCallSaul generated more than 60,000 tweets in the 24-hour period from February 8 to 9, which is when the second episode aired on AMC.
Here’s are five brands that tried to leverage the “Better Call Saul” premiere.
Cinnabon
Bakery chain Cinnabon has partnered with cable network AMC to exploit its newfound relevance after prominent placement in the opening scene of the premiere thanks in part to an Odenkirk line from Breaking Bad: “If I’m lucky, in a month from now, best-case scenario, I’m managing a Cinnabon in Omaha.”
As a result, the cinnamon roll chain hosted a product giveaway on February 9 and is asking fans to submit images tagged with #SaulSelfie on Twitter. Per Topsy, the latter effort has resulted in about 270 mentions to date.
But the American mall staple was also busy tweeting to its 78,000 followers, touting its relationship to Odenkirk and the new series:
Does our newest team member look familiar to anyone else? #BetterCallSaul pic.twitter.com/hkruEELNpv — Cinnabon (@Cinnabon) February 9, 2015
First Undercover Boss, now #BetterCallSaul — it’s official, our buns are more famous than @KimKardashian’s. — Cinnabon (@Cinnabon) February 9, 2015
Despite the reference to Kanye West’s preternaturally famous better half, it was the first tweet that was most successful for the brand, generating about 800 retweets.
But the product placement didn’t stop there.
Drambuie
Scotch whiskey brand Drambuie also got some screen time in the premiere and proudly tweeted:
Anyone fancy a Rusty Nail after last night’s @BetterCallSaul? Made with #Drambuie and #Dewars pic.twitter.com/JiXng1KQ8U — Drambuie (@drambuie) February 10, 2015
It, however, only generated a handful of retweets among the brand’s 3,000 followers.
But that didn’t stop other alcohol brands from trying to play on the show’s popularity as well with their own real-time efforts. Maker’s Mark Bourbon brand Maker’s Mark, for example, tweeted:
#BetterCallSaul You know you want to pick it up. @AMC_TV pic.twitter.com/E85Ju3IS4G — Maker’s Mark (@MakersMark) February 8, 2015
Maker’s Mark also posted:
Saul might make bad decisions. But you don’t have to. #BetterCallSaul pic.twitter.com/PGFSCRi2X4 — Maker’s Mark (@MakersMark) February 8, 2015
Miller Lite
Beer brand Miller Lite sent no less than 10 tweets over the course of AMC’s two-night premiere event to its 217,000 followers, including:
Gonna stash these in the fridge for later. #BetterCallSaul #ItsMillerTime pic.twitter.com/SbcqnQyllf — Miller Lite (@MillerLite) February 8, 2015
Here’s to our favorite lawyer! #BetterCallSaul #ItsMillerTime pic.twitter.com/j5mZLtwwrZ — Miller Lite (@MillerLite) February 9, 2015
Looking for someone to help you with your case? #BetterCallSaul. #ItsMillerTime pic.twitter.com/hr9IClqfVm — Miller Lite (@MillerLite) February 10, 2015
Mercedes-Benz
Even German auto manufacturer Mercedes-Benz got caught up in the Saul Goodman excitement, tweeting from its @MBUSA account:
A good lawyer knows the law, a great lawyer has an escape plan. #LawyerUp #BetterCallSaul pic.twitter.com/VlvAb4pwFK — Mercedes-Benz USA (@MBUSA) February 9, 2015