Cute Aggression On Social Media As AirAsia And Other Brands Hop On “Toddler Takeover” Trend
Selfies of children have been popping up on several major brands’ social media pages, with no explanation or context.
- AirAsia and other Malaysian brands joined the "Toddler Takeover" trend, posting toddler selfies that delighted fans with cute aggression.
- The trend reportedly originated from Saudi Arabian brands posting unexplained toddler selfies, possibly as guerrilla marketing to generate organic viral buzz.
- The wholesome trend proves minimal marketing can be highly effective, successfully grabbing widespread attention and engagement across social media platforms.
Subscribe to our FREE Newsletter, or Telegram and WhatsApp channels for the latest stories and updates.
If you’ve been coming across social media posts of children taking selfies lately, don’t worry, your algorithm is not going crazy.
There’s a new trend happening lately where brands are posting photos of toddlers taking selfies with the brand name or products in frame.
It could be a selfie of a cute baby in front of a restaurant, or at a carnival, or even in a plane.
Malaysians couldn’t hold back their cute aggression
Malaysian low-cost carrier AirAsia also hopped on the trend and posted a selfie of a toddler seemingly sitting in an airplane cabin with the brand’s trademark red seat cover visible in the shot
The photo is made to look as though the child had managed to open the camera app on a smartphone and accidentally snapped a selfie.
Malaysians love the trend and responded with cute aggression, expressing how cute the child is.
“Very young intern. What a cutie!” one Instagram user said.
“Is this baby the new admin?” said another user.
The wholesome trend reflects how babies are generally adored by many, and how the trend is an effective marketing strategy.
AirAsia is not the only Malaysian brand who has taken to the viral trend. Local movie theatres GSC Cinemas and TGV Cinemas also had their own child selfies, and so did sneaker outlet JD Sports as well as convenience store chain Bila-Bila Mart.
How the Toddler Takeover trend started
The whole trend a-parent-ly sparked from several Saudi Arabian brands posting toddler selfies with no context or explanation. Many of the photos did not even include any branding in them. Just a child taking a selfie.
Although it’s not confirmed if the trend really began from the Middle East, some speculated that it’s a method of guerilla marketing executed by marketing agencies to generate organic viral buzz, curiosity, and engagement for brands.
Some might argue that the best type of marketing is one that’s minimal but effective. After all, the viral toddler selfies did catch our attention, didn’t they?
Share your thoughts with us via TRP’s Facebook, X, Instagram, or Threads.
