Back to the Future Day – An online phenomenon

So it’s official. Back to the Future 2’s future date of 21st October 2015 has officially been and gone. But how did the internet react yesterday and what did it mean for business?

Back to the Future self-tying Nike Air Mag trainers

Many themes throughout #BTTFDAY (as it was known on Twitter) surrounded what the film got right in it’s predictions and what it got wrong. The iconic trainers synonymous for 2015 in the film Back to the Future 2 , were Nike’s Air Mag trainers – or ‘sneakers’ as the US call them – which featured self-tying shoelaces. Well, they may not be fact right now but they are in production and due to hit shelves in spring 2016. Mr Michael J Fox (@RealMikeFox) himself received a signed letter from Nike’s iconic shoe designer Tinker Hatfield, confirming a pair of the not-so futuristic sneakers would be with him to wear within a few hours:

Then a few hours later @MichaelJFoxOrg tweeted this picture showing hime wearing the futuristic Back to the Future trainers – good online publicity for Nike hey?

 

Great Scott – it’s Doc on BTTFDay

Well, it wouldn’t be Back to the Future day without the Doc making an appearance and to help promote not only the day but the latest blu-ray edition of the Back to the Future trilogy, news.com.au broadcast this video online to it’s followers and has had over 31million views so far. Now that’s good marketing reach: Facebook Back to the future reaction to Doc and trilogy blu-ray  

Even David Cameron gets involved in Back to the Future day at PM Questions

You don’t have to be a big media company to get noticed on #BTTFDay. Even David Cameron was throwing in a Back to the Future reference as he told the opposition leader Jeremy Corbin to go back to 1985! For politicians it’s vital that they keep in touch with the mood of the nation and David Cameron probably felt this jibe would give him some ‘pop culture’ kudos. However the following video shows that might have had the opposite effect, with social networks cringing at the remark and some even feeling like he had ruined the day for them!

“It’s today that we’re celebrating that great film Back to the Future and I’m not surprised that many people sitting behind him say he should get into his DeLorean and go back to 1985 and stay there.” PM, David Cameron

 

Marty’s Toyota truck got some BTTFday love

Toyota had some great product placement in the Back to the Future films as Marty McFly drove his trusty Toyota pick-up truck. Well, to mark BTTFDay, Toyota USA created a video on YouTube featuring both film stars and went through some of the predictions that were right and wrong about 2015. With over 2 million views, I’d say this was a hit online and many Back to the Future fans would have wanted to watch this.

All this media exposure from a cult film made in the 1980s is good for business but not necessarily for politicians. If you’re business needs more social network exposure or an improved online presence, please get in touch with Design for Digital today on 07793226869 and we’ll get your business ‘back to the future’!

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