The Anatomy of a Viral Hit: Inside the Campaigns with Sukratti Jain

Award-winning motion designer Sukratti Jain reveals the strategy behind turning brand moments like Subway’s Footlong Cookie and Burger King’s “Whopper Whopper” into cultural phenomena.

In the fast-paced world of digital advertising, some campaigns flash and fade while others embed themselves into the fabric of pop culture. Jain, a motion designer at Dentsu Creative US’s Social Creative Lab, is a key architect behind the latter. With a portfolio featuring global giants like Subway, Burger King, and 7-Eleven, she specializes in transforming brand concepts into culturally resonant, viral moments.

Her work, which has garnered over 45 awards, including a Clio Gold and two Webby Awards, demonstrates a unique talent for blending bold visual storytelling with digital-first strategies that capture attention and drive conversation.

This expertise has become increasingly critical as brands seek to create authentic connections with online audiences. The success of campaigns like Subway’s Sidekicks, which sold over 3.5 million items within two weeks of its launch, isn’t accidental.

It’s the result of a deliberate creative process designed to thrive in the unpredictable social media landscape. By dissecting the strategy behind these viral hits, we can uncover the principles of crafting content that doesn’t just get seen, but gets shared, remixed, and remembered.

Deconstructing the ingredients of a viral campaign

The journey from a creative brief to a viral sensation is a meticulous process of translation and execution. For Jain, the process begins with a fundamental question of how to make a core idea visually arresting and instantly comprehensible, even without sound.

This approach was central to her work on campaigns for Burger King’s “Whopper Whopper” jingle and Subway’s Footlong Cookie, where the goal was to create scroll-stopping assets that felt native to the internet.

“When I’m brought onto a project, especially one with potential to go viral, I start by asking how we can bring the core idea to life in a way that’s visually bold, platform-native, and super clear, even without sound,” Jain explains. This focus on immediate clarity is crucial for assets that need to perform across various formats.

The challenge is not just to present an idea, but to make it flexible enough for feeds, Stories, and even jumbotrons. The viral success of the Footlong Cookie, which became so popular it was temporarily removed from digital ordering to manage overwhelming demand, underscores the power of this approach.

Jain emphasizes that the magic often happens in the execution rather than the initial concept. “Things go viral when they feel like they were made for the internet, not repurposed for it,” she states.

“That’s where I focus my energy: crafting visuals that feel effortless, but are built with a lot of intention.” This intentionality ensures that every element, from animation rhythm to visual gags, serves the core purpose of engaging an online audience in seconds.

Designing for emotion and widespread sharing

While social media’s unpredictability can feel random, Jain focuses on the elements she can control from a production standpoint: emotion and clarity. The primary goal is to design content that makes a viewer feel something—humor, surprise, or even a touch of chaos—in the first few seconds.

This emotional hook is what often determines whether a user will share a post or continue scrolling.

“My goal is always to design for emotion and clarity. Whether it’s humor, surprise, or even a little chaos, if the visual hits a nerve or feels instantly relatable, people are more likely to share it,” Jain notes. She also points to the importance of rhythm and pacing in animation, as the flow of transitions can significantly affect viewer engagement.

This careful calibration is essential for brands like Burger King, which maintains a broad, multi-platform presence with millions of followers across localized accounts.

Another critical factor is creating content that feels native to its intended platform. A polished video might excel on Instagram, but feel out of place on TikTok. “I work closely with the creative team to make sure what we produce doesn’t just look good, but feels right for where it’s going to live,” Jain says.

“And finally, I always try to leave space for people to make it their own, whether that’s through duets, remixes, memes, or reactions. If people see themselves in it, they’re more likely to keep the conversation going.”

Behind the scenes of a cultural moment

One of the most telling examples of Jain’s work turning into a cultural phenomenon was the campaign for Burger King’s “Whopper Whopper” jingle. Her team developed a karaoke-style TikTok video that invited users to sing along, a concept that took off faster than anyone anticipated.

Jain was responsible for the production side, animating the lyrics to sync perfectly with the music while ensuring the design felt playful and remixable.

“The goal was to make it feel native to TikTok, like something you’d want to duet with your friends just for the fun of it,” she recalls. The strategy worked. Soon after posting, users began creating their versions, singing, harmonizing, and remixing the jingle.

The campaign’s success was reflected in Burger King’s broader digital engagement, which included generating over 20 million views on new YouTube videos in just three months.

The true turning point, however, came unexpectedly. “Someone on our team dropped a link in our chat to an Ad Age article that had picked it up,” Jain shares. “That’s when it hit: this wasn’t just a post, it had become a moment in internet culture. It was a great reminder that viral success often comes down to designing for interaction, giving people something they want to engage with, not just scroll past.”

Adapting motion design across different platforms

Effective social media marketing requires a deep understanding that each platform has its own rhythm, tone, and audience expectations. Adapting motion design accordingly is a significant part of what makes a campaign successful. For Jain, this means designing for speed and spontaneity on TikTok, where motion needs to feel almost as if it were made within the app itself.

“On Instagram, especially for Reels or stories, there’s a bit more room for polish. I still keep things dynamic, but there’s often more emphasis on storytelling structure: intro, hook, payoff,” Jain explains.

This adaptability is crucial for campaigns that drive tangible business results, such as the double-digit growth in digital sales Subway experienced in North America alongside its Sidekicks launch. The ability to tailor content ensures it resonates wherever the audience encounters it.

Live experiences present an entirely different set of challenges. “Live experiences, like the WNBA jumbotron animation I created for Burger King, are completely different. You have to design for scale and simplicity, bold shapes, big type, minimal motion complexity so it reads instantly to a huge crowd in a physical space,” she says.

“So the way I approach motion is always with the end viewer and the platform in mind. What works on one screen doesn’t always translate to another, and knowing that difference is half the craft.”

Staying authentic with humor and cultural trends

Many of Jain’s most successful campaigns are rooted in humor and cultural relevance, which requires a constant process of staying attuned to online trends. Her method involves actively monitoring platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and X, where conversations and memes emerge organically.

This is supplemented by the following trend reports and engaging with diverse communities to understand different perspectives.

“When developing creative, I prioritize authenticity by aligning the brand voice with genuine cultural moments rather than forcing a trend,” Jain states. “This approach ensures the humor feels natural and resonates deeply with the audience.”

This strategy was evident in the viral success of the Footlong Cookie, which, according to data from The Harris Poll, led to a positive shift in brand perception, particularly among active TikTok users who were more likely to recommend the brand.

A prime example of this in action was a Nutter Butter TikTok campaign she worked on. “We tapped into playful, relatable humor that connected with the TikTok community by using trending sounds and culturally relevant content, while staying true to the brand’s fun and quirky personality,” she explains.

“This strategy helped the campaign go viral, creating genuine engagement and reinforcing brand love without feeling contrived.” The success of such initiatives has led to further innovation, like Subway expanding its Sidekicks line with a new Oreo Footlong Cookie.

Balancing creative risks with brand objectives

Aiming for virality often involves taking creative risks, a process that must be carefully balanced with brand objectives and approvals. For Jain, this delicate process starts with a deep understanding of the brand’s core values, tone, and strategic goals. This foundation allows her to encourage bold concepts that push boundaries while still respecting the brand’s identity.

“Collaboration is key. I maintain open communication with brand teams and agency partners early and often,” she says. “By involving stakeholders in the creative process from the start, we can address concerns proactively and refine ideas together, which builds trust and makes approvals smoother.”

This collaborative approach is vital for campaigns that contribute to significant business growth, such as Subway achieving its 12th consecutive quarter of positive same-store sales growth.

When advocating for a riskier creative direction, Jain supports her proposals with data and insights into audience behavior and trending formats. “Ultimately, it’s about balancing innovation with responsibility, ensuring the campaign remains true to the brand while having enough edge and originality to stand out and engage audiences meaningfully,” she adds. This balance has paid off, with Subway selling 5 million Footlong Cookies in the first few months after launch.

Measuring the true cultural impact beyond views

When a campaign achieves massive engagement, the true measure of its success lies beyond simple metrics like likes and views. Jain focuses on deeper forms of engagement, such as comments, shares, and saves, which indicate a stronger connection with the content. She also analyzes the sentiment of conversations to see if people are excited, positive, or inspired.

“Another big one for me is seeing if the campaign brings in new followers or gets people talking enough that they create their content around it,” Jain explains. “That kind of user-generated stuff is a strong sign the campaign has hit a cultural nerve.”

The longevity of a campaign is another key indicator. When people are still referencing or sharing content weeks or months later, it signals a lasting impact, as seen with the more than 13 million Footlong Cookies sold since their debut.

Beyond public-facing metrics, direct feedback from brand teams provides a more complete picture. “I find that chatting with brand teams and listening to direct feedback helps fill in the picture beyond what the numbers show,” she says.

This qualitative data, combined with quantitative results like Burger King’s high-frequency interaction on Twitter, helps measure the real cultural footprint of a campaign.

A framework for sparking cultural resonance

For brands and creatives aiming to create their cultural moments, Jain’s advice is to embrace both strategy and spontaneity. A clear understanding of the audience and brand goals provides the essential foundation, but within that framework, there must be room for experimentation and creative risk-taking. This is where the magic often happens.

“It’s also super important to stay flexible. Trends and conversations can shift fast, so you want to be ready to pivot or jump on something unexpected when the timing feels right,” she advises. This agility allows brands to participate in cultural conversations authentically.

The success of Subway’s Sidekicks launch, which coincided with a 5.9% increase in North American same-store sales, demonstrates how a well-planned yet flexible strategy can yield significant results.

Ultimately, the key is to listen closely to the audience. “Their reactions, language, and ideas can guide your creativity and help you stay authentic,” Jain concludes. “Finding that sweet spot between planning and play is what turns good ideas into moments that resonate culturally.” This balance is what separates fleeting trends from campaigns that leave a lasting mark.

The work of creatives like Jain illustrates that viral success is not a lottery but a discipline. It requires a deep understanding of digital culture, a commitment to platform-native execution, and the courage to balance strategic goals with creative experimentation.

By designing for emotion, interaction, and authenticity, brands can move beyond simple advertising and create moments that audiences actively want to be a part of, shaping conversations and building lasting brand affinity in the process.