'Refused to Let Twitter Shut Down Before We Shared This': Tampax Is Going Viral for a Cheeky Tweet The dysfunction at Twitter has people (and brands) Tweeting their drafts — and it appears Tampax had been saving this one for a while.
By Gabrielle Bienasz •
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The chaos at Twitter has people (and brands) Tweeting their drafts — and some are getting cheekier than others.
The social team at Tampax, for example, had apparently been saving this one for a while.
You're in their DMs. We're in them.
— Tampax US (@Tampax) November 21, 2022
We are not the same.
Riffing off the classic internet meme format of "You are in their direct messages," which means to romantically approach someone plus "I am…" the brand made use of its unique positionality to its customers.
And it looks like the funny Tweet paid off. It's gotten more than 50,000 likes.
Tampax also quote-tweeted it a few hours later and tied it to the emotional, apocalyptic jokes that have emerged on Twitter, on the news that last week some 1,200 engineers resigned from the company on Thursday.
refused to let twitter shut down before we shared this tweet https://t.co/XVHHOcaZIK
— Tampax US (@Tampax) November 21, 2022
"Refused to let twitter shut down before we shared this tweet," the company wrote. Others have begun "mourning" the platform in Tweets.
my whole tl rn: pic.twitter.com/u6ifq0EZ2N
— (@ewgraiam) November 18, 2022
Elon Musk finalized his purchase of Twitter in late October and laid off half of the staff in early November. His ever-changing ideas on how to distribute blue check marks caused Eli Lilly and Company's stock to sink earlier this month after a Twitter account imitated them and Tweeted that insulin was now free. This, and other blunders, caused several advertisers to leave the platform.
Last week, Musk wrote a memo to employees saying they needed to be "extremely hardcore" and "working long hours at high intensity" to join "Twitter 2.0." If they weren't interested, they could be removed and receive three months' severance.
Related: What Is 'Decentralized Social Network' Mastodon and Why Is Elon Musk Already Raging About It
Three anonymous sources told the New York Times the number of people who resigned could have been as many as 1,200 out of 3,700 remaining employees.
The platform is still online, however. And people took advantage of that to Tweet about Tampax's joke.
So am I but with no strings attached
— Laddison (@mrexitliquidity) November 21, 2022
One person, for example, referenced the infamous leaked call transcript wherein now-King Charles III joked to his then-lover, Camilla Parker-Bowles, now Queen Consort of the United Kingdom, that he wanted to be close to her like a tampon.
"*Spits drink* King Charles has 24 hours to respond," one user wrote.
*spits drink* King Charles has 24 hours to respond. pic.twitter.com/jUMaQCqy5Z
— ℙ???? ??????? ??? (@petttylabelle) November 21, 2022
Some ripped the Tweet:
even if it was going to shut down I don't think this needed to be tweeted
— Meghan Maureen (@Keggs719) November 21, 2022
Others were in on it:
By all means, Tampax, let it flow
— Tricky Woo (@TrickyWooo33) November 21, 2022
ok be honest how many people did you have to run this tweet by before you were allowed to tweet it
— Chairman Birb Bernanke () (@Bonecondor) November 21, 2022
because it rocks
— mmgg. (@gangstaGURRY) November 21, 2022
There was also a bit of corporate humor. People have famously asked brands to stop trying to be funny on the platform, but it didn't stop Tampax and Always from sharing period-related puns. (The brands have the same parent company, Procter & Gamble.)
how long have you been saving this one
— Always (@Always) November 21, 2022
"How long have you been saving this one," Always wrote. "Since last period," Tampax replied.
The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the circumstances that led to the Tweet.
