Yahoo is about celebrating ‘The Good Internet”. From its roots in Web 1.0, we wanted to build a social presence that was nostalgic, yet modern. Innovative, yet, not-really-here-for-technology-just-cuz. In a modern media landscape, what would a founding father web services brand called Yahoo! feel like? Well… take a look.
We worked closely with the Yahoo team to uncover core brand truths and tested them across different audiences to see who was most receptive to our content. From there, we identified key brand moments that naturally aligned with these truths, allowing us to build larger initiatives and activations around them.
The client challenged us to filter content through a series of creative lenses to ensure every piece tied back to the brand in a meaningful way—sometimes a tricky task, as not all of these lenses lent themselves to engaging storytelling.
At the end of our first retainer, we made a strategic shift: embracing nostalgia. Given Yahoo’s strong association with ‘90s internet culture, we saw an opportunity to reclaim that narrative in a way that felt fresh and intentional. We partnered with A24 to support the release and press tour of Y2K, securing access to the movie’s co-writer and director, SNL alumnus Kyle Mooney, as well as several Y2K-themed activations. To further tap into the mid-to-late ‘90s resurgence, we brought back the original fitness influencer himself: Billy Blanks. By leaning into what made Yahoo memorable in the first place, we were able to reframe its legacy for a modern audience.
In just six months, we posted 178 times, racked up 192M impressions, 601K shares, and 4.5M minutes of content watched—all while increasing Yahoo’s TikTok following by 50% year over year. More than just the numbers, though, we created some seriously fun and engaging content that resonated with audiences and gave the brand a fresh, relevant voice.
From high-impact partnerships with niche creators like Kareem Rahma, Taryn Delanie Smith, Pablo Rochat, Jason Rodelo, and Soren Iverson to original content shot right in our own backyard, we leaned into creative, unexpected storytelling. We reported the weather from Chili’s across the country for Yahoo Weather, built a custom mascot costume to bring the AIM Running Man (AOL is Yahoo-owned IP) to life and had him interview Kyle Mooney, and even recreated Billy Blanks’ iconic Tae Bo set to produce the first full-length workout in over a decade—designed to look just like the VHS tapes from 1999.
We also commissioned an absolute bop of a theme song, launched Yahoo’s TikTok Shop just in time for last-minute holiday shopping with a ‘90s-style infomercial (selling out a yodeling button four times in one week), and orchestrated a fantasy league of micro-influencers braving an ice-cold plunge to determine their fantasy football draft order.
At the end of the day, we walked away with not only a massive bank of learnings to refine our strategy but also a wildly entertaining body of work that reminded audiences why Yahoo still has a place in today’s digital culture.
