Nobody Sausage A masterclass in relatable content from a virtual sausage

From its simplistic beginnings in 2020, to its now established online presence, the cartoonish (albeit with realistic hair and clothing movement) sausage, Nobody Sausage, is taking the social media world by storm. Nobody Sausage launched into stardom on TikTok during the Covid-19 pandemic, and subsequently other short-form video platforms such as YouTube Shorts, accumulating 20.7 million followers and 252.1 million likes on TikTok as of July 2023.

It calls into question how a cartoon sausage is able to create so much hype and support, when other virtual influencers that take a more aesthetically relatable (human) form are significantly less successful in terms of numbers, despite being around for longer. With its light-hearted comedy approach, Nobody Sausage engages its audiences by participating in online trends (dance challenges and using trending sounds), in addition to creating content around popular public discourse (Rihanna’s Super Bowl performance or the addictiveness of watching The White Lotus, for example). The virtual influencer is also known for curating sketches around relatable meme culture and experiences such as unexplainable mood swings and crying while tackling homework with a parent. The content satisfies the general mood and urgency for authenticity online, while also cutting through the noise of human and story-heavy content, creating an avenue of escapism on an oversaturated creator platform.

This success and connection with its audience has led Nobody Sausage to participate in several paid partnerships and brand. The most recent of these partnerships was with Louboutin, where Nobody Sausage promoted pink Louboutin heels in a TikTok video on Valentine’s Day. However, this is not the first time it has ventured into metafashion, having previously been a brand ambassador for Hugo Boss, Adidas, Bershka, and Samsung. Companies are using Nobody Sausage’s commercial success with Gen Z and millennials to breakthrough to younger demographics.

Roles

This report is relevant to the following roles:

Marketing Strategy