This cheeky ad gave superhero victims a voice.

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Hello creative folks,

Testimonials are the oldest trick in advertising. But let’s be honest, no one’s leaning forward when yet another dentist tells you 9 out of 10 recommend toothpaste. The real magic happens when endorsements come from the unexpected. A chef praising frozen meals. A dentist pushing toffee. A Marvel background extra talking about laundry.

That last one? That’s exactly what Tide did.

The Idea

Instead of superheroes, Tide spotlighted the overlooked people in Marvel’s cinematic universe — the ones who mopped up after Hulk smashed a car or who got splattered with alien goo mid-battle. These “collateral stain victims” became the heroes of Tide OxyBoost’s launch.

The brand went all in: mining 36 Marvel movies, finding the actual extras, and turning them into mini-celebrities. They got influencer treatment, action figures, and even red-carpet appearances. Suddenly, the people fans never noticed were at the center of Marvel fandom — with Tide as the one who gave them that stage.

Why It Worked

• Surprise factor. No one expects a stain remover ad to star Marvel extras. That twist made people stop scrolling.

• Relatable heroes. You can’t fight Thanos, but you can relate to trying to get slime out of your shirt.

• Fan service. Marvel fans live for Easter eggs. By spotlighting background characters, Tide tapped directly into that culture.

• Shareability. The campaign felt like an inside joke between the brand and the audience — the kind of joke you want to share.

The Results

• Tide’s most shared campaign ever

• Record-breaking engagement across social

• Products sold out online

• Extras-turned-influencers who became part of the fandom lore

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Figment’s Takeaways

1. Flip the spotlight. If everyone is praising the star, give the mic to the overlooked. The contrast makes it stick.

2. Unexpected testimonials > expected ones. Surprise creates memorability. Your audience isn’t fooled by safe endorsements anymore.

3. Lean into subculture. Marvel fans obsess over side characters. Tide built a campaign entirely on that obsession.

4. Make it a movement, not just a message. Giving extras the red-carpet treatment was more than a stunt — it turned the campaign into a cultural event.

Final Word

Tide proved you don’t always need the hero to sell the story. Sometimes, the best ones are hidden in plain sight, if you choose to look. When you look for the novelty in a familiar setting, the story you end up telling will cast a spotlight over that world, and not just the heroes the camera focuses on. Two birds, one stone, many stains.

Figment is written by Abbhinav Kastura, a writer/producer who has spent a decade making impactful internet videos and Guru Nicketan, an advertising nerd, B2B Marketer, stand-up comedian, and a film buff.