A car that rolls through the air on rocket thrusters just handed half the internet its favorite punchline.
Tesla unveiled its next-generation Roadster on October 15 at SpaceX’s test site in McGregor, Texas, with production slated for 2028.
The prototype drove upside down along a curved ramp before cold-gas thrusters built with SpaceX flipped it into a midair barrel roll.
It then touched down on all four wheels in a cloud of white vapor.
Within days, AXE, Toblerone, Volvo, Burger King, and three more brands posted their own versions of the stunt.
Everyone had already seen the same footage, giving brands the advantage of being part of social media's inside joke.
The funny part is that some of the best replies came from brands old enough to claim they flew first.
Here's how each brand joined the flight.
1. AXE
AXE claimed to know the real secret behind the flying car and showed a row of its deodorant cans strapped underneath as thrusters.
"The first flying, and the best-smelling, car in the world," it captioned in its post.
Aerosol cans already look like tiny thrusters, which let the brand's product design do the setup for the joke.
2. Toblerone
"Do flying cars stop at duty-free?" Toblerone asked viewers in its post.
The question plays on the chocolate’s permanent spot in airport shops, leaving viewers to finish the joke themselves.
Brands famous for where people buy them can turn this kind of positioning into a punchline with just one question.
3. Hot Wheels
Hot Wheels posted a toy car launching off its signature orange track and pointed out that it has pulled this stunt since 1968.
Tesla’s curved ramp already looked like a life-sized Hot Wheels track, so the brand barely had to stretch.
When a viral stunt borrows your look, brand heritage gives you the best reason to claim it back.
4. MINI
MINI pulled a black-and-white photo of a classic Mini in midair and captioned it "Flying solo since 1959."
The choice let the brand talk about its heritage while still joining the conversation.
Rival carmakers can join a competitor’s launch buzz safely when the post keeps their own brand identity in the frame.
5. Volvo
Volvo answered with a photo of one of its cars sitting firmly on the road.
It has sold safety for decades, so a car that stays put reads as a punchline that only Volvo could post.
Going against a trend works when the brand's promise gives people a reason to read the opposite move as confidence.
6. Burger King Greece
Burger King and McCann Greece swapped the Roadster for a burger mid-flip over a smoking grill, captioned "Flipping into smokes since 1954."
The smoke echoes the Roadster’s landing, with the burger as the hero.
Copying a viral frame’s composition and dropping in the hero product is about the fastest visual branding a social team can pull off.
7. McDonald's Czech Republic
McDonald’s Czech Republic linked the Roadster’s climb to its drive-thru stores.
The image shows cars climbing a near-vertical road and pulling into a restaurant upside down.
The Instagram post has since accumulated over 350,000 likes and more than 3,100 comments.
Tying a viral stunt to the way that customers already buy from you gives the joke a real customer experience angle.
Reactive Posts Have a 48-Hour Window
Reactive marketing can get a brand into a viral conversation, as long as it shows up on time.
According to Sprout Social's 2025 Index, 27% of consumers believe brands only have 24 to 48 hours to make a viral trend work.
The Roadster reactions show how quickly a brand has to move once a stunt takes over the feed.
Brands that make the window also find a friendly crowd, since 40% of people surveyed think it's cool when brands jump on trends.
But speed alone will not make a post memorable.
Brands need creative direction and approval processes that let them respond quickly while keeping the joke relevant to their brand identity.
Marketers can take a few lessons from these posts:
- Pick moments your audience can easily recognize: The Roadster clip needed no setup, allowing every brand to skip the explanation and go straight to the joke.
- Ground the joke to something only your brand owns: Burger King’s 1954 line and Volvo’s grounded image would not work for any other company because they've used the joke to create something specific for their own brand.
- Get approvals in before the trend appears: With a window measured in hours, a post stuck in review loses value.
Ultimately, reactive marketing works best when brands move quickly without losing sight of what makes them recognizable.
Our Take: Does Tesla Win When Brands Joke About Its Roadster?
Every brand post on this list replays Tesla's stunt for an audience that the Elon Musk-owned brand didn't pay to reach.
Tesla does pick up free airtime, yet we'd hand the bigger win to the brands that made themselves the punchline.
For instance, AXE's post still makes sense with the Roadster gone from the feed, because the joke lives in the deodorant can.
Oreo pulled the same trick during the 2013 Super Bowl blackout with "You can still dunk in the dark."
Thirteen years later, marketers still quote Oreo's line, while few remember who won the game.
Tesla will collect views either way, so the replies that last will be the ones that still work once the original clip fades.
Brands that want in on the next viral stunt need agencies that can match the joke to their brand positioning within hours.
Take a look at these top brand strategy agencies in our directory.
