TwitterWhile developing their company voices on social media, many brands have taken on the task of adapting a voice to match the generation their trying to appeal to - in many cases, a younger one.
The Wall Street Journal's Steven Perlberg wrote about a new Twitter account, "Brands Saying Bae," that pokes fun at companies trying to sound cool on social media by talking like teenagers and using one of their favorite catchphrases.
"Bae," according to Perlberg, is "a term of endearment that often refers to one's boyfriend or girlfriend. Bae can be aspirational - someone of romantic interest. The term has also inevitably evolved to apply to inanimate objects. On Instagram, a particularly mouthwatering plate of BBQ could be #bae, for example."
Arby's, Olive Garden, and Applebee's are some of the offending brands tweeting bae.
Here are some others (and you can see all of the tweets here):
This is what we in the business call a brandsterpiece. pic.twitter.com/brGnGhj5pS
- Brands Saying Bae (@BrandsSayingBae) December 28, 2014
Walmart is extremely uh... *consults Urban Dictionary* thirsty. Walmart is thirsty. On fleek doe. pic.twitter.com/g4GcWv4pHt
- Brands Saying Bae (@BrandsSayingBae) December 28, 2014
Basically this says that anyone who voluntarily follows Pizza Hut is too stupid to get a pun without an explanation. pic.twitter.com/RhMZzmD3aG
- Brands Saying Bae (@BrandsSayingBae) December 28, 2014