Wednesday was historic—it was the last time this century that all three numbers of the date are the same: 12/12/12.
The next time the pattern will repeat will be the first day of the 22nd century: Jan. 1, 2101. (Coincidentally, this is the expiration date for that last batch of Twinkies.)
Naturally, the topic emerged on social media as one of the day’s most popular.
Brands took notice and tweeted, Facebooked, and more, to tap Wednesday’s
Zeitgeist. Here are 12 ways brands marked 12/12/12:
1. Highlighting their employees—and by employees, we mean athletes. A number of sports franchises—including the Colorado Rockies, the L.A. Lakers, and the Denver Broncos—have tweeted pictures of the players who don the No. 12 jersey. The Philadelphia 76ers shared a picture of its No. 12, Evan Turner, wearing three different versions of the team’s jersey.
2. Giving away 12 of something. Online retailer Ardene is giving away 12 gift cards worth $20 for those who follow the company on Twitter.
3. Holding a Facebook contest. The Las Vegas Motor Speedway is asking its Facebook followers to “like” a picture on its
Facebook page that mentions 12/12/12. The winner receives a “prize pack.”
4. Wishing their followers a happy 12/12/12—at 12:12 p.m. Timing is everything with this one—just ask
Seventeen magazine, which sent the following tweet:
5. Tweeting a picture of a dozen items that are for sale. Cinnabon wished its followers a happy 12/12/12 by offering them “a dozen reasons to celebrate.”
6. Making a day out of it. Fans of Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers decided months ago that Dec. 12, 2012, should be the day
they celebrate the team’s leader, who wears No. 12. The Wisconsin state legislature made it official, and local businesses took advantage of the holiday by offering specials and discounts and donating to charity.
7. Selling something for 12 cents. McDonald’s is offering a
12-cent Big Mac or Quarter Pounder with Cheese with a purchase of the sandwich at regular price.
8. Celebrating today’s marriages. Talk show host Wendy Williams engaged her Twitter followers when she asked about all the 12/12/12 nuptials expected today.
9. Offering $12 off and giving $12 to charity. Chicago Sport & Social, which organizes athletics leagues and events in the Windy City, is running a promotion today that knocks 12 bucks off a registration for a league and gives $12 to the Red Cross for Hurricane Sandy relief.
10. Buying a promoted tweet. Chase bank is a sponsor of tonight’s concert to raise funds for Sandy survivors; it’s promoted the concert through a promoted tweet, which means when someone searches for a 12/12/12-related hashtag, the Chase tweet appears at the top of the results. It’s drawn some snarky comments, but has brought attention to the event.
11. Writing a top 12 list. To promote its internships program, Disney Parks and Resorts shared
12 things interns will do in the program.
12. Finding a relevant sponsor for the brand—well, sort of. Sesame Street tweeted: