Case Study 1 — Moriarty’s Gem Art: Viral Video from a Family Jewelry Business
Background: Moriarty’s Gem Art is a family‑owned jewelry business. They had been posting videos for years without much traction. Then they created a deep‑dive video about a rare, glowing gemstone called Hyalite Opal — something visually unique and truly interesting, not a generic product promo. (MarketingSherpa)
Old‑School Meets Digital: Instead of a typical product ad, they leveraged:
- Storytelling & education about a rare stone
- In‑depth, high‑quality video rather than short clips
- Strategic use of Reddit and YouTube titles to draw curious viewers
Impact:
- The video reached over 5 million views across platforms.
- It dramatically increased brand awareness and repositioned Moriarty’s as a storytelling jeweller rather than just another shop.
Why it worked: They combined traditional content depth (like a documentary feel) with modern platforms and sharing mechanisms — a potent mix of old‑school substance with digital reach. (MarketingSherpa)
Key takeaway: Going viral doesn’t always mean a flashy gimmick — sometimes real expertise presented compellingly cuts through the noise.
Case Study 2 — The Original Tamale Company: Humour + Meme Culture
Business: The Original Tamale Company — a small family‑run tamale shop in Los Angeles.
Strategy: They made a humorous, PSA‑style video that has little to do with food at first glance, suggesting a “best place to land if you fall out of a plane.” Then they unexpectedly tie it to their restaurant. (Business Insider)
Execution Mechanics:
- Creative concept based on an internet meme: They made a video that resembles comedic public service announcements (PSAs).
- AI tools: Used AI (including ChatGPT) to script and voice the ad in ~10 minutes.
- Social sharing: Posted on social platforms where memes and short humorous clips perform well.
Outcome:
- 22 million+ views and 1.2 million likes in ~3 weeks.
- Celebrities like Emmanuel Acho commented, which boosted reach further.
- Resulted in increased foot traffic, with customers citing the video as their introduction to the shop. (Business Insider)
Key takeaway: Blending old‑school humour and shareable meme templates with modern amplification (social and AI tools) can create a viral hit even for a small family business with limited advertising budget.
Case Study 3 — Moriarty’s Shooting for Niche Wow Factor
Another angle from the Moriarty’s case: instead of selling pieces, they sold wonder — a deep look at a gemstone’s glowing effect that was so intriguing that people shared it without prompting. (MarketingSherpa)
This is classic word‑of‑mouth psychology (think old‑school “talk value”), now supercharged by digital platforms. Audiences share intriguing content, not just advertisements.
What Made These Old‑School Tactics Work Today
1. Human storytelling beats generic product ads
In both cases, the family brands didn’t just push products — they told memorable stories or intriguing explanations that felt worth sharing. That’s fundamentally what old‑school creativity was always about. (MarketingSherpa)
2. Depth and curiosity beat short, forgettable promos
Long‑form content about rare stones or a humorous “best landing spot” PSA attracts attention and retention, unlike typical 10‑second ads. (MarketingSherpa)
3. Strategic placement — just like classic guerilla or grassroots tactics
Before digital media, businesses relied on:
- Physical demos and displays
- Expert interviews or talks
- Local press and positioning
Now those same principles apply digitally: give people something novel and shareable. (MarketingSherpa)
Expert Commentary
“Old‑school creative substance still resonates.”
Modern ads often optimize for short attention spans, but videos that tell a story or surprise the viewer get shared organically — reminiscent of how classic campaigns used emotional hooks to embed themselves in culture.
Blending traditional and modern increases impact.
For example, educational or narrative depth (a technique dating back to print newspaper ads and television commercials) combined with shareable social media formats plays to the strengths of both old and new channels.
Creativity > Budget.
Both case studies prove you don’t need a huge marketing budget to go viral — strong ideas and platform‑appropriate execution matter more.
Lessons for Small / Family Businesses
- Focus on emotional or intellectual hooks, not just products.
- Unusual stories, mysteries, humour — these get attention.
- Tell a story worth sharing.
- A generic “buy this product” rarely spreads; a memorable narrative does.
- Use platforms where your audience already is.
- Whether Reddit, TikTok, or YouTube, content that fits platform culture spreads more easily.
- Old principles still apply:
- Curiosity, surprise, authenticity and a compelling narrative were always key to standout advertising — whether in print ads of the 1900s or TikTok of today. (Entrepreneur)
Summary
| Business | Tactic | Platform | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moriarty’s Gem Art | Deep educational video about rare gemstone | YouTube & Reddit | 5M+ views + brand authority |
| The Original Tamale Co. | Humorous PSA‑style ad linking survival to restaurant | Social media (viral) | 22M+ views, celebrity engagement |
| Broader Viral Lessons | Mix of intrigue, story and humour | Cross‑platform | Organic reach, high share factor |
!
Here’s a detailed, case‑study–style breakdown of how family‑owned businesses went viral using old‑school advertising principles — storytelling, creativity and emotional connection — even when blended with modern platforms. These examples show how core advertising instincts can still produce huge organic attention and real business impact. (MarketingSherpa)
Case Study 1 — Moriarty’s Gem Art (Family‑Owned Jewelry Business)
Background
Moriarty’s Gem Art is a family‑owned jewellery business that normally posted videos about their products, but nothing gained traction — until they found a truly unique story. (MarketingSherpa)
Old‑School Creative Spark
Instead of ordinary product ads, they made a deep, documentary‑style video about an unusual gemstone called Hyalite Opal — a stone that glows due to internal radiation. Its visual intrigue was paired with a witty framing (likened to “Kryptonite”), tapping classic curiosity and surprise — core principles of pre‑digital advert storytelling. (MarketingSherpa)
Execution & Promotion
- They invested 10–20 hours creating the video.
- Posted it on YouTube with clever Reddit titles to tap community interest and curiosity. (MarketingSherpa)
Impact
- 3M+ views in the first few weeks; over 5.3M views after three years.
- The video changed their content strategy, leading to significantly more engagement and visibility for future videos. (MarketingSherpa)
Comment
This classic case shows that content with depth and uniqueness — even if it’s not “flashy” — can become viral if it taps authentic intrigue and word‑of‑mouth appeal. The ad didn’t rely on paid amplification; it succeeded because people genuinely wanted to watch and share it.
Case Study 2 — The Original Tamale Company (Family‑Run Restaurant)
Background
The Original Tamale Company is a small, family‑owned tamale shop in Los Angeles that went viral with a playful 46‑second ad. (Business Insider)
Old‑School Meets Meme Culture
Instead of a normal promo, they invented a humorous PSA‑style scenario:
“Do you know the best place to land if you accidentally fall out of a plane?”
Then they suggest their restaurant — a quirky, absurd twist reminiscent of classic guerilla ad humor. (Business Insider)
The video parodies traditional safety broadcasts — a creative storytelling approach popular before social platforms — but repurposed for rapid social sharing. (Business Insider)
Execution
- Created in about 10 minutes using AI tools (for voice and script) and intuition.
- Posted organically to social platforms where meme and humor content thrives. (Business Insider)
Results
- 22 million+ views and 1.2 million likes in ~3 weeks.
- Celebrities commented, amplifying reach further.
- Customers began visiting specifically because of the video. (Business Insider)
Comment
This example highlights old‑school principles — humor, surprise, strong creative hook — retrofitted for modern feeds. Instead of just showing tamales, the ad told a story worth sharing, a tactic that predates social media but translates perfectly to it.
What These Case Studies Teach Us
1. Viral Doesn’t Mean Random — It Usually Reflects Old‑School Advertising Principles
- Both cases gave audiences a story worth sharing — unusual gemstones or clever humor — similar to classic memorable ads from before the digital age. (MarketingSherpa)
- Viral content often combines emotion + surprise + memorability — fundamentals of effective advertising long before the internet.
2. Spend Time on Quality, Not Just Quantity
Jeff Moriarty (Gem Art) noted that the video took substantially more effort than usual, but the investment paid off in attention and long‑term engagement. (MarketingSherpa)
This mirrors classic campaign strategies where a single great ad (not lots of small ones) became iconic and brand‑defining — think Hovis’s “Farmboy” or Bush’s Duke commercials, where narrative and character drove recall rather than frequent repetition. (sbmon.com)
3. Humor and Narrative Are Evergreen
The Original Tamale Company’s ad leaned heavily on absurdist humor and a storytelling payoff — two tactics that long predate social platforms but consistently succeed when repurposed creatively.
Humorous and storytelling ads often have higher shareability because they elicit an emotional reaction, a core driver of word‑of‑mouth and viral spread.
Expert/Community Commentary
Combine storytelling with platform logic: Extraordinary content alone doesn’t guarantee virality; giving it a format that fits where it’s shared increases spreads, just as old television ads worked because they fitted their medium.
Make your message memorable: Classic ad campaigns like “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like” (Old Spice) succeeded because they made brand messaging inherently entertaining — a good model for small businesses aiming for viral lift. (MarketingSherpa)
Use humor with purpose: Humor that ties back meaningfully to the brand — as in the tamale shop case — can turn an otherwise ordinary business into a conversation piece.
Summary of Key Lessons
| Element | Why It Works |
|---|---|
| Unique or surprising content | Grabs attention — content people want to share. |
| Storytelling over product showcase | Deep narrative engages audience longer. |
| Humor and emotion | Drives sharing and organic reach. |
| Platform fit | Adapting storytelling to memes/social platforms keeps old principles fresh. |