Ahoj-Brause revives the 'PPAP' meme as a social-first jingle
- 6 days ago
- 2 min read
Updated: 5 days ago
German fizzy-sweets brand Ahoj-Brause has turned the 2016 viral hit 'Pen-Pineapple-Apple-Pen' into a modern advertising jingle to launch its new Brausefinger product — a heritage confectionery brand mining meme nostalgia to reach Gen Z on sound-driven platforms.
What Ahoj-Brause made
Working with Berlin social agency Ozmoze, Ahoj-Brause reworked the 2016 viral hook 'Pen-Pineapple-Apple-Pen' into 'Ich hab 'nen Finger, ich hab 'ne Brause' to promote its new Ahoj-Brausefinger. Creator Xhem (@xhemajlmo) stars, mimicking the original's Pikotaro.
It's a social-first launch across TikTok and Instagram, anchored by a 30-second music video with behind-the-scenes, dance and short-form cuts — and a sound built to be remixed by others.
Why nostalgia, why 2016
The campaign rides the '2026 is the new 2016' nostalgia trend, reaching back to a meme that Gen Z grew up with. Nostalgia marketing works because it borrows pre-loaded emotional familiarity — you don't have to build recognition from scratch.
Picking a decade-old internet moment rather than a classic ad is the smart part: it lands specifically with the young audience the brand wants, who remember PPAP as a formative piece of online culture.
Designing sound to be remixed
The most modern move is building the audio to be remixable. On TikTok and Instagram, a sound that creators can reuse turns an ad into a participation format — free reach every time someone makes their own version.
That's a fundamentally different goal from a broadcast jingle. Instead of repetition buying recall, virality and user participation do the work. The brand supplies the hook; the audience supplies the distribution.
Our read for marketers
The transferable idea is to design for participation, not just views. If your campaign gives audiences something to remix, duet or recreate, you convert passive reach into active spread.
And use nostalgia with precision. Borrowing a cultural moment your exact target grew up with is far more effective than a generic throwback — specificity is what makes nostalgia land.
Quick FAQ
What is Ahoj-Brause's PPAP campaign?
Ahoj-Brause, with agency Ozmoze, reworked the 2016 viral hit 'Pen-Pineapple-Apple-Pen' into a jingle ('Ich hab 'nen Finger, ich hab 'ne Brause') to launch its new Brausefinger, led by creator Xhem on TikTok and Instagram.
Why use a 2016 meme for a 2026 campaign?
It rides the '2026 is the new 2016' nostalgia trend and borrows pre-loaded familiarity with a meme Gen Z grew up with — specificity that makes the nostalgia land with the target audience.
Why design a sound to be remixed?
On TikTok and Instagram, a reusable sound turns an ad into a participation format — every user version is free reach, so virality and participation replace paid repetition.
— Oliver Nikolla-Casado, International Markets Reporter at Marketing Minute
Design campaigns for participation, not just views — a remixable hook turns passive reach into active spread, and precise nostalgia lands harder than a generic throwback.
Does your campaign give people something to remix and recreate, or just something to watch?
If you would like to know more about this topic, please contact us on danieln@merxmarketing.co.uk
Sources: Horizont, Campaign Germany.
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Written by Oliver Nikolla-Casado, International Markets Reporter at Marketing Minute
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