Twitter missed a trick

Twitter is the latest brand to jump on the ‘manifest’ trend, with its ‘Tweet It into Existence’ ad campaign which saw the brand unveil billboards across the US and Canada displaying aspirational tweets which have since become a reality from celebrities including Megan Thee Stallion, Issa Rae and Demi Lovato.

It is Twitters biggest celebrity campaign of all time, and aims to demonstrate that dreams can come true – especially if you talk about them repeatedly on Twitter. 

But did it have to be celebrities fronting this? Celebrities with millions of Twitter followers between them whose lives feel so far removed from ours? 

I am happy Niall Horan got through his X-Factor audition because it gave me the best six years of my life, and I am pleased Demi Lovato finally got to sing the national anthem at the SuperBowl because it genuinely was stunning.

This might just be the start of the campaign but it would be more refreshing to see examples from relatable people. Non-celebrities whose wishful thinking has become a reality. Whose dreams involve something more…attainable. 

More brands should be using real people as ambassadors. Celebrity-fronted campaigns alone are not enough to build credible consumer engagement, which is why this is a missed opportunity for Twitter. 

Audiences are bored of inauthentic celebrity interactions, and are falling out of love with the rich and famous. It’s why we’re seeing new creators soar on TikTok and users flocking to the platform to discover new and relatable content created by real people. 

If, as Twitter claims, there have been 59 million ‘manifestation’ tweets posted over the past three years, there must be loads of examples featuring people who’ve turned aspirational dreams into practical reality. 

Like my mate Louis, who turned his hobby of designing puzzle quizzes into a published book. Or Grayling recruit Ally from Aus, who fulfilled her dream of living on the other side of the world.

Imagine if Twitter launched this campaign globally with billboards celebrating every-day users, sharing stories from around the world, and demonstrating that ‘manifesting’ your desires on Twitter can be a powerful catalyst for action and change – even if your dreams don’t involve being a multimillionaire entertainment star.

Encouraging users to delve into their archives and RT their old tweets which have since become a reality – rewarding some of the best with a billboard in their hometown. A celebration of our local heroes.