The viral Dr Pepper moment that didn't come from marketing
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Cases of Dr Pepper are displayed at a Costco store on Nov. 13, 2025 in Simi Valley, California. Photo: Kevin Carter/Getty Images
"Dr Pepper baby, it's good and nice."
Why it matters: That simple TikTok jingle, posted by Tacoma creator Romeo Bingham, went from phone screens to a nationally televised commercial in days, underscoring how brands now race to scale organic creator moments that often originate on social media.
- Since the commercial aired last month during a national championship football game, Bingham has appeared on national talk shows, including CBS, and has signed additional brand partnerships with Hyundai and Vita Coco.
The big picture: Over the past two decades, social media has turned hashtags, slang and dance trends into cultural movements, many originating in Black communities.
- From viral choreography to movements like #BlackLivesMatter and #MeToo, Black digital authorship has often preceded mainstream recognition.
- A 2021 TikTok strike, in which Black creators withheld content to protest credit disparities, underscored those tensions.
Zari Taylor, an NYU scholar of Black content creators, said Bingham's rapid collaboration with Dr Pepper suggests that dynamic may be evolving.
- "Black creators have always moved culture," Taylor said. "What's new is institutions moving just as fast."
Zoom in: For Bingham, 26, the shift wasn't abstract; it was immediate and, ultimately, life-changing.
- At first, it was just a jingle. Then, Dr Pepper and other brands began commenting. Other creators began adding instrumentals to Bingham's vocals, amplifying the video's virality.
- Dr Pepper was being depleted from fountains. Strangers started recognizing Bingham around Tacoma. At a Thai restaurant, staff mentioned the "jingle maker" before realizing Bingham was standing in front of them.
- "That's when I realized I created a beast," they said.
Zoom out: Bingham, having a background in music, not marketing, didn't necessarily set out to launch a brand partnership. But the moment snowballed soon after Dr Pepper commented on the video, and fans began remixing the clip into their own mock commercials in support.
- What followed was less a traditional marketing rollout than a real-time corporate response to culture already in motion.
Behind the scenes: Dr Pepper executives say the brand noticed the video shortly after Bingham tagged @DrPepper. The original TikTok video has surpassed 40 million views and 5 million engagements, according to the company.
- "When the community rallies this quickly, it's something that can't be ignored," said Drew Panayiotou, chief marketing officer at Keurig Dr Pepper.
Within days, the jingle appeared in a commercial during the College Football Playoff National Championship, which averaged about 30.1 million viewers on ESPN, one of the most-watched college football title games in over a decade.
State of play: Taylor said that kind of rapid response reflects a broader recalibration in the creator economy.
- "The etiquette has changed," Taylor said. "If a brand is going to cash in on a viral moment, they have to compensate the person who created it."
- Bingham declined to discuss financial details of their deal with Dr Pepper. Online speculation has suggested the partnership was lucrative, though neither Bingham nor the company confirmed figures.
Between the lines: For Bingham, the impact was tangible.
Flashback: Before the viral moment, Bingham was a caregiver in Tacoma, recording music on the side. Within weeks, they were flying between cities for television appearances and brand partnerships.
- The momentum reshaped their career overnight.
Other creators have since tried to replicate the moment.
The bottom line: Bingham said there was no formula to begin with; they like Dr Pepper.
- "It just tasted good and nice," they said. "It's just as simple as that."
