Taylor Swift‘s upcoming album release and her love of all things orange isn’t lost on her fans — or brands that are seeking a ride on what has become an enormous economic tailwind.
On Wednesday after Swift went on the “New Heights” podcast co-hosted by her boyfriend, NFL football star Travis Kelce, to announce the imminent release of her 12th studio album “The Life of a Showgirl,” major companies went into marketing overdrive.
Numerous corporations, from United Airlines to Olive Garden, began posting orange-hued memes on their own social media accounts soon after the new album was announced. Shake Shack, FedEx, Buffalo Wild Wings, Cinnabon, Walmart and Netflix did, too.
That’s because Swift appeared onstage wearing orange numerous times toward the end of her Eras Tour, and discussed her feelings about the color on the Wednesday podcast.
“It feels like energetically how my life has felt,” the 14-time Grammy winner tells co-host Jason Kelce.
Lewis Joly / AP
Many, it seemed, saw value in tying their brand to Swift.
More than a dozen NHL teams, both north and south of the Canadian border, followed with posts on social media acknowledging Swift’s new album.
Even X got in on the action, declaring that it had a new profile pic: a glittery orange X. The post soon garnered 5.5 million views.
Google is using its search engine to celebrate the October release of Swift’s “The Life of a Showgirl.” Users who search for “Taylor Swift,” are greeted with a shower of orange digital confetti, along with a flaming orange heart and the phrase, “And, baby, that’s show business for you.”
Swift’s tour appearances have become economic events. The singer’s Eras Tour two years ago was the first such tour to cross the billion-dollar mark, according to Pollstar’s 2023 year-end charts. Cities and their surrounding areas registered a sizeable economic boost after Swift appeared, with thousands of fans making the pilgrimage and spending money at hotels, restaurants and elsewhere.
Swift also mentioned during the Wednesday podcast that she had Lasik eye surgery. In response, the X account for LASIK.com wasted no time promoting the fortuitous namedrop. The post had more than 450,000 views and 17,000 likes as of Friday.
About 500,000 Americans undergo Lasik every year, CBS News recently reported. And while the American Refractive Surgery Council says the complication rate is less than 1%, side effects are not uncommon and should not be taken lightly by those considering the procedure.
Swift’s two-hour chat with the Kelce brothers marks the singer’s first ever podcast interview, a milestone moment for the medium.
By Thursday afternoon, Wednesday night’s talk had already been seen more than 11.7 million times on YouTube. Clips distributed on Instagram, TikTok, X and elsewhere have received more than 400 million views, and the episode was also available for streaming on audio platforms.
It has further to go to be a record-setter, though. The most-watched podcast episode ever on YouTube, and likely the most-consumed podcast ever, is by a company called Thmanyah, a Saudi Arabian Arabic podcast network and independent journalism platform, according to its website. The video has racked up 144 million views in two years.
Swift, who infrequently gives interviews to journalists, revealed key information about her upcoming album, “The Life of a Showgirl,” and talked about her relationships with Travis Kelce and her family, and her joy of gaining full control of her past work — a yearslong quest.