What Marketers Can Learn From Standing in a "Big-Ass Line"

​A cultural moment, a comedy sketch, and a crash course in branding psychology.

A few weeks ago, Saturday Night Live served up a sketch that was part musical comedy, part FOMO crisis, and a sharp critique of modern marketing. It featured a group of people standing in a ridiculously long line ditching meaningful activities like biking, museum visits, and fresh air. For what? No one’s really sure. A bagel? Creamy tacos? Some viral Greek yogurt?

It didn’t matter. The line was the point.

What looked like a joke about social absurdity was actually a brilliant satire on branding psychology and every branding pro should be paying attention.

At the heart of the sketch is a very real human truth: connection (even superficial) is deeply valuable. In a world where loneliness is now considered a public health crisis, people will do nearly anything to feel part of something. Even stand in a long line with strangers, for something they probably don’t need. That craving for connection is a golden opportunity for brands.

The best branding creates belonging. Think of the merch drops that make people feel like insiders. The exclusive events or limited-edition collabs that give people something to talk about. In this sketch, the absurdity of standing in line becomes the bonding agent. It doesn’t just market a product, it markets a moment of shared identity.

The line also represents something deeper: the power of social proof. One character looks around and shrugs, “It’s a fat-ass line. It must be worth it.” That one sentence captures centuries of influence psychology. We’ve always looked to others to validate our choices…from royal endorsements to Yelp reviews. Today, it’s TikTok virality and Instagram stories.

But only if you’re playing fair.

Fake scarcity and artificially inflated hype don’t cut it anymore. Consumers are savvy. They know when they’re being manipulated. Real scarcity, real community, and real value are what make the experience stick. If the line doesn’t lead to something memorable, people won’t just walk away…they’ll tell the internet.

To win hearts (and headlines), brands have to constantly remix, rethink, and release. That means experiments. That means risk. That means not everything will work. But if you want people to wait in a big-ass line, there better be something unexpected at the end of it. Something they haven’t seen before.

Of course, the final gut punch of the sketch is that the line leads to nothing special. “It’s like…you know, pizza.” Not bad. But not worth the time, the hype, or the loss of a perfectly good Saturday.

In today’s world, you can absolutely generate buzz. You can build a following. You can fill the line.
What brand has been worth the hype for you. One that actually delivered something meaningful, not just memorable?

​Drop it in the comments. I’d love to hear.

#BrandStrategy #MarketingPsychology #ModernBranding #SNL #Branding