CASE STUDY 26 - BY NAPOLIFY ©
How to Build a Scroll-Stopping Series Like Ryanair (Case Study)
Ryanair is not trying to look good online — and that's exactly why it works.
They make memes with blurry cats. They call out passengers who take off their shoes. They roast their own customers. And somehow, they've built one of the most consistently viral brand pages on social media.
This case study breaks down the strategy behind the chaos: the recurring content formats, the emotionally-driven posts, the meme logic, the audience roasting, the lo-fi visuals, and their ridiculous speed to trends. Ryanair is running a masterclass in pattern design, psychology, and tone — disguised as chaos.
If you're trying to grow on social without a big budget or visual product, read this. Twice.
Welcome to our Napolify Case Studies series. Here we focus on real-world examples. We believe that the most effective social media strategies come not from theory, but from observing what actually works on the ground.
Each case study is selected, analyzed, and translated into clear, actionable insights — with the goal of helping you apply these lessons directly to your own work. We do our best to make them useful, practical, and easy to follow.
Of course, there's always room to improve. If you have feedback, suggestions, or ideas for future case studies, get in touch with us. We're always happy to refine and expand our work for the benefit of the entire Napolify community.
They create recurring content series so followers know what to expect and keep coming back
Ryanair is creating recurring content series that followers instantly recognize — and look forward to.
We've actually Whether it's the “Good morning to passengers…” text posts (always a single-sentence post starting the same way), the “Follow the sign” guy at the airport (always the same photo), the “your travel frustration in meme format”, the Reel with the edited plane or the short animated clapbacks in the “Ryanair Corps” videos, they've built a whole catalog of repeatable formats. This consistency helps train the audience's brain: when they spot a familiar structure, they decode the joke faster, engage more, and start to feel like they're in on something. It's a subtle use of pattern recognition (when you identify recurring structures) and cognitive fluency (when you find something easy to understand), both of which make people more likely to interact. Most airline brands post random one-offs or stiff PR updates (like this low-engagement zero-creativity post from the German airline Lufthansa or this low-engagement one from United Airlines that vanish in the scroll. Ryanair, instead, builds content rituals. If you're growing a brand page, especially in a category where engagement is hard to maintain, try anchoring your content to repeatable ideas that people can recognize at a glance. This works beautifully in industries where humor, personality, or niche communities thrive — but less so for luxury or prestige brands, where repetition can cheapen the vibe. If you want to replicate recurring content series When you spend time scrolling through Ryanair's Facebook page and you go back several months before, a clear pattern emerges: they use recurring content formats. But with at least 8–9 different types, they avoid monotony. This structure builds familiarity with the audience, creating inside jokes and a sense of community while keeping things fresh. What also makes Ryanair stand out is how they sell a feeling — not just cheap flights. It reminds us a bit of Microsoft, who use their social media content to tap into the feeling of escaping work life.. Posts like “Sunday is for planning how to escape Monday ✈️”, “like this if you wish you were on holiday right now ✈️”, “tonight's main event:me vs the constant urge to book holidays I can't afford”, “relationship status = permanently on flight mode ✈️” or “me booking flights when I should be working” speak to the emotional impulse behind travel: the desire to escape, be spontaneous, and say screw it. It's not about selling tickets. It's about becoming the brand people think of when they feel done with life. That's an emotional positioning most competitors completely miss. While they talk about prices and destinations, Ryanair owns a mood: “I'm going the f*** oof on holiday.” It's impulsive. It's rebellious. It taps into emotional priming — so when someone feels that itch, Ryanair is already in their head. If your brand connects to life upgrades, guilty pleasures, or impulse decisions, you can borrow this play. But if you're in a trust-heavy space (like finance or health), you'll need a different emotional anchor — like safety, control, or status — to drive the same effect. If you want to replicate “sell the feeling, not the product” Ryanair taps into a strong emotional driver: the dream of escape, especially among younger audiences. As a low-cost airline, they position themselves as the accessible way to fulfill that dream. The result? Highly relatable content that resonates and goes viral. Ryanair also blends fun and promo so seamlessly that followers don't even feel like they're being sold to. A post like “today is a great day to check in online 😘” is technically an operational reminder (same as the Fast Track meme they made) — but it reads like a cheeky message from a friend. Announcing a new route? They'll drop a line like “Guess correctly to WIN… nothing”. Or post a funny meme with “passengers when their partner won't pay €8 to sit together”. The humor softens the sell. It's a clever use of humor as disarmament — reducing resistance and making their audience more receptive to branded messaging. While most brands hammer users with CTAs and promos, Ryanair camouflages theirs inside memes and sarcasm, making them feel native to the feed. It's especially smart because it taps into the parasocial effect — the illusion that this brand is actually a person with a shared sense of humor. That approach is actually very similar to what Duolingo does. Instead of constantly promoting new features, Duolingo makes funny content around language learning itself, like procrastinating or forgetting lessons. Both brands use humor not to sell directly, but to build a relatable identity around their core experience. If you're managing a product or service that people tend to avoid engaging with (like logistics, insurance, or finance), this tactic can make your touchpoints more human. Just make sure your tone feels natural, not forced … otherwise, it backfires. If you want to replicate mixing fun and promo Instead of corporate updates, Ryanair leans into internet humor. Their feed is meme-driven and informal. We noted that the few remaining corporate posts get far less engagement — proving their audience prefers content that speaks their language. Maybe the boldest thing Ryanair does: they speak the truth about what annoys their audience — and turn it into content. Their post “middle seat = Monday energy”, the toilet situation with the aisle seat or calling out people who take off their shoes mid-flight are really good. They don't sugarcoat the downsides of flying — they lean in. This works because of the truth bias — people are drawn to brands that say what everyone else is thinking. Instead of pretending everything is perfect, Ryanair turns shared pain into inside jokes. It's self-aware, sometimes brutal, but always relatable. Compare that to other travel brands that try to gloss over discomfort with bland, polished visuals (just check Air France's Facebook page) … it just feels fake. Ryanair knows their customers aren't flying them for luxury — so why pretend? If your audience deals with common frustrations (looking at you, delivery apps, banks, or even public services), being real can be your edge. But this only works if your brand can handle a little self-deprecation. If your whole image relies on being flawless or high-end (like Ferrari, who has zero self-deprecating post), this kind of honesty might feel off-brand. Rather than ignoring the downsides of budget flying, Ryanair turns them into memes. By making fun of cramped seats or awkward flight moments, they acknowledge real frustrations — and defuse them with humor and honesty. Ryanair knows that polish doesn't always equal performance. We know that too — we've studied tons of viral content that took just two minutes to produce. While many big brands obsess over high production value, Ryanair doubles down on scrappy content … and it works. Memes with a blurry cat photo, a Nintendo 64 pigeon, a meme slapped together with clunky formatting — that's exactly the point. It's not lazy; it's culturally fluent. In meme culture, overly clean content actually feels fake or “brand-y.” Ryanair posts things that look like they were made in Paint, because that's what people trust. It signals authenticity by imperfection. The ice cream brand Wendy's does that too. Even their screenshots of replies or text-only roasts (42K likes!) feel like quick reactions, not corporate campaigns — which lowers the barrier to interaction. Other legacy brands waste days approving a single post, and by the time it's live, the moment's gone. If you're running a social page, especially in a fast-paced category, ditch the polish and embrace the post-it-now energy. This style works for consumer brands that thrive on humor, relatability, or subculture — but probably not for industries where trust and authority are everything (think legal, finance, or luxury goods). If you want to replicate making scrappy content feel human What we, Napolify, always tries to prove to our customers — and what Ryanair exemplifies — is that virality doesn't require a high production budget. In fact, sometimes the lower the production quality, the better. For example, here they've posted low-res images of cats with emojis. Sure, they could've used crisp HD stock images, but that would've made the content feel overly curated. The lo-fi aesthetic makes it feel spontaneous, real, and in line with meme culture When traditional airlines like Emirates celebrate their audience, Ryanair decides to go hard. What's brilliant is how Ryanair roasts its audience — gently, playfully — and builds a whole community dynamic around it. To be honest, it's quite smart. We noticed they are also doing that on Twitter by replying to people and on Instagram with their Reels. Posts like “good morning to passengers who understand bag measurements 😘”, “good morning to passengers who said they'd never fly Ryanair again but did”, or “YOU'RE OBSESSED WITH YOUR PHONE; take a break on our wi-fi free planes ✈️” aren't attacks — they're winks. Ryanair's tone is teasing, not mean. It creates benign violation humor: they break the rules of formal brand speech, but in a way that feels safe and shared. The audience gets to roast back, and Ryanair often highlights the best comebacks, fueling a loop of interaction. Most brands fear being roasted (when Mc Donald's gets a lot of bad comments, they reply to every one of them by apologizing) … but Ryanair thrives on it. They flip criticism into content, and every self-aware post earns them more credibility. This kind of mutual ribbing creates ingroup bonding, like you're all in on the same chaotic joke. If your brand has a fanbase that loves to talk back (gaming, food delivery, fast fashion), this tone can be gold. Just be sure your audience understands the joke — otherwise, you risk sounding tone-deaf or defensive. If you want to replicate roasting your audience (gently) As a low-cost airline, Ryanair naturally attracts a lot of online criticism. But instead of getting defensive, they lean into the jokes. Their attitude is basically: “You paid less, so don't expect luxury — but also, we're the cheapest, so you're welcome". Customers love it and they roast back, as seen here. And finally, when something goes viral, Ryanair jumps on it fast. Not with a bland “our take” — but with parody, speed, and cultural precision. When the fitness influencer's ridiculous morning routine trended, Ryanair dropped a “pre-flight routine” spoof using the same mouth tape and fruit bowl, barely a day later. That kind of response isn't just reactive, it's strategic. They understand meme literacy — matching the visual grammar and timing of a trend so it lands instantly. This is textbook cultural relevance theory in action: to feel “in the know,” brands need to speak the same visual and tonal language as their audience … and do it while the moment's still hot. Too many brands either miss the trend entirely or arrive a week late with an overproduced version. If you're managing a page where speed is your weapon — in entertainment, consumer tech, or fashion — train your team to move quickly, trust your voice, and ship the post. Culture rewards the fast, not the flawless. If you want to replicate trendjacking while it's hot Ryanair is also quick to react to online trends and viral moments. For example, when an influencer posted an over-the-top “morning routine” video that the internet quickly mocked, Ryanair jumped on the trend the same day with a meme that perfectly riffed on it. This speed and cultural awareness allows them to stay relevant with Gen Z (their core audience). How Duolingo cracked the Facebook code (Case Study) Discover how Duolingo built a viral brand presence on Facebook without ever advertising their product directly. This case study breaks down the strategies behind their 30,000-like posts, massive engagement, and cult-like community.
- You must keep visual and textual elements consistent across episodes, since recognizability accelerates comprehension and boosts shareability.
- You should publish the series unpredictably but frequently, because intermittent reinforcement increases anticipation and engagement over time.
- You must avoid over-polishing, so the content feels native to the platform and keeps the vibe accessible and personal.
- You should build formats that are easy to iterate on quickly, since speed and volume matter more than production value in social media pacing.
They sell a feeling, not just a product — and make sure it's their brand you think of
- You must tie your brand to a relatable state of mind rather than a functional benefit, as this creates deeper psychological association and recall.
- You should speak in the language your audience uses to talk to themselves, because internal monologue mirroring increases identification and click-through.
- You must avoid overt selling in the copy, since emotional content thrives when the product is felt, not forced.
- You should post at the right moment to match the mood — for example, Sundays for “Monday dread” — because timing amplifies emotional relevance.
They blur the line fun and promo so their content stands out in a feed full of ads
- You must blur the line between content and product, as seamless integration reduces resistance and builds subconscious brand familiarity.
- You should use tone and references that match internet-native humor, because being in on the joke earns trust in a way traditional marketing can't.
- You must treat each promo as a conversation starter, not a conversion push, since engagement is the real engine behind reach and resonance.
- You should lean into self-awareness when referencing your product, because confident transparency disarms skepticism and boosts relatability.
They speak the truth about what annoys their audience — no sugarcoating, just relatable
They make scrappy content, even as a big brand — which makes them feel more human
- You must embrace quick-turn content like screenshots or text posts, since the speed of posting often beats the value of production quality.
- You should reference viral formats without over-editing them, because preserving meme aesthetics respects internet fluency and invites participation.
- You must prioritize emotional clarity over visual perfection, because people react to what they *feel*, not how clean your graphic layout is.
- You should train your brand voice to sound human, casual, and self-aware, since personality cuts through algorithmic noise better than polish ever will.
They roast their audience gently, making people laugh with them, not at them
- You must monitor comment threads for gold and roast-backs, since amplifying great audience comebacks turns followers into co-creators.
- You should never punch down — make the joke *with* your audience, not *at* them — because tone management is everything in community humor.
- You must lean into known criticisms or quirks of your brand, as radical honesty builds unexpected likability through the pratfall effect.
- You should cultivate an environment where users want to roast you back, because this two-way banter fuels comment depth and algorithmic reach.
They jump on trends fast to be part of the conversation while it's still hot
- You must mimic the exact visual cues and formats of the trend, as precise referencing signals cultural fluency and helps the post blend in with native content.
- You should remix trends with your brand POV, not just copy them, because originality layered on familiarity generates surprise and shareability.
- You must give your team permission to post fast without long approvals, since speed is a creative advantage in trend-based virality.
- You should track micro-trends through niche creator spaces, because by the time it's on mainstream pages, the window is already closing.
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