Alexis Kestler
Sponsored segments are ubiquitous in the age of internet creator monetization. But what happens when promotional copy takes on a viral life of its own? The dramatic spread of the Raid Shadow Legends ad copypasta perfectly encapsulates the remixed internet culture of forums, livestreaming, and in-jokes.
Ad Nauseam: The Rise of Sponsor Segments
Product and brand sponsorships have become a major revenue source for internet creators across YouTube, Twitch, TikTok, and more. While sometimes seen as a necessary evil, these sponsored endorsements allow creators to keep pumping out content.
Pre-scripted promotional spots have invaded video intros, midrolls, and outros. Some creators try seamlessly integrating the ad copy into their style. Others lean into the awkwardness, deadpanning through scripts likely written by someone‘s marketing team.
Either way, hearing the same endorsements parroted across channels inevitably grates on viewers. And nothing stands out more than enthusiastic ad copy contrasting a chilled-out creator‘s delivery.
The Ad That Launched a Meme Armada
In mid-2019, the mobile RPG Raid Shadow Legends sponsored what seemed like every major streamer and YouTuber. Their spokesperson ad pitch hit all the expected notes:
"RAID: Shadow LegendsTM️ is an immersive online experience with everything you‘d expect from a brand new RPG title. It‘s got an amazing storyline, awesome 3D graphics, giant boss fights, PVP battles, and hundreds of never before seen champions to collect and customize."
Reading this elaborate fantasy prose amid their usual gaming or vlogging stuck out humorously. And the Raid promo carpet-bombing every video made it prime mocking material.
Chat Gone Wild: How Twitch Fuels Memes
Twitch‘s live chat brought Raid copypasting into hyperspeed. Spamming emotes and jokes in chat is part of the Twitch experience. Streamers even curate their own emoji-like emotes for subscribers to use.
So when the hyperbolic Raid ad invaded their favorite channels, viewers rebelled by spam-posting the entire copypasta. This trolling flooded chat with a wall of text, like a virtual filibuster.
Streamers leaned into these antics, joking about "today‘s video is sponsored by…" and reciting the script in goofy voices. The collective trolling formed an inside joke for that community.
Variations arose to exaggerate the copypasta further. Emojified versions added rainbow flair, replacing letters with emojis. "OwO-speak" altered text for babytalk cuteness. Longer scripts stretched the joke ad infinitum.
Memes Mutating: Raid Joins the Copypasta Pantheon
The Raid copypasta epitomizes how web culture remixes concepts into absurd new memes. Text skits like the Navy Seal rant have spawned endless funny mutations. Brand sponsorships get similar treatment – the Nyan Cat meme originated from a 2011 Pop-Tart commercial.
After the initial Raid sponsor wave ended, the meme endured as streamer in-joke. Shorthand references like "today‘s video…" called back to their communal experience, bonding chat regulars.
While link sharing drives web virality, these interactive in-jokes spread through participatory creation between streamers and fans. Each viewer riffing on the template adds new mutations to the meme gene pool.
Lasting Legacy: The Meme That Keeps on Giving
Though the Raid ads have passed, the meme remains immortalized in compilation videos and KnowYourMeme explainers for future generations. This reveals how even advertising ephemera transforms through public creativity into lasting internet culture.
However, creator perspectives on sponsor spot trolling vary:
"It‘s cool to see chat having fun with it sometimes, though the spam can derail conversation."
"I don‘t mind jokes, but you have to respect sponsors enabling us to make content."
"Please meme responsibly and not just to harass. Some self-awareness and balance helps."
This copypasta saga exemplifies the organic nature of memes. While brands may come and go, online communities continue remixing shared experiences into their own legendary in-jokes.
