How Staples regained an audience through TikTok and an enthusiastic employee revived the print industry

A brand’s viral moment can happen at any time- and these days- on any platform. TikTok being one of the most widely used social media apps- with over 1.5 billion global active monthly users. That’s a lot of eyes on a brand, product or person.

The retail landscape has also been innovating to incorporate elements of social branding and new consumer trends. With the rise of online shopping and now, social media app shopping- you’ll easily find a well known retail brand or storefront with a large social media presence and a very unique voice, particularly on TikTok.

Brands now enter into comment conversations, adding quirky or meme-worthy comments that bring their name back to relevance quicker than strategic ad placements. The infamous Duolingo Owl has become the internet’s biggest troll and has grown the language learning app substantially by showing up everywhere and making people laugh. Genius.

So a few months ago, TikTok user blivxx aka “Oblivion” who now goes by Staples Baddie started sharing different products that can be made with their in-house print factory, solelu because the store was empty and they had time to kill. Mugs, business cards, framed artwork, signature stamps, and even direct mail campaigns. Their videos have garnered millions of views, and for no other reason than their enticing personality and behind-the-scenes look at some of the stuff Staples does that we completely forgot about.

Showcasing print production equipment, from Xerox, HP and other offline finishing equipment manufacturers, the Staples Baddie has singlehandedly brought to life an industry that has been in the dying phases for years…

Imagine that, a Staples part-time employee going on TikTok to educate a largely Gen Z audience on multifunction printers, DPI resolution, paper weights, mediums, graphic design elements, and more. And the audience is going wild…over print technology that lost it’s cool a while ago.

The print industry has so much to offer, with a wide range of applications- there is really no limit to our imagination. Newer print shops have become prominent in the space, think of VistaPrint, StickerMule, even Etsy come to mind when it comes to getting anything custom printed. With the rise of branding, entrepreneurship and self promoting, these shops have stayed in business through their use of more targeted marketing strategies and less overhead by being online. Staples, a retail giant has fallen to the wayside when it comes to being thought of as the go-to for these types of jobs. However, the print shop at Staples is likely just as cost effective, local and quicker than an order placed through these alternative shops.

Comments flooding Oblivion’s videos saying “just because of you I’m going to go get a bunch of stuff printed at Staples now” and others have started responding with all their printed merchandise that would have never seen the light of day- (or touch of ink?) if it weren’t for this very viral moment.

Staples has even entered the chat, responding with nothing but praise for this outstanding employee’s ability to put their name on the map for a newer generation and keep them relevant. Oblivion really did that. Now, the question will become- how do we keep this excitement and momentum going for the print industry? Do we find other “influencers” that can being the hype to a mundane and boring world? Or do we do like we do with all viral moments, and just let it fizzle out again?

I’d like to think we are heading towards a more analog world again, where instead of scrolling and swiping we’re page-turning, folding, binding and saving in shoeboxes. Instead of sending memes via DM we’re going back to printing heartfelt postcards and quirky zines.

So in a way- thank you, to Oblivion for reviving the print industry even if just for a [viral] moment.