Why is Peppa Pig beefing with Clairo?
In a new interview with Pitchfork, the beloved children’s cartoon Peppa Pig has said she ‘doesn’t know’ Clairo. The fallout on X has been huge, with major label artists chiming in. It’s a perfect example of new-age, Gen Z marketing.
What happens when a cherished, cartoon pig takes shots at major musical artists? Viral tweets and a boost in brand engagement, of course.
Yes, it might seem absurd, but Peppa Pig has been facing a backlash for badmouthing popular indie musician Clairo during a segment for Pitchfork’s ‘Over / Under’ series. The show has its guests explain why they think different topics are underrated or overrated. Anything goes, from other artists to more abstract concepts such as the weather or tea time.
During her episode, Peppa Pig lists off her favourite pop artists.
She mentions Rihanna, Sabrina Carpenter, Kelly Clarkson, Olivia Rodrigo, and many more. However, when quizzed as to whether she is a fan of Clairo or not via a clip on Pitchfork’s Instagram page, Peppa responds by saying: ‘I don’t know her.’ The shade. You can watch below:
The backlash has been intense. Commenters have been dragging Peppa on Instagram. ‘Clairo is younger and much more successful,’ wrote one user. ‘At least Clairo is not British,’ said another. ‘Not you being messy, for what?’ one person asked. The heat is on, folks.
It’s not just regular folks on Instagram chiming in, either. Big artists, including PinkPantheress and Charlie XCX, have shared their thoughts, prompting a wave of chatter on X. The latter said she’d ‘f*ck up’ Peppa, with PinkPantheress demanding she ‘put respect on Clairo.’
This might all seem like a bizarre fever dream, but Peppa Pig has actually been the subject of online discourse a few times before. Pitchfork and Anthony Fantano, the biggest music critic on YouTube, reviewed her albums in 2020 and 2021. Her brand has steadily leaned into meme culture over the past few years, popping up in odd, unexpected spaces.
Subverting expectations in this way can serve as a great tool to boost engagement and improve brand visibility, often connecting previously untapped audiences to your product. We’ve seen brands like KFC, Ryanair, and Duolingo all adopt unconventional messaging via TikTok, as well as companies ‘taking shots’ at others on X to drum up attention.
Take this dig by Domino’s UK toward Sony for announcing a halt in PS5 disc production, for example:
Peppa Pig’s recent beef is quite similar to Elmo’s debacle when he tweeted his support for both teams during the NBA Finals. The New York Knicks faced off against the San Antonio Spurs for the championship. Elmo refused to pick a side, despite the character being from New York. Online, fans were quick to call him a ‘traitor,’ demanding he ‘pick a side.’ Even the NYPD got involved, calling Elmo an ‘imposter’ on their official X account.
The outrage was so wild that someone was seen with an Elmo head on a spike during the Knicks celebrations in the city. Since then, Elmo has shared his excitement for the World Cup, making it very clear that he does, in fact, support the US. The joke resulted in huge engagement numbers and worked well as a viral moment that boosted both Elmo and Sesame Street’s branding. It was successful because it was unexpected — much like Peppa Pig and her digs at Clairo.
We wrote recently about how marketers are having to divide their efforts into different voices across separate channels, thanks to a scattered internet that has transformed over the past five years. Peppa Pig is an incredibly valuable brand, and it’s clear that this latest ‘scandal’ is a means of extending its reach to adults or Gen Alpha viewers that may have grown up with the show.
Unconventional spaces are ideal for building community and brand value, and that’s exactly what’s going on here. Either that, or a cartoon pig really doesn’t like Clairo. We’ll get our pitchforks (pun intended) ready.
Originally written for Thred.com by Charlie Coombs
