Newsletter from October 17, 2025

The secret behind almost every campaign.

And why AMEX is doing it exactly right.

Benjamin Diedering

sent: October 17, 2025

Subject: The secret behind almost every campaign.

Every brand dreams of a viral campaign.

It’s the ultimate marketing goal. But many brands overlook one fundamental truth I spoke about at TRENDCON:

99% of all viral campaigns start with a strong offline activation.

If you want to blow up, you need great IRL marketing and smart physical touchpoints. Period.

And at Bits & Pretzels, we saw how it’s done right.

The showstopper on day one was the Amex Sphere, a massive globe selfie spot that totally crushed it.

Almost everyone who walked by stopped to take a selfie or snap a photo of the Sphere.

And tons of business owners ended up talking to the Amex team because of it. Direct conversion through real-life experiences at a physical touchpoint.

That’s the key.

You can still grab Amex’s special business offers now:

My Code

For the event itself, there were also super creative out-of-home visuals that were intentionally too big for their frames.

Sure, it’s not the first time someone’s done that, but among hundreds of standard posters, this kind of idea still stands out.

And now, let’s talk about another place with insane real-life marketing potential: Oktoberfest.

Honestly, I was never a big fan. But then I went and I’ve got to admit, it’s actually pretty awesome.

From the outside, you might think: This is too much.
But once you’re inside, you’re like: Best place on earth.
Maybe that’s the half-liter of beer talking 😂

This year we were invited to the SIXT Brand Wiesn. Great vibe, strong lineup and I see a ton of untapped potential there for other brands.

So here’s the announcement: We’re doing a BDX Wiesn in 2026.

Not a poser event, but an amazing setup for creators, brand leads, and marketers.

Quality over quantity. 20 great people at one table beat 2,000 quick conference encounters any day.

That’s it.

See you next Friday! ✌️
Benjamin

The Bigger Picture is created in proud paid partnership with American Express.

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