On “Joyride Day,” Ryan Trahan unlocked a powerful new form of creator product marketing

Over the years, Ryan Trahan has shown that he’s always down to try something new. On Joyride Day, he applied that adventurous approach to his snack brand.

In true Ryan Trahan fashion, his promotional event for Joyride was a 50-state affair filled with spectacle, celebrity cameos, and a record-breaking level of attention. After traveling from coast to coast in search of the state that loves candy the most, Trahan capped off his journey by hosting a live stream that included a successful Guinness World Records attempt.

As Trahan sated his wanderlust by searching for sweet-toothed fans across the country, a live leaderboard kept track of the states that were engaging the most with Joyride product. The culminating stream was a big win for Trahan, his two-year-old consumables brand, and residents of the Gem State. That’s right: Idaho earned the Joyride title, which is why shoppers can now get their hands on potato wedge-shaped candies that are flavored with huckleberries (the official state fruit of Idaho).

Trahan’s Joyride Day stream was a 24-hour marathon that ultimately pulled in 2.4 million views, with a peak concurrent viewership of more than 24,000. MrBeast

and Airrack joined the fun with some guest appearances, and Trahan etched the Joyride name into the Guinness World Records as well. In just 24 hours, 11,495 Instagram users uploaded photos that showed them holding candy.

For Trahan, who raised millions during a 30-day journey in 2022 (and then did it again three years later), the ballyhooed nature of Joyride Day is nothing new. What does feel innovative, however, is the relationship between Trahan’s latest streaming event and his creator product of choice. Simply put, Trahan has turned his fans into business associates, building a network of affiliates who will not only buy and promote his product but will even create content to support it.

Consider, for example, the Joyride Day “captains” who support the initiative in specific states. Accounts tied to locales like Georgia, Pennsylvania, and Arizona helped Trahan spread the word about his event. By promoting their respective states, those accounts also gave Trahan lots of ideas for additional Joyride flavors, should he choose to expand his brand in the future.