Why Real Virality Happens When People Say: ‘I Can Use This’

If you’re anything like me—a heavy social media consumer with feeds that stretch across continents—you probably caught the two biggest memes of this summer.

One was the endlessly catchy “Nothing beats a Jet2 holiday” jingle.

The other, on Chinese social media, was a phrase: “A Ferrari is still a Ferrari, even when it gets old.”

Chances are, if you’ve been in the UK, you can already hear the Jet2.com and Jet2holidays chorus in your head: “you can save £50 per person…”

But let me explain the “Ferrari” one.

In August, during the World Games in Chengdu, a 55-year-old Latvian Latin dance judge named Sergey Sinkins stole the spotlight. Tall, elegant, perfectly poised—he was instantly nicknamed “Old Ferrari.”

Chinese netizens turned the phrase into a compliment for anyone who, despite age, still radiates style, professionalism, and vitality. Within days, memes exploded. Sergey opened a Xiaohongshu account—and gained half a million followers overnight.

Here’s the point: 

Neither of these phenomena went viral because of the original content alone. They exploded because of remix culture by others.

 • A song comes alive when people adapt it, meme it, dance to it.

 • A character or persona becomes iconic when the public can parody, remix, or embody it.

👉 Sometimes the smartest move is to leave room for your audience—to let them bend, remix, and play with your story.

Because in the age of social media, real virality doesn’t happen when you say “watch this.”

It happens when people say: “I can use this.”