History Main / EngineeredHashtag

* WebVideo/TheNostalgiaCritic, in association with WebVideo/YourMovieSucksDotOrg and WebVideo/IHateEverything, launched the hashtag [[AC:[=#WTFU=]]] ("Where is the Fair Use?") to fight back against the copyright claims abuse by Hollywood and others creators despite the work being used under the protection of UsefulNotes/FairUse laws.

[[caption-width-right:350:[[WeakWilled Must... tweet... to all my friends...]]]]

This is mainly used in LiveActionTV as a way to directly interact with their audience by displaying it in one corner at all times. Some chosen tweets can be displayed onscreen during the show at the bottom of the screen to show how the general audience react and incite the rest of the public to react as well and hopefully [[LookMaIAmOnTV be featured live on television]]. Some shows push the concept further by creating episode-specific hashtags to hype up their next episode ([[AC:[[GrandFinale #TheBigFinale]]]], [[AC:[[AliceAndBob #AliceVsBob]]]], ...) or ''even further'' by creating hashtags to react to key moments while they are still happening ([[AC:[[ColourCodedForYourConvenience #RedTeamWins]]]], [[AC:[[PutOnABus #FarewellAlice]]]], ...). Of course, {{rerun}}s featuring them immediately look dated and the hashtags useless.

* Creator/CartoonNetwork created [[AC:#bearstack]] to promote its new show ''WesternAnimation/WeBareBears''. They used it in several video showing the three bears in their signature stack wandering in several location, [[WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse even]] [[WesternAnimation/TeenTitansGo in]] [[WesternAnimation/RegularShow other]] [[WesternAnimation/AdventureTime Cartoon]] [[WesternAnimation/UncleGrandpa Network]] [[WesternAnimation/TheAmazingWorldOfGumball shows']] [[WesternAnimation/{{Clarence}} backgrounds]].

'''Ice Bear:''' [[AC:[[ActionPolitician [=#IceBear4President=]]]]]

* The [[strike:[[DisneyOwnsThisTrope SuperBo]]]] [[UsefulNotes/SuperBowl Big Game]] trailer for ''Film/CaptainAmericaCivilWar'' ends asking the viewers the choose a side between [[GoodVersusGood the two groups of superheroes]] with the hashtag [[AC:[[Film/CaptainAmericaTheFirstAvenger #TeamCap]]]] or [[AC:[[Film/IronMan #TeamIronMan]]]].
* For the release of ''Film/BatmanVSupermanDawnOfJustice'', Creator/WarnerBros partnered with [[ProductPlacement Turkish Airline]] and released two fake advertisements for the film InUniverse locations, with [[Creator/JesseEisenberg Lex Luthor]] and [[Creator/BenAffleck Bruce Wayne]] endorsing the ads themselves. They end up with the hashtags [[AC:[[Franchise/{{Superman}} #FlyToMetropolis]]]] and [[AC:[[Franchise/{{Batman}} #FlyToGotham]]]] respectively.

** In season 8, the contestants were coached by a previous winner. During their ConfessionCam sessions, the hashtag of their team name is displayed ([[AC:[=#TeamLaura=]]], [[AC:[=#TeamRayce=]]], or [[AC:[=#TeamAnthony=]]]).

* As the quote implies, ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' had the hashtag "[[AC:[=#Pokemon20=]]]" for the series' [[MilestoneCelebration 20th anniversary]].

* In ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamKnight'', you can overhear some militia more thrilled about their popularity on social media than their actual assault on on Gotham.

* As the quote implies, ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' had the hashtag "[[AC:#Pokemon20]]" for the series' [[MilestoneCelebration 20th anniversary]].

* As the quote implies, ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' had the hashtag "#Pokemon20" for the series' [[MilestoneCelebration 20th anniversary]].

** A variant: Twitter accounts related to the ad itself. Examples include adding a username to State Farm's famous "Jake from State Farm" ad, and a recent Little Caesars commercial asking viewers to tweet out their disapproval over the lack of a new pizza they were shilling to a fictional LC employee's Twitter account.

With the rise of {{Friending Network}}s, corporations adapted their AdvertisingCampaigns to better reflect their viewers/consumers. One of the bigger changes was courting the youth demographic up to 25 years old by using their own NewMedia habits to make them promote the show/product themselves. This also has an added benefit by letting corporations rally the ViralMarketing for a product under one specific hashtag. Different consumers could otherwise create their own hashtag individually, resulting in an awkward "hashtag battle". It can simply be the title ([[AC:[[TitleTheAdaptation #TvTropesTheShow]]]]), only the initials to shorten it ([[AC:[[OnlyKnownByInitials #TTTS]]]]) or sometimes the {{Tagline}}, a CatchPhrase ([[AC:[[LampshadedTrope #lampshaded]]]]) or even something completely new created only for this purpose ([[AC:[[AudienceParticipation #ShareTheTrope]]]]). Another more ingenious, and insidious, method consists of including a "#" (pronounce "number sign") inside the very title, immediately turning the work into a trendy word.

For the detractors of this practice, it is viewed as a sneaky way to sell their products to [[ViewersAreMorons easily manipulable]] [[YouthIsWastedOnTheDumb kids and teens]], because NewMediaAreEvil and PopularIsDumb (basically, TotallyRadical for TheNewTens). On the other side, many people find this an easy way to see what other people think about their favorite subject (which is basically the entire purpose of an hashtag to begin with). [[OldMediaPlayingCatchUp Old brands can use this]] to either [[WereStillRelevantDammit make themselves look "hip" once again]]. Remember: TropesAreNotBad. For example, old brands could actually ''make'' themselves hip again through a well executed hashtag campaign, an independent artist could use an hilarious and charming {{pun}}-based hashtag to help promote the Website/{{Kickstarter}} for their lifelong dream project or a major company may genuinely be looking for feedback in the hashtag of their disappointing but yet-not-that-hopeless TV show in order to improve things in the next season.

* For the release of ''Film/BatmanVSupermanDawnOfJustice'', Creator/WarnerBros partnered with [[ProductPlacement Turkish Airline]] and released two fake advertisements for the film InUniverse locations, with [[Creator/JesseEisenberg Lex Luthor]] and [[Creator/BenAffleck Bruce Wayne]] endorsing the ads themselves. They ends up with the hashtags [[AC:[[Franchise/{{Superman}} #FlyToMetropolis]]]] and [[AC:[[Franchise/{{Batman}} #FlyToGotham]]]] respectively.

** Creator/WorldWrestlingEntertainment's NXT brand took it a step further by having the roster's resident pretty boy/selfie enthusiast Wrestler/TylerBreeze, who also has a forced hashtag for his theme song [[AC:#Mmmmgorgeous]], campaign to get himself into an updated video for the Chainsmokers' song.

* Creator/{{Toonami}} uses hashtags in the bumpers and promos for each show on the block. This can get confusing when fans end up trending a different hashtag (sometimes on purpose) and sometimes the block's hashtag choice for a show is not what you'd expect (like [[AC:#Shippuden]] instead of [[AC:#[=NarutoShippuden=]]] or simply [[AC:#Naruto]])

* ''VideoGame/TokyoMirageSessionsFE'' (a.k.a. ''Franchise/ShinMegamiTensei x Franchise/FireEmblem''). The "#" looks like [[EverythingsBetterWithSparkles twinkles]] so it is not as blatant when you only see the title art, and it might even be {{justified|Trope}} as a [[MusicalThemeNaming musical reference]] to the music note "F sharp". It also suggests that ''Fire Emblem'' is somewhat of a SpecialGuest, and that it could be replaced by another franchise in a sequel (imagine "[[Franchise/FinalFantasy #FF]]" or "[[VideoGame/SoulSeries #SC]]").

* Creator/{{Toonami}} uses hashtags in the bumpers and promos for each show on the block. This can get confusing when fans end up trending a different hashtag (sometimes on purpose) and sometimes the block's hashtag choice for a show is not what you'd expect (like [[AC:#Shippuden]] instead of [[AC:#[=NarutoShippuden=]]]

With the rise of {{Friending Network}}s, corporations adapted their AdvertisingCampaigns to better reflect their viewers/consumers (mainly a rather young demographic up to 25) by using their own NewMedia habits to make them promote the show/product themselves, but also to control the ViralMarketing under one and only flag (because different consumers could otherwise create their own hashtag individually, resulting in an awkward "hashtag battle"). It can simply be the title ([[AC:[[TitleTheAdaptation #TvTropesTheShow]]]]), only the initials to shorten it ([[AC:[[OnlyKnownByInitials #TTTS]]]]) or sometimes the {{Tagline}}, a CatchPhrase ([[AC:[[LampshadedTrope #lampshaded]]]]) or even something completely new created only for this purpose ([[AC:[[AudienceParticipation #ShareTheTrope]]]]). Another more ingenious (and insidious) method consists of including a "#" (pronounce "number sign") inside the very title, immediately turning the work into a trendy word.

The line between an [[TitleDrop Engineered Hashtag]] and a good ol' regular hashtag is thin but clear: the latter is created ''by'' the users who want to share their experiences while the former is created ''for'' the users ''by'' the creators themselves to encourage them to talk about their product. It is not impossible for a creator to eventually exploit a popular hashtag created by the users to communicate about the product, effectively turning it into an AscendedMeme. Similarly, an InUniverse hashtag could also be used by the fans and/or the creators to talk about the show, {{defictionaliz|ation}}ing it. Badly conducted campaigns could create {{Forced Meme}}s by pushing a particular hashtag too much (though one could argue that there is NoSuchThingAsBadPublicity) ; however if it is [[MemeticMutation successful enough]] to the point that the hashtag is known [[PeripheryDemographic outside of its original demographic]] it can even bring out people eager to WatchItForTheMeme. Note that it is not only reserved to multinationals selling trucks of products, a single person (from a football fan supporting his team with [[AC:[[TheWildcats #LetsGoWildcats]]]] to a protester with [[AC:[[WavingSignsAround #EnoughOfThis]]]] on a placard) could do it as well, as long as they publicly show their hashtag to the world with the hope that it will become a thing, the media covering the events offering them free publicity.

For the detractors of this practice, it is viewed as a sneaky way to sell their products to [[ViewersAreMorons easily manipulable]] [[YouthIsWastedOnTheDumb kids and teens]], because NewMediaAreEvil and PopularIsDumb (basically, TotallyRadical for TheNewTens). On the other side, many people find this an easy way to see what other people think about their favorite subject (which is basically the entire purpose of an hashtag to begin with). [[OldMediaPlayingCatchUp Old brands can use this]] to [[WereStillRelevantDammit make themselves look "hip" once again]]. But remember: TropesAreNotBad. For example, an independent artist could use an hilarious and charming {{pun}} to retrieve funds on Website/{{Kickstarter}} for their life dream project, or a major company may genuinely be looking for feedback in order to improve the second season of their disappointing but yet-not-that-hopeless TV show.

* [[http://hextupleyoodot.deviantart.com/ Artsy Omni]] created a hoax announcing the arrival of Franchise/{{Rayman}} in the popular ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'' series to promote his new show called Creator/{{Smashified}} (and it far exceeded its initial expectations). He and his team ask their viewers to use the hashtag [[AC:#smashified]] to suggest what characters they would like to see made in the show.

** In the same game, the Riddler tried to ignite an uproar against Batman's failures with [[AC:[=#CrusaderGate=]]]. Unfortunately for him, it appeared that even the worst internet {{troll}}s where on the bat's side.

->''"Join the conversation with #Pokemon20 on Website/{{Twitter}}, Website/{{Instagram}}, and Website/YouTube"''

* ''VideoGame/IllusoryRevelationsFE'' (a.k.a. ''Franchise/ShinMegamiTensei x Franchise/FireEmblem''). The "#" looks like [[EverythingsBetterWithSparkles twinkles]] so it is not as blatant when you only see the title art, and it might even be {{justified|Trope}} as a [[MusicalThemeNaming musical reference]] to the music note "F sharp". It also suggests that ''Fire Emblem'' is somewhat of a SpecialGuest, and that it could be replaced by another franchise in a sequel (imagine "[[Franchise/FinalFantasy #FF]]" or "[[VideoGame/SoulSeries #SC]]").

* For the launch of ''VideoGame/StreetFighterV'', Creator/{{Capcom}} advertised the hashtag [[AC:[=#RiseUp=]]] which is a direct call-out to the players encouraging them to become a [[UsefulNotes/FightingGameCommunity Pro Gamer]].

[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/thicke.jpg]]

** Invoked in a ''VideoGame/SuperMarioMaker'' in which they pitch a generic sitcom about a quircky nerdy girl named Laura. [[AC:#rawful]]

* Artsy Omni created a hoax announcing the arrival of Franchise/{{Rayman}} in the popular ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'' series to promote his new show called Creator/{{Smashified}} (and it far exceeded its initial expectations). He and his team ask their viewers to use the hashtag [[AC:#smashified]] to suggest what characters they would like to see made in the show.

* WebVideo/TheNostalgiaCritic, in association with WebVideo/YourmoviesucksDOTorg and WebVideo/IHateEverything, launched the hashtag [[AC:[=#WTFU=]]] ("Where is the Fair Use?") to fight back against the copyright claims abuse by Hollywood and others creators despite the work being used under the protection of UsefulNotes/FairUse laws.

* ''VideoGame/IllusoryRevelationsFE'' (a.k.a. ''Franchise/ShinMegamiTensei x Franchise/FireEmblem''). The "#" looks like [[EverythingsBetterWithSparkles twinkles]] so it is not as blatant when you only see the title art. It also suggests that ''Fire Emblem'' is somewhat of a SpecialGuest, and that it could be replaced by another franchise in a sequel (imagine ''"[[Franchise/FinalFantasy #FF]]"'' or ''"[[VideoGame/SoulSeries #SC]]"'').

'''(This is a trivia trope, put it on the {{Trivia}} pages. For InUniverse examples, put [[AC:[=[[invoked]]=]]] right after it to remove the warning.)'''

* ''VideoGames/BatmanArkhamKnight'' (waiting for [=AppleJuicetice=]'s contribution).

* WebVideo/GameGrumps created a ShowWithinAShow called ''"I Burgie Burgie"'' to promote their tee-shirts. The main protagonist is an obnoxious burger called Burgie shooting "Beefy!" as his CatchPhrase. Anytime he does it, the hashtag [[AC:#beefy]] appears in the corner. In a funny twist, they realized later that the hashtag was already used by a gay porn website. Other fake hashtags include [[AC:[=#RelishShits=]]] and [[AC:[=#BurgerFeels=]]].

'''[After consideration, I decided to split the entry. All the Parodies are SquarePegRoundTrope and will be moved to a future YMTTW called [=#HashtagForLaugh=] (or something similar) that will not be a trivia trope. For the moment, still put the parody examples here and I will transfer them later.]'''

!!Parodies

* In the revival of ''Series/WhoseLineIsItAnyway'', during some games a hashtag for the gag in play appears. For example, one Newsflash depicting dentistry is accompanied with [[AC:[=#DentalFears=]]].

* One of [[WebVideo/AndreTheBlackNerd Black Nerd Comedy]]'s most recurrent RunningGag is [[AC:[=#SmoothDonatello=]]], which Andre sings each time Donatello from ''WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2012'' makes something to impress his crush [[InterspeciesRomance April O'Neil]]. Eventually, he started to sing variations of the hashtag each time a character hits on his/her love interest [[ColourCodedForYourConvenience (with the appropriate font color)]].

* Reviewing the pictured song ''"Blurred Line"'', WebVideo/ToddInTheShadows suggests to replace the hashtag from the music video by [[AC:#RAPEY]] because of the questionable lyrics or [[AC:[[RhymingWithItself #NOT A RHYME]]]].
--> ''"This is probably the most blatant of the way pop singers try to trick people into promoting them on Twitter. Personally, I can think of many other things that would trend before [[AC:#BLURREDLINES]], based on this video, like maybe, I don't know, [[AC:#LAZY]] or [[AC:#STUPID]] [[FreezeFrameBonus or]] [[labelnote:[click to see the full rent/hashtag] ]][[AC:#WHY AM I NOT LISTENING TO Music/{{DAFT PUNK}} GODDAMMIT I COULD ACTUALLY BE LISTENING TO SOMETHING GOOD INSTEAD OF THIS Music/{{GEORGE MICHAEL}} WANNABE THICKE YEAH RIGHT MORE LIKE THICK-HEADED THIS GUY IS A GROWING PAIN IN THE ASS DID YOU ONLY HAVE A BUDGET OF $3.50 FOR THIS VIDEO? TRY HARDER]][[/labelnote]]."''
** At the end he discusses with the hashtag:
---> ''"So...verdict? ([[AC:#MEDIOCRE]]) Yeah, that sounds right. Anything else? ([[AC:#WANNA GET LUNCH?]]) Yeah, sure. ([[AC:#SUBWAY OK?]]) Yeah, that's fine. I'm [[AirQuotes "#Todd In The Shadows"]], and I'm out."''
** He uses [[AC:#RAPEY]] again in his Music/BrunoMars' ''"Gorilla"'' review (which coincidentally is the song used to describe the HashtagRap trope), finding it rather scary that "rape in pop songs" has turned into a RunningGag.
** From his Music/{{Pitbull}}'s ''"[[Film/MenInBlack3 Back in Time]]"'' review, mocking the concept of HashtagRap:
---> ''"Finding out I had herpes was [[{{Pun}} quite a]] {{shock|AndAwe}}! [[AC:[[Franchise/{{Pokemon}} #pikachu]]]]"''

!!InUniverse

[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
* In the episode "A Tale of Two Piggies" in ''Series/TheMuppets'', Miss Piggy's tail pops out while she's being photographed by paparazzi, and after a story from a young fan inspires Piggy, she starts the hashtag [[AC:[=#UnveilTheTail =]]] to promote the upcoming episode of ''[[ShowWithinAShow Up Late with Miss Piggy]]''.

[[folder:Video Games]]
* ''VideoGames/BatmanArkhamKnight'' (waiting for [=AppleJuicetice=]'s contribution).
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Originals]]
* In a "[[Creator/{{Nigahiga}} Skitzo]]" episode, [[TheDitz Regina]] suggests a new ShowWithinAShow with her friend [[IncrediblyConspicuousDrag Shaundi]] called "[[NWordPrivileges Rhawnderies]]" teaching how to be an [[FunWithAcronyms ANNOYING]][[note]]Awesomely Never Not Obeying Yolo Is Not Good[[/note]] Girl. At the end, they ask the audience to tag their questions with [[AC:[=#ReginersAndShaundies=]]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Western Animation]]
* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Animals}}'', the family of Jerry the pigeon wears tee-shirts sporting [[AC:[=#TeamJerry=]]] for his big race against Mike.
[[/folder]]