In this promotion from Arizona State Credit Union, college students can get a free cheeseburger with a new checking account.

The concept exploits the wildly popular LOL Cats’ signature punchline, “I CAN HAS CHEEZBURGER.” (sic)

If you haven’t heard of LOL Cats, go check them out. It’s a series of cat cartoons – many of them are terribly funny – from people from around the world. Each cartoon relies on a photo with a caption personifying cats that be not good with duh Ingleesh.

Key Questions:

• Is a cheeseburger an adequate incentive for a checking account?
• If the cheeseburger is merely a creative hook, will it connect with the target audience (starving college students?) the way the credit union intends?

Key Takeaway: It is possible to build promotions – even build an entire brand image – by exploiting topical issues and pop culture. But how can you control the message?