In late February, a meme of a dress went viral across all social media platforms. Why was this dress so intriguing? Some people saw the dress as white and gold, while others saw it as blue and black, and still others saw it as a variation of the two or could see both dress colors. The viral optical illusion, known simply as “The Dress,” sparked a large debate and became international news.

The Salvation Army in South Africa took advantage of this highly-trending topic and made an anti-violence advertisement using the dress as the main focus. The advertisement features a battered young woman wearing a white and gold version of the dress and reads, “Why is it so hard to see black and blue.” The subtext goes on to say, “The only illusion is if you think it was her choice. One in six women are victims of abuse. Stop abuse against women.”

The South African ad agency Ireland Davenport created the idea and approached the Salvation Army about being the brand behind the advertisement. An account director at the ad agency, David Sutherland, spoke about why the company wanted to use the dress meme in a social media campaign in an interview with NBC News.

“We were discussing how the dress has become a massive talking point around the world, but it was not saying anything,” Sutherland said. “We tried to figure out a way in which we could leverage off of the popularity of the dress and actually use it for good.”

But was it smart for the Salvation Army to get involved with the trendy topic? And should companies in general get involved in what is happening on social media?

Many times, companies should refrain from getting involved in trending topics. So many companies try to stay relevant on social media and comment on viral topics, but what ends up happening is that their message either comes across as insincere or in bad taste. For example, many companies posted photos on social media commemorating the events on September 11, but almost all put their own branding on the photo. Brands should not get involved in topics simply because it is trending.

In the case of the Salvation Army advertisement, however, they actually added something more meaningful to a senseless viral sensation. They had good, intelligent intentions behind the advertisement. It was smart of the Salvation Army to take advantage of the situation because they found a creative way to apply it to their own mission and spread awareness of domestic abuse. They even feature the logo for Carehaven, a shelter run by the Salvation Army for abused women and their children. Still, it was intelligent to only do one advertisement and not inflate the situation even further by creating an entire campaign around this meme because, like all other viral sensations, its popularity died out.

Some companies are excellent at taking advantage of trending topics and putting their own spin on it by either being clever or adding something insightful and applicable to their company. In fact, it is essential for companies to be up-to-date about what is going on in the world and respond appropriately if it applies to their company. However, if the only reason a company is commenting on social media is to stay relevant, it shouldn’t comment at all. Carefully constructed, clever or applicable advertisements or comments from companies are the ones that will receive praise because the consumer can see through substanceless campaigns.

Claire Noack can be reached at noac8702@stthomas.edu.