Get All Access for $5/mo

Was Hostess' Bizarre #OpeningDay Tweet an Epic Fail or Savvy Social Media Marketing? Though the Twitterverse initially reeled at the post, Hostess insists it's having the last laugh.

By Geoff Weiss

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Snack-cake maker Hostess is either earnestly enthused about baseball's Opening Day or couldn't care less.

Yesterday, the company behind Twinkies, Ho Hos and Ding Dongs fired off a photo tweet of two vanilla cupcakes decorated like baseballs with a caption reading "Touchdown."

A baffled Twitterverse reeled at the misstep. "Pssssst, @Hostess_Snacks," Sports Illustrated tweeted, "we think you might be mixing up your sports."

Related: How to Rock Social Media Like Gary Vaynerchuk

But even if Hostess had indeed fumbled, the company opted to play up the post with a knowing wink. "WHAT?!" the company wrote back. "We're just excited that Sportsball started again today." To the social media-savvy Denny's, who was loling at the exchange, Hostess wrote, "We can't wait to watch the teams do the thing and win the points!"

A Hostess spokesperson insisted that the tweet was intentional from the get-go, leading AdWeek to call the viral ploy on #OpeningDay "a genius move." Hostess' senior director of marketing, Ellen Copaken, explained to CNBC that "The 'Touchdown' line was intentional; it's fun and aimed at young audiences who are in on the running joke -- which, of course, is the goalllll."

Copaken added that the tweet was part of a two-year-old marketing campaign entitled "The Sweetest Comeback in the History of Ever.' The campaign, which aims to contemporize the Hostess brand, kicked off in July 2013 after the company filed for bankruptcy and was forced to temporarily discontinue Twinkie production -- until Hostess was resurrected by private equity firms several months later.

Related: Why Denny's Sounds Like a Chill Teenager on Social Media

Geoff Weiss

Former Staff Writer

Geoff Weiss is a former staff writer at Entrepreneur.com.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Business News

Is One Company to Blame for Soaring Rental Prices in the U.S.?

The FBI recently raided a major corporate landlord while investigating a rent price-fixing scheme. Here's what we know.

Side Hustle

This Former Starbucks Employee Started a Side Hustle That's Making More Than $70,000 a Month — and He's Not Done Yet

When Tom Saar moved to New York City, he spotted a lucrative business opportunity.

Business News

Amazon Has a Blank Book Problem: Buyers Report Receiving Fakes of Bestselling UFO Book

The book looked fine on the outside, but the inside was out-of-this-world.

Business Ideas

63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.

Business News

Paramount Leadership Alludes to Layoffs If Merger Does Not Go Through

Paramount is awaiting approval on its merger with Skydance Media from majority shareholder Shari Redstone.

Business News

Microsoft Reportedly Lays Off Over 1,500 Employees in Cloud Sector as Partnership with OpenAI Strengthens

Alphabet also reportedly laid off employees from several teams in Google's cloud unit last week.