Sopranos-inspired mob nicknames for the masses
Everyone knows the best part of being in the mafia is getting a good nickname. So on January 10, to celebrate the 20th anniversary of The Sopranos, we sent out a single tweet offering Soprano-worthy mob nicknames for whoever wanted one. Over 24,000 people replied, including Roger Federer, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Emily Nussbaum, Blake Griffin, Macaulay Culkin, and a big chunk of brands on Twitter.
We wrote, designed, and posted over 100 nicknames in real time, creating one of the great Twitter threads of the year.
To quote the smart people at Fast Company—“Look, Brand Twitter rightfully gets a lot of flack. It tries too hard. It’s too gimmicky. It’s manufactured human interaction. But this? THIS. This was goooood.”
The Tweet
In honor of the 20th anniversary of The Sopranos, I’m handing out Soprano nicknames today. Who wants one? FYI if you tell me your first name, this is way easier for me.
— HBO (@HBO) January 10, 2019
The Nicknames
No, you're pic.twitter.com/c4Ofh1ZBjj
— HBO (@HBO) January 10, 2019
— HBO (@HBO) January 10, 2019
We'll tell you after the break pic.twitter.com/2nxh6RsgIF
— HBO (@HBO) January 10, 2019
A belated Merry Christmas, you pic.twitter.com/iXZDrt1XBB
— HBO (@HBO) January 10, 2019
— HBO (@HBO) January 10, 2019
— HBO (@HBO) January 11, 2019
— HBO (@HBO) January 10, 2019
— HBO (@HBO) January 10, 2019
— HBO (@HBO) January 10, 2019
— HBO (@HBO) January 10, 2019
— HBO (@HBO) January 10, 2019
When you're here, you're pic.twitter.com/GHN2IZo4gg
— HBO (@HBO) January 10, 2019
— HBO (@HBO) January 10, 2019
— HBO (@HBO) January 10, 2019
— HBO (@HBO) January 10, 2019
oh hey, pic.twitter.com/M9vvYfYzeq
— HBO (@HBO) January 10, 2019
— HBO (@HBO) January 10, 2019
— HBO (@HBO) January 10, 2019
— HBO (@HBO) January 10, 2019
— HBO (@HBO) January 10, 2019
— HBO (@HBO) January 10, 2019
GOOD MORNING! pic.twitter.com/M9IN9dFg0R
— HBO (@HBO) January 10, 2019
— HBO (@HBO) January 11, 2019
— HBO (@HBO) January 11, 2019
The newly-minted mobsters quickly embraced their new identities.
brb making this my twitter bio 💕
— GIPHY (@GIPHY) January 10, 2019
— Laura Dern (@LauraDern) January 10, 2019
Done and done. Business cards are next. @HBO pic.twitter.com/LSpzbWeTGP
— T-Mobile (@TMobile) January 11, 2019
👮🏻♂️
— Roger Federer (@rogerfederer) January 10, 2019
— Macaulay Culkin (@IncredibleCulk) January 10, 2019
My Sopranos nickname! https://t.co/s9nM3d7Avk
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) January 10, 2019
This feels right
— Jon Favreau (@jonfavs) January 10, 2019
I'll now only answer to this. https://t.co/7zh712zpm3
— Alan Sepinwall (@sepinwall) January 10, 2019
Amazing pic.twitter.com/9aCIr6dRDM
— Nat Geo Channel (@NatGeoChannel) January 11, 2019
👏👏👏 pic.twitter.com/9Uwl2SKxfT
— Television Academy (@TelevisionAcad) January 10, 2019
La Familigia (bread)sticks together. 🥖 https://t.co/OzHtDH50jh
— Olive Garden (@olivegarden) January 10, 2019
Amazing. Danke, #TheSopranos! https://t.co/UTRAx8WK22
— FC Bayern US (@FCBayernUS) January 10, 2019
— Lin-Manuel Miranda (@Lin_Manuel) January 10, 2019
🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩 https://t.co/afiyPxgATL
— D'Arcy Carden (@DarcyCarden) January 10, 2019
Prfect https://t.co/we7DpoRLne
— jack (@jack) January 10, 2019
Of course that would be my SOPRANOS name. https://t.co/8wVi52Z64U
— Doug Benson in Vegas on Sunday! (@DougBenson) January 10, 2019
I got my Sopranos Mafia nickname!! It’s kind of stupid and demeaning and I love it! Thanks @HBO ! https://t.co/9VFyWRBJFj
— Jane Lynch (@janemarielynch) January 11, 2019
Thank you, @HBO. I am at the tattoo parlor now making this permanent. https://t.co/GiFtmaQW73
— Suzanne Cryer (@IamSuzanneCryer) January 11, 2019
Believe it or not, this is what the #Doggfather @SnoopDogg has called me. https://t.co/HUwLLNnt8e
— Rich Eisen (@richeisen) January 10, 2019
This is accurate. https://t.co/LriddydaOd
— NJ.com (@njdotcom) January 10, 2019
Please refer to us as such from now on.
— Adweek (@Adweek) January 11, 2019
Thanks. https://t.co/umSJ1ZcbGt
My Sopranos nickname 😭😭😭 https://t.co/GTN8BL7KSt
— Ira (@ira) January 10, 2019
Well, if this isn't the perfect Sopranos nickname, I don't know what is. https://t.co/ji14V2tKWt
— Craig Mazin (@clmazin) January 10, 2019
From this point forward, I am... https://t.co/eIXSNg2TWK
— Alex Shibutani (@AlexShibutani) January 10, 2019
The notoriously kind people of Twitter took notice, too.
the replies to this have made my day/week/month https://t.co/KBz0T0Vac8
— Katie Calautti (@katieisms) January 10, 2019
Prayers to all the social media managers getting emails from execs today asking if they saw the HBO thing and why we never do stuff like that.
— Nick Dimichino 🍝 (@ndimichino) January 11, 2019
The best twitter thread ever?? @HBO https://t.co/ki37HFWZia
— The Startup Van (@Startup_van) January 11, 2019
Read this thread if you having a bad day it's hilarious https://t.co/6rgeWLm5CX
— Andrew Harbaugh 🐊 (@DHH_Mandrew) January 10, 2019
THIS IS THE GREATEST THREAD OF ALL TIME https://t.co/oxVbTdfRIv
— Josh Vetter (@joshvetter) January 10, 2019
This is the most pure thing. 😂
— Troy Rawhiti-Connell (@TroyRF) January 11, 2019
EARNED MEDIA --- here is your case study. @HBO who ever came up with this campaign give them a promotion. Digital Marketers -- sit down masterclass in social engagement in session right now. ht via @sulemaan https://t.co/D650xOfruK
— Parth Shukla (@parthshukla) January 10, 2019
Someone give HBO's Twitter team a pay rise. https://t.co/0VMGur0ENj
— Sarah Doran (@sarahisnothere) January 10, 2019
Its not a thread, its @HBO. #GoldStandard right here!! https://t.co/m4PUnkhUUo
— Praveen Mysore (@Thokkalodhi) January 11, 2019
I never read comments...but this one got me scrolling for days. Awesome! https://t.co/qf2qdgZm6v
— Meghan's Alter (@megmc_1007) January 10, 2019
When anyone says says fun, engaging mobile storytelling is too hard for entertainment brands & IP, show them this thread 👇🏼👇🏽👇🏾 https://t.co/nMuObwIsbD
— Anna Higgs (@AnnaEHiggs) January 11, 2019
So good! Twitter at its best https://t.co/zfJbrcdalL
— Shane Harmon (@ShaneHarmon) January 11, 2019
The @HBO social media team should be showered in bonuses. A+ idea and execution. Take notes, #employerbrand and #recruitmentmarketing peeps... https://t.co/VxeQMETG9Y
— Josh Zywien (@JoshZywien) January 11, 2019
HBO has won Twitter today, this thread is perfect! #Sopranos20 https://t.co/GD8tBDsWFo
— Mike Radoslav (@MikeRadoslav) January 10, 2019
And the press picked it up and said some very nice things.
The End
The End pic.twitter.com/zBRbtoxIlx
— HBO (@HBO) January 11, 2019