Observed Signal · Jun 2, 2026 · Campaign Launch · Source: persoenlich.com News · Impact: 2/5 · Sentiment: Neutral
Sojasun Trolls the Manosphere with Viral Campaign
French soy-product brand Sojasun launched a provocative marketing campaign developed by agency Marcel (Publicis Groupe) that repurposes the insult 'Soy Boy' used in manosphere communities. The brand attempted to recruit prominent manosphere and men's-rights influencers as paid ambassadors through multiple channels — emails, TikTok comments, YouTube pre-rolls, Twitch donations, Spotify playlist placements and even a branded truck — but all approaches were declined. Sojasun turned the rejections into the campaign's punchline: positioning the product as protein-rich but not aimed at the manosphere. The company calls the stunt the start of a new communications strategy to become culturally relevant while maintaining values such as sustainability, non-GMO ingredients and high nutritional standards. The campaign generated wide earned media coverage in French outlets including Libération and Le Figaro.
A notable brand-led, culture-focused social campaign that uses influencer outreach and earned-media tactics; relevant to agencies, social strategy and influencer marketing practices but not industry-shifting.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Sojasun ran a marketing campaign developed by Marcel, part of Publicis Groupe, using the 'Soy Boy' trope.
- Outreach to manosphere influencers used email, TikTok comments, YouTube pre-rolls, Twitch donations, Spotify playlist placements and a branded truck.
- All targeted influencers declined collaboration; Sojasun used those rejections as the campaign's message.
- Sojasun frames the action as the start of a new communications strategy focused on cultural relevance and core values (sustainability, non-GMO, high nutritional standards).
- Major French media such as Libération and Le Figaro reported on the campaign.
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