As a marketer, I began to wonder, is there a better way to integrate brands into digital conversations? The answer is “yes,” and it involves stickers. When HBO Max recently launched, it enlisted Holler, a tech company that creates original content exclusively for messaging. For the launch campaign, Holler created an HBO branded sticker pack so users could send animated stickers based on their favorite shows through apps like Venmo, iMessage, and Messenger. Holler researched popular types of messaging and activities that happen across the apps to determine how to translate conversations into the content HBO Max wanted to promote. For example, typing in “takeout” on Venmo led to a sticker for Satriale’s Pork Store from The Sopranos and “drinks” led to the animated cosmos for Sex and the City (above).

Successful marketing is all about being in the right place at the right time. Take this campaign, for example: In the first three days, The Sopranos “takeout” sticker became the fourth most popular sticker on Venmo, and more than 100,000 people shared the labels overall. Branded stickers are a great example of a fun and unique tool that marketers shouldn’t ignore because they help brands enter conversations and connect with consumers in ways they might not usually be able to (like on Venmo). So the next time you need to Venmo your friend for the cheeseburger, large fries, and cosmopolitan you ordered, make sure you include a sticker.