Apple launched the iPhone 18 series and the Duo on 18 September, and unsurprisingly broke the internet while doing so.

With help from our data partner, Boomlet, we understand how brands turned a product launch into a real-time cultural battlefield.

The product entered culture before it entered the market. It received 4,64,674 mentions between 12 August and 11 September (a week prior to the launch), with 21.5 million engagements. The USA led the mentions, followed by Thailand, Japan, Brazil and China.

After the launch and the prices, the internet did its thing – trolling.

The major theme it picked up was the price. Users posted jokes around: Loan, EMI and kidney jokes; a ‘two incomes’ gag; comparisons with a Royal Enfield Himalayan.

The late to foldables theme was also picked up by the internet, as Samsung fans posted split screen demos.

The name Duo was also targeted as ‘Duolingo owl puns and a price contrast with the free app’ was spoken about.

Brands were quick to jump in and poke fun too. Samsung didn’t troll Apple. It reinforced its category leadership. Its move of real-time commentary during Apple’s launch gained more than a million impressions on some posts, while reinforcing the fact that it entered the foldables market in 2019.

Different markets took to different channels to discuss the launch. Samsung US took to X, with a live thread with #ItsTimeToSwitch.

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Samsung Canada took to Instagram for a reaction reel. Samsung Singapore also took to Instagram to welcome users to the Z Fold8 Ultra. Samsung New Zealand posted a ‘social video’ titled ‘Tim Cook from Palmerston North’ for Z Fold8

Samsung kept a long Apple rivalry going with local teams, then pointed the attention at the Z Fold8 line.

Motorola x Asus pointed at a product line that predated the Duo.

Motorola traced the Razr’s foldable lineage and framed Apple as the newcomer. Asus welcomed Apple to the ‘Duo club’ with its dual-screen Zenbook Duo, proving the best reactive content isn’t created from scratch. It is built from a brand’s existing cultural assets.