Michela Vismara

How the OASIS Reunion Tour Sparked a Wave of Marketing Brilliance

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When news broke that Liam and Noel Gallagher would reunite for the first time in 16 years, the buzz was insane. Kicking off in Cardiff’s Principality Stadium and just now wrapping a five-night leg in Manchester, the Oasis reunion tour has been nothing short of biblical. It might even be the most anticipated tour since Taylor Swift’s Eras. Estimated to bring in a boost of £227 million to Manchester’s economy, both big and small businesses would be silly to not piggyback on the moment.  

True to the spirit of Oasis, we’ve seen approaches that were loud, cheeky, and unapologetically creative. Here’s our top roundup: 

2Ft Lasagna Featuring Liam Gallagher’s Face 

 

The most eye-catching effort came from Asda’s Pilsworth Café, which paid homage to the band’s song “Digsy’s Dinner”. The inspiration for the song came from an experience Noel Gallagher had at Peter “Digsy” Deary’s house, where they were discussing the lyric “Guess what I had for my tea, guess what I had for my tea. It was lasagne… it was lasagne”. So, Asda did what was only right and created a 2-foot lasagna featuring Liam Gallagher’s face. The lasagna boasts over a kilogram of pasta sheets and nearly a kilo of cheese. Wow. 

 

Getting into the Gallagher Spirit with Lookalike Competitions 

 

Meanwhile, The Manchester Shop, the city’s go-to destination for all things “Manc,” hosted a Gallagher Lookalike Competition. The contest drew dozens of bucket hat-wearing fans doing their best Liam walk down Market Street. Not only did it look like a laugh, but it was also great for socials too. The giveaway (there’s running theme here) a family size Lasagna and a pack of candy sticks. 

Not Just the old ‘Have a Wonderwall Time’ Pun 

 

Driving into the city, another standout piece of branding could be spotted on Princess Parkway, a billboard by tech company ANS Group. Advertising their cloud and data services, they took their copywriting approach to the next level – I only wish I thought of these puns first:  

  • “You and AI are gonna live forever” 
  • “Don’t look back in anger (at a bad CRM)” 
  • “And after allllllll, you’re by firewalllllll” 

Witty, relevant, and bang on brand. This was B2B marketing at its most playful. 

 

Cardiff Gets Involved Too  

 

It wasn’t just the North getting swept up in the madness. Down in Cardiff, a new bistro called Sonder put together a light-hearted Instagram video of two staff members swaggering into the restaurant dressed as Liam and Noel – bucket hats, oversized jackets and all.  

With only four months up and running, Sonder showed how embracing trends getting up to date with socials is so important for new businesses. It’s a reminder that you don’t need big budgets to make a big impact; just a clever idea and a willingness to have some fun. 

AI Means Anyone Can Join In 

 

Clearview Cattery, a family-run business proved that even pet boarding facilities can hop on this trend too. Their post included an AI-generated image of the Gallagher brothers visiting their cattery, captioned with the brilliant line: “Let the cat out the bag.” Typically getting around 20 likes per post, this one hit 109, a fivefold increase. This is serves as a neat demonstration as to how AI is making content creation more accessible than ever, even for businesses without a dedicated marketing team. 

What Businesses Can Learn  

 

The Oasis reunion tour has been a real cultural moment. And what this moment has demonstrated clearly is that effective marketing doesn’t necessarily need big budgets to stay relevant and responsive to what’s happening in the world around us. 

Businesses that stood out during the Gallagher brothers’ tour weren’t necessarily the biggest or most well-known. In fact, many were independent shops, local cafés or family-run businesses. What they all shared was an ability to connect their brand to this cultural moment at the right time.