Fastvertising: The Ryan Reynolds-Approved Strategy Every Non-Fiction Author Needs

 

In the age of TikTok, Twitter trends, and 24-hour news cycles, the one thing readers don’t have is patience. For authors of non-fiction books—those who live and die by relevance—the challenge has never been more acute: how do you keep your work front and center when today’s conversation could already be old news by tomorrow morning?

 

Enter Fastvertising, a marketing strategy as quick-witted as its most famous practitioner, Ryan Reynolds. At its heart, Fastvertising is about meeting culture at its speed. It’s about recognizing that your audience is already immersed in a world of memes, hot takes, and viral moments—and then joining the conversation while it’s still, well, a conversation.

 

Fastvertising was born out of necessity. In 2019, Reynolds’ Aviation Gin found itself perfectly poised to react when a controversial Peloton commercial went viral for all the wrong reasons.

 

Within 72 hours, his team released a humorous Aviation Gin ad featuring the same actress from the Peloton spot, portraying her as a woman who desperately needed a drink. The result? Millions of views, thousands of headlines, and—most importantly—a 30% bump in sales.

 

That kind of agility has become the hallmark of Fastvertising. In an era when 53 percent of consumers say they prefer brands that engage with cultural trends in real time (according to Sprout Social), being late isn’t just a missed opportunity—it’s almost as bad as saying nothing at all.

 

And make no mistake: it’s not about throwing money at the problem. Quite the opposite. Fastvertising favors storytelling over spectacle. It’s not about million-dollar production budgets or cinematic grandeur; it’s about sharp, culturally attuned messaging that resonates.

 

In one memorable example, Reynolds leveraged actor Rick Moranis’ decades-long absence from the public eye into a charming, low-budget Mint Mobile ad that instantly became a viral hit.

 

So what does all this mean for authors?

 

For starters, your readers don’t just buy books anymore—they buy into people and ideas. If you’re a non-fiction author, you’re already a thought leader. Fastvertising simply gives you the tools to look like one. When a breaking news story relates to your topic, don’t wait for your publicist to draft a press release.

 

Drop a witty LinkedIn post: “New study shows most leaders fail at X? My book shows how to fix it in three steps.” Or shoot a quick 30-second video: “What Taylor Swift just taught us about storytelling—and what it means for your brand.”

 

The strategy works because it humanizes you. According to Nielsen, ads tied to live trends are 25% more likely to be shared, and 79% of consumers say they remember ads that “made them smile.” In other words, people want to feel like you’re paying attention—just like they are.

 

And don’t think you have to choose between writing and video. The smartest authors are using both. Video, after all, generates 1,200 percent more shares than text and images combined (Wordstream), while thoughtful written posts and articles help cement your credibility and boost your visibility on platforms like LinkedIn and Google. Together, they form a one-two punch that makes your work impossible to ignore.

 

Perhaps most important of all: speed trumps perfection. In Fastvertising, being late is worse than being imperfect. So you’ll need to embrace the idea that not every post has to be polished to death. Sometimes a clever observation—delivered at just the right moment—is more powerful than a pristine essay delivered a week too late.

 

For authors still unsure if they’re ready to jump into the cultural fray, here’s the good news: you don’t have to go it alone. Services now exist that can help you craft both a custom article headline and a short-form video script, tailored to your expertise and audience, in a matter of hours.

 

Because the truth is, the conversation won’t wait for you. But with Fastvertising, you can make sure you’re always part of it.

So the next time your topic is trending—or even tangentially related—don’t sit it out. Instead, channel your inner Reynolds and deliver your take while the world is still watching.

 

Your readers will thank you. Your sales just might, too.