Team Conrad vs Team Jeremiah: The Power of Picking Sides

Written by Emily Beauvais

Account Executive

Photo courtesy of IMBd

The past few summers, millions of fans have tuned in to The Summer I Turned Pretty, created by Jenny Han. As of Sept. 25, the show ranked as the No. 5 most popular show online and the No. 1 most popular TV show on Amazon. While the beach houses and love triangles make the show entertaining, the real reason it has climbed the charts is the debate dividing the internet: Team Conrad vs. Team Jeremiah. Viewers – myself included – are not just watching a show; they are choosing sides – and that choice is driving engagement in a way that brands and producers can, and should, learn from.

Humans are naturally drawn to groups. Whether this be Coke vs. Pepsi, Nike vs. Adidas or Duke vs. UNC, people love belonging to a community. According to Psychology Today, competition and identity help fans feel more connected – not just to the product or team, but to each other. In The Summer I Turned Pretty, fans project their values onto the two brothers, which makes their “team” choice deeply personal. Suddenly, the show becomes much more than just entertainment; it becomes a cultural touchpoint. This is key for businesses, as studies show that there’s a 94% correlation between a brand’s cultural relevance and a customer’s purchase intent. In other words, when a brand – or show – makes itself part of the cultural conversation, audiences do not just pay attention, they act on it.

Photo courtesy of Entertainment Weekly

Choosing sides creates fuel for conversation. On TikTok, hashtags such as #TeamConrad and #TeamJeremiah have received millions of views, with fans making edits and reaction videos. This kind of user-generated content (UGC) keeps the buzz alive between episodes and seasons. Brands can lean into friendly rivalries like this that encourage participation.  

Some, in fact, have already caught on. Wedding dress companies like @leleestudio and  @gandgbridal posted Instagram captions such as, “The wedding dress we wished Belly chose,”  or “This dress & marrying Conrad Fisher.” The strategy is simple: turn consumers into active participants instead of passive watchers. This tactic especially resonates with members of Generation Z, who thrive on digital community and identity-driven content. When picking a side, individuals are not just making a choice; they’re sharing their personality online.

The Conrad vs. Jeremiah debate is not just about fictional brothers; it is a smart marketing technique. By giving fans a reason to pick a side, Amazon Prime Video has created a cultural conversation that keeps the show trending long after the episodes air. Brands that create similar lighthearted rivalries, or lean into ones already established, can see a rise in engagement, loyalty and community.