Case Study: Creating Trending TikToks

If social platforms were boxers, TikTok would be considered a heavyweight alongside Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

TikTok’s potential combined with its rapid ascent make it a fun place to experiment and get creative.

Recently, we produced TikTok-native branded content for various products by tapping into the latest platform trends and shopping patterns.

Branded content is more affordable than influencer marketing and can feel more authentic. Additionally, 90 percent of TikTok users visit the app at least once a day, and 42 percent of U.S. users have an income of $100k or more.

Investing in branded content on TikTok allows brands to capitalize on the fastest-growing, most-targeted social media platform. 

Concept: pack my backpack with me

Product: North Face Borealis Backpack

Motivation: #backpack has 1.6 billion views. Whether you’re in school or not, back-to-school videos make their way to the TikTok For You Page (FYP) every August like clockwork. This is an opportunity. 

Process: Your background is everything. Placing the product against an eye-catching rug, subtle disco ball (because TikTok is obsessed with disco balls), and a fresh green plant enhances the color of the product without looking staged. Why did we film in 3x speed? TikTok loves quick-paced videos just like it loves videos that use the song Brazil by Declan McKenna.

Concept: Get ready with me

Product:  r.e.m beauty sweetener concealer

Motivation: #getreadywithme has 6.6 billion views and #rembeauty has 544.5 million views. The product just launched in August 2022 and already has a chokehold on TikTok.

Process: The first step in our creative strategy was to source someone from our creator network with the ability to make you feel like you’re on FaceTime with a friend, as the most successful Get-Ready-With-Me videos do. We kept the brief short and allowed the creator to authentically capture her routine so long as she showcased the concealer. This hands-off approach preserved the intention of the video and worked like a charm.

Concept: day in the life

Product: Procreate app

Motivation: #dayinthelife has 8.08 billion views, #procreate has 30 billion and #ipad has 9.8 billion. Brands can use day-in-the-life videos to depict realistic examples of how their product fits into customers’ lives. These videos lower the purchase barrier by reassuring customers that the product is practical, usable, and loved by people they trust.

Process: We began with understanding the type of person who would want to purchase Procreate – i.e. creatives, busy bodies, and those wanting to stay organized. We chose rapid clip cuts and synced the timestamps to the sound to reinforce the structured, organized feel that Procreate’s audience appreciates.

Concept: how to style

Product: Peppermayo mini skort

Motivation: Black mini skirts are a huge trend this year with variations of black skirt hashtags garnering more than 46 million views on TikTok. Every season has a few standout clothing pieces that take the Internet by storm. For fashion brands, identifying those pieces and featuring them in content early on is key.

Process: Variety. Variety. Variety. We incorporated the black mini skort into 4 different outfits to give the viewer reassurance that the product is practical and worth their money. We used bright, natural lighting to display the product as it would look on an average day, and we chose an upbeat sound to increase viewer excitement.

key takeaways

1. Not every creator is right for every style of video. Having a network of creators with diverse niches and energy has enhanced our capabilities.
2. We believe in devoting the same amount of time to editing that we do for filming. Your sound selection should serve the purpose of the video and always sync with your clips.
3. For every organic TikTok trend, there is an opportunity to make a successful ad… and you probably should.

Interested in branded content on TikTok for your company? Shoot us an email at [email protected]