Hilton turned TikTok convention on its head with 10-minute video ad

Until February 2023, the majority of TikTok users wouldn’t hesitate to swipe past a 10-minute video that popped up on their “For You” page. After all, TikTok had been billing itself as a short-form video platform for several years. But when Hilton subverted expectations for what a TikTok video could look like, many users found themselves switching their answer to the question that kicks off Hilton’s video, “Would you watch a 10-minute TikTok?” from “no” to “yes.” See all of Ad Age’s 2024 Creativity Award winners here @hilton Unexpected & amazing things can happen when you stay, and we want you to stay with us for 10 minutes. Yup, we made a 10-minute TikTok AND we’re giving away 10M Hilton Honors Points + more. #HiltonStayFor10 #HiltonForTheStay ♬ Hilton’s 10-Minute Stay - Hilton “The cringe meter is extra strict on TikTok,” Amy Ferguson, chief creative officer at TBWA\Chiat\Day New York, which worked with Hilton on the 10-minute ad, told Ad Age. “This was even more amplified because we have a 10-minute video. The risk we were taking was that viewers would leave in the first 10 seconds if we couldn’t capture their attention.” Needless to say, TBWA and Hilton succeeded in crafting a video that captivated TikTok users rather than be labeled “cringe.” The video garnered nearly 4 million views and more than 200,000 engagements in its first 48 hours on the platform; it’s since crossed 35 million views, more than tripled its number of engagements, and grown Hilton’s TikTok following by 31%. Along with the tongue-in-cheek humor sprinkled throughout the ad, the video’s extensive cast of influencers—selected with the help of influencer marketing company Influential—kept viewers’s eyes glued to their phone screens. Paris Hilton, Chris Olsen, Boman Martinez-Reid and Girlbosstown (aka Robyn DelMonte), among several other popular TikTok creators, lampooned the fact that they were in an ad and brought their signature video styles to Hilton’s 10-minute spot. As TikTok urges its creators to make longer and longer videos, Hilton’s video remains a prime example of how to do long-form right. See all of Ad Age’s 2024 Creativity Award winners here

Hilton turned TikTok convention on its head with 10-minute video ad

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