Ad Age expanded its "Creativity Top 5" series to include roundups of our favorite special-interest campaigns and ideas from brands. This week, we're looking at the latest installment looks at the best TikTok videos posted by brands over the past month.
This month: Fake blood, the Dougie, and Taylor Swift.
Subscribe to Ad Age now for the latest industry news and analysis.
Thanksgiving is on the horizon, but there were a couple of brands that made sure Halloween didn’t go by unnoticed. In October, Heinz launched a campaign around Toby, the vegetarian vampire who’s been surviving off of Heinz “tomato blood.” Toby, played by creator E.J. Marcus, led Heinz TikTok to crack several viral videos. One uses the popular “Get ready with me” format, where a creator posts about their outfit or their morning routine. In Heinz’s TikTok, Toby works out, makes a ketchup smoothie, and reconnects with the unholy abyss, and then heads out. The trendy format has gotten over 9 million views. Points for making sure Toby did not have a reflection in the mirror.
Another brand that was into the spooky season spirit was Hoover, the vacuum brand that also has a carpet and upholstery spot cleaner. In the video, fake blood is smeared into a white carpet and easily sucked up by the spot cleaner. CleanTok viewers are fans of the “clean path”—that distinct line that shows how much cleaner the fabric is post-suction—and Hoover’s videos lean into this satisfying trend. The TikTok has 11 million views ... and a lot of comments about how this would have been helpful for serial killer Jeffery Dahmer.
Brands know to not pass up a good Taylor Swift opportunity on social media, and they have not disappointed when it comes to her latest album “Midnights,” which was released in late October. One of the album’s tracks, “Anti-Hero” has become a popular audio on TikTok, focusing on the song’s chorus, “It’s me. Hi, I’m the problem. It’s me.” The format of these videos normally starts with text in the video such as “Why we aren’t engaged yet,” or “Why am I too full to eat dinner,” and ends with someone saying, “It’s me. Hi, I’m the problem. It’s me,” like a long-time boyfriend who hasn’t popped the question, or a basket of chips at Chili’s. Skincare line Fresh did its own take, asking why none of its TikToks had been approved, with the “culprit” being Nick from legal. The TikTok got over 3 million views. Good thing you approved this one, Nick.
Marketers may recall a viral video of a woman trying to show her outfit of the day, and accidentally hitting her bedpost. Her resulting “Ahh!” of pain started a TikTok trend of incorporating her yelp into songs. A similar trend has been going around TikTok where a little girl catches herself on a metal slide, causing her to pitch forward with a thud. The sound of her impact is the opening note of the song “Teach Me How to Dougie” by hip hop group Cali Swag District. The trend starts with her bump down the slide and then stitches to another video on the downbeat. Boba tea chain Kung Fu Tea hopped on the trend to show its drinks being made, and the simple video and recognizable beat have garnered 14 million views.
Taco Bell recently re-added nacho fries to its menu, a spicy side that returns twice a year. The brand, of course, made a TikTok about the fries. But rather than tap into a trend, the fast feeder essentially made a TikTok-specific ad, using what seemed to be two Taco Bell employees and slow motion all set to the song “Smoked Out Phonk,” by EDM artist Trevaspura. The chain’s fans clearly loved it—the video has 154 million views.
