š„Hotš„ on TikTok 1.28
Jan 21-28: This week's top trends, sounds, new features, and Gen Z expressions.
Welcome to the second edition of š„Hotš„ on TikTok - a weekly analysis of trending topics and sounds on TikTok, new feature announcements, the latest in Gen Z lingo, and brand case studies. This week, we dive into illogical mental associations, the art of Gen Z compliments, and Breathwrkās killer content strategy.
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Top TikTok Trends
š¤Æ Aggressive positivity breaks the fourth wall
The āfourth wallā is a performance convention, where an imaginary wall separates performers and the story from the audience and the real world. Videos on TikTok constantly break the fourth wall when the viewer is addressed directly by the creator through the screen. One example is TikTokās mental health reminder, which features a person speaking and looking directly at the viewer, asking them to take a break. Another use case (and one of my favorites) is a ābreaking the fourth wallā prank, where a video tricks the viewer into fixating on their screen, scaring them with a visual cue and prompting them to wince or jump from their phone.
This trend is a great way to grab usersā attention since it aggressively breaks from the format of most videos on the FYP. Also, if the video is a fourth wall format that hasnāt already been done before, itāll spark intrigue and increase watch time. One of my favorite examples is the āgallery exhibitā format, where the creator walks by and pretends that the viewer is an object/artifact, narrating the video as if they were a docent. (e.g. āAnd here we have a depressed millennial with back problems, currently experiencing a quarter-life crisisā¦ and now onto the next object.ā)
Application for brands: This trend opens up ways brands can speak directly to a core audience member - you can think of it as a one-on-one communication channel.
Associations that just make sense
āAm I just bored or do these things make sense?ā TikTok users are posting videos of random objects or abstract concepts and associating them with different sounds and personalities. In the video below, a user assigns letters of the alphabet to various voices from a Mr. Snowman compilation. In other videos, users discuss why Sprite tastes like āwhen your foot falls asleep,ā or why ā77 + 33ā intuitively equals ā100,ā and why āJuly is Friday, and Thursday is November.ā The psychological reasoning behind these illogical mental associations? Probably something that only Hank Green can answer.
These videos are particularly interesting because we start to notice how things are perceived amongst TikTokās audience, and how universal those associations may be. For example, one general consensus among current high schoolers is that History = Yellow, Math = Red, English = Blue, and Science = Green as academic subjects and their color associations.
While this trend is just on the rise ā so far, weāve only seen random association videos or people using the Mr. Snowman song to match characters with different voices ā it may snowball into something much bigger. Perhaps matching random objects with famous Vine sounds next?
Application for brands: This trend can be likened to the video version of which __ are you memes or alignment chart memes, where products are assigned a specific personality that people can identify with. Brands offering a variety of SKUs may already have assigned product personalities and can verify whether thatās how their audience perceives them. For example, this could work for different snack flavors (we all know thin and double-stuffed Oreos have very different personalities) or even sneaker styles (Air Force vs. Jordan Retros).
Party in the comments
This is a mainstream trend that has been around for a while, but it can be used as an evergreen content format. Simply ask people to fill up the comment section with quotes or conversation material. In this TikTok, Diplo tasked users to make the comments look like a festival group chat.
This is a classic format that works well for boosting engagement and interactivity, but we usually only see everyday users, not verified creators, posting these types of videos. Itās an excellent way to cultivate a niche community and target a specific audience. Weāll likely see this format cemented into the TikTok universe.
Application for brands: The Diplo video example is quite intriguing because it recreates a particular setting and unlocks a specific memory shared by his audience. When users open the comment section, they are flooded with favorable memories from their past festival experiences. Brands can leverage this videoās format to help trigger positive memories tied to specific settings, or even get people hyped up about a future event taking place soon. (e.g. For fashion brands, make the comment section look like a fashion week group chat, or a prom dress inspo chat). Brands can also use another iteration of this format that asks for help with comment examples. (e.g. For dating apps, ask for the best pick-up lines or compliments).
Top sounds of the week
Characters singing Mr. Snowman
The Mr. Snowman challenge first started as a singing challenge where people would sing the most popular verse in one single breath. Clips of these song covers were then taken from TikTok and Youtube and compiled into a single sound covering multiple voices. Now, users are matching the different voices in this sound to movie/TV characters or various objects.
Link to sound: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMJEVf3Gb/
Grammarly
Apparently, every Gen Z with an internet connection has been targeted at least once with this Grammarly ad. A clip of the voiceover from the ad became a meme due to the haunting, snide narration. One user has even created original choreography for the song, prompting others to dance along to the sound.
Like the Netflix Brasil sound I mentioned in last weekās article (which I recently found out had indeed originated from the Netflix Brasil team!), weāll begin to see more examples of audio branding merge with TikTok sounds. Perhaps weāll see more brands release audio logos and turn branded sounds into dance trends.
Link to sound: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMJEVYtUC/
New features and effects
š±Hologram
TikTok added a new hologram effect so you can āprojectā a screen onto your videos. Simply create a screen recording and upload using the effect.
Time Warp Scan
The Time Warp Scan is a new, popular feature. So far, most users are testing out creative ways they can use the filter, such as dancing around to create a wavy line or blinking on beat to music for a Beat Saber-like effect.
Trending Lingo
Top Expressions of the Week: Compliments
Here are some of my favorite new expressions of the week. You can use them in your outbound comments for community management, or āØadd a little bit of spiceāØ in the group chat with your niece and nephews.
1ļøā£ And youāre so ___ FOR WHAT
Definition: A way to compliment someone. The āfor whatā stands for āfor no reason.ā For example, you can say āAnd youāre so talented FOR WHATā to compliment someone for showing off a talent.
2ļøā£ As you should
Definition: To praise someone or to confirm that someone is doing the right thing. Typically said with a hint of sass.
3ļøā£ Pack it up ___
Definition: This saying is used to compare or associate someone with something that represents them in likeness. For example, you can say āPack it up pinterest boardā to compare someoneās aesthetic to a highly-curated, fashionable pinterest board, or āPack it up Debby Ryan,ā if they resemble Debby Ryan.
š„ HOT š„ Brand Case Study: Breathwrk
Today, weāre going to dive into Breathwrkās organic content strategy. Breathwrk is a mental health app for breathing exercises. Currently, it has amassed over 1.6M followers and 19.1M total likes on TikTok, relying solely on its organic content strategy. The great thing about organic on TikTok is that the content targeting is š¤ chefās kiss š¤. You can decide the niche for your brandās account, and if you create the right type of content your core audience is interested in, the algorithm will automatically help target that core audience youāre trying to reach. Thereās no need to manually find and build an audience from scratch like on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter. Your content is automatically delivered to them on TikTok.
The TikTok feeds of wellness companies are typically littered with influencer partnership reposts or product reviews and explanations. Breathwrkās content strategy focuses solely on utility content for its audience and aims to foster an engaged community where the user feedback loop is extremely strong.
What Breathwrk does well:
The community is in charge
Most of Breakwrkās posts are video responses to top-voted comments of what people want. For example, a user may request videos for panic attacks or anger management, or for longer breath holds (which seem to be the most popular videos on their page). The community is the ultimate decision-maker in what content gets published. This enables a one-on-one relationship with the brand where their community feels catered to, and where the brand gets immediate feedback from their core audience.
Breathwrk also engages in regular community management even if theyāre not responding to produce more video responses in the comments.
The use of TikTok native audio
Posting videos with TikTok native audio, especially trending audio, helps integrate branded videos with UGC on the FYP. For example, Breathwrk adapts their content to trending music formats by matching breathing patterns with the beat of the music.
Video looping for consistency
This is a classic TikTok FYP boosting tactic. Not only does video looping help create better content and a seamless experience (especially since Breathwrk is focused on breathing), it also increases the number of seconds watched and the video completion rate.
Strong visual identity
Breathwrk maintains consistent branding throughout all their videos, using the same types of icons, patterns, colors, and animations, making any branded video instantly recognizable without needing to add logos.
Organic content helps Breathwrk display its products in a way that doesnāt feel overly commercial or transactional. Not only does this help build awareness of the Breakwrk brand, but it also builds trust with its core audience.
š© NOT š© Brand Case Study: Patagonia
A big thank you to Daniel, a new subscriber, for sharing this Patagonia ad with me! Once I saw it, I knew I had to tear it apart in this weekās š© case study.
There are soooo many things wrong with this ad.
First, the specs are completely off. TikTok is meant to be enjoyed as a full-screen experience ā you want your campaigns to be as immersive as possible by leveraging the 9:16 format.
The audio is extremely somber and does not match with the visual creative or the copy at all, which excitedly states, āTHE SALE YOUāVE BEEN WAITING FOR!ā
There is no other information about the sale or the product being featured. We get a few glimpses of some details of a mustard-colored jacket, but nothing more.
The ā70% OFFā text does not match the Patagonia brand font or any TikTok native font. The placement, sizing, and indentation of the text cheapens the entire look of the ad.
Lastly, there is no CTA or click-through that would enable users to check out the sale. Iām assuming that the objective of this ad was to generate conversions or traffic to the store site. If the objective were brand awareness or reach, the Patagonia team should have considered an entirely different type of creative.
What could Patagonia have done instead? If we were restricted to using the current visual asset for this campaign, I would first zoom in and crop it at 9:16 to fit the full screen. Leveraging different transitions (spinning, panning from left to right, zoom in/zoom out) would make the video feel more active and entertaining. The audio would definitely need to be swapped out for something more upbeat and catchy, preferably timed to the transitions. I would animate the 70% OFF text, perhaps using a glitch effect and layering it throughout the video, timed to the beat of the audio. And finally, adding a button that links directly to the online sale would better align with the ad objective.
Thatās all for now, butā¦
Is there a topic you would be interested in reading about? Or a campaign youād like me to cover? Iād love to hear your thoughts! You can respond to this email or comment below. š
Until next week,
Stephanie
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Written by Stephanie Jin, a creative strategist, art director, and copywriter based in NYC. Connect with me on Twitter or Instagram.
I had so much fun reading this!