Foreword
Shhhhhh nobody tell me boss the newsletter is a day late. You see it was a no bones day yesterday according to our favorite pug, and because of that it was necessary that we let these trends marinate for just a day longer. Regardless, we’re back and better than ever with a bunch of hilarious and interesting trends for brands to buy into. Whether it is getting over that rainy day, wanting to ride, or simply doing the slide, there are so many nuanced trends that surround the platform. Join us as we explore through the trends and popular culture that surround the app every week, and how you can utilize it to best engage with your audience.
The Trends
#1 I wanna ride
422.3k videos on the sound
It is truly a struggle every week to translate TikTok culture into a business newsletter while maintaining professional tones. Most weeks using clever whit we are able to circumvent this issue. However, this trend unfortunately may be the straw that breaks the camels back. With these viral videos, users are asserting that they “want to ride” referring the fact that they want to have adult relations with another person. There I said it. Wow. Way to rip the bandaid off, I apologize to all unassuming eyes that read that. Regardless, with this trend users are presenting facets of personality and appearance that they find attractive in other people, and under the qualification that another person possesses these merits, they would want to ride. Now we will note that the other party does need to give consent, but assuming that is the case, this trend is a great way to put out your preferences!
Examples:
Applicability:
This trend has actually become so socially acceptable that brands can utilize it to talk about qualities in customers that they love.
For example Canes could make a TikTok joking about wanting to ride customers that buy the Caniac Combo (their largest craziest portion)
#2 He’s probably talking to other girls
121.1k videos on the sound
This trend has been a hilarious way for girls to be self deprecating about this common insecurity as well as a way to joke more sarcastically about the situation. The video premise is that the guy they like is probably talking to other girls, yet there is usually a caveat. Either the girls the guy is talking to aren’t as cool/pretty/desirable as the creator, or they are actually talking to other girls to a greater extent. All the videos are lightly self deprecating and users have had a great time joking about their past experiences of relationship struggle.
Examples:
Applicability:
Brands will want to joke about customers “talking” to other brands instead of the relationship angle.
#3 Crying
84.8k videos on the sound
For this trend users are down bad, but this time quite literally. Users are running up to their bed, acting as if they are crying to mimic the audio, and then jumping onto the bed and missing it. This sequence is meant to show true defeat, and what a user would be at a very low state. Yet the things that defeat them presented in text are usually extremely trivial and sarcastic, as with most themes on TikTok.
Examples:
Applicability:
Brands can have brand reps recreate this for brand moments when they encounter trivial challenges or issues related to the brand.
#4 Lord have mercy
54.9k videos on the sound
This audio reads, “Lord have mercy, we must stay focused brothers, we must stay focused” alluding to the fact that something just distracted the user. From this creators have made videos where they place in text something that refers to them seeing something extremely interesting or attractive alongside the audio. The result are videos that joke about users being distracted by pretty people, or sarcastic items which they would not be distracted by normally.
Examples:
Applicability:
Brands will want to joke about being distracted by their customers all being awesome. It would be even better if this somehow alluded to all customers who buy that certain brand being attractive.
#5 There ain’t no 1%
29.4k videos on the sound
This sound has appeared this last week on TikTok and is quite unique in how the videos off it function. The audio reads, “There ain’t no 1%, move on” and creators have utilized this to mislead viewers. Essentially the video starts with saying that they do some task 99% of the time, alluding to the fact that there will be an exception. However the audio cuts in to explain there isn’t any 1% left for exceptions.
Examples:
Applicability:
Brands will want to associate their high standards with completing them 99% of the time, only to show that it’s actually 100% of the time.
#6 Why my back is hurting
20.7k videos on the sound
This is a very simple before and after format where users are joking about having to carry their friends in completing an activity. If you’re unfamiliar the slang “to carry” refers to when one person pulls most of the weight for a team or group, often in competition. For example someone can carry the team when they score 50 points or in a more TikTok sense, one could carry being the hottest person in the friend group. Thus users have taken this and applied it to the format where they act as if their back is hurting from carrying too much, and when the beat changes, they reveal what they carry in.
Examples:
Applicability:
Brands will want to apply this to their brand carrying any aspect of their respective industry where they excell.
For gaming brands, companies can simply joke about players carrying their teammates within the game. For example videos from the user perspective of their friend carrying them in NBA 2k
Trends from last week that keep climbing
#7 I actually do cuss a little
332.1k videos on the sound
Miranda Cosgrove has been back in the media recently after the reboot of iCarly and a few weeks ago she went on a podcast for an interview which yielded this viral clip. It’s incredibly funny how the video contrasts the more vulgar topic of swearing with Miranda’s bubbly and PC personality that we have seen on TV and the internet for years. Users have taken the audio and applied it to times in their own life when they are very slightly vulgar, but in a very coy fashion. Everybody is hopping on lip syncing this audio so we suggest you don’t miss out.
Examples:
Applicability:
Brands will want to replicate the trend format as it automatically integrates with the culture of the trend and makes the brand appear down to earth but still professional for being slow to cuss.
#8 This rainy day is temporary
247.7k videos on the sound
This trend has appeared out of the undertones of the audio creators are using for it. The sound reads, “this rainy day is temporary” and users have applied it to times in their lives when circumstances have been not the best, but have shifted to be positive. For example a user could be interested in dating somebody but they already have a significant other, but this rainy day is temporary because they just broke up. On the beat switch users will reveal the new improved circumstance to their initial dilemma and the videos we’ve seen thus far are amazing so we highly suggest you check them out below.
Examples:
Applicability:
Brands will want to contrast good to bad brand moments where circumstances have cause them strife, but in the end yield a positive outcome.
#9 Slide dance
135.5k videos on the sound
Another new dance trend has appeared on the platform this week, and we expect this one to gain a lot of traction shortly. Very similar to the griddy move which went viral a few weeks back, the new move, dubbed the slide, is a simple dance that anyone can try out. It creates a cool effect of almost floating as you are moving to the slide and users have started to replicate past dance challenges with the updated movement.
Examples:
Applicability:
For dance trends brands should simply have a brand rep or mascot participate in the dance in an applicable environment
Bonus
Recently a small clothing brand has done some promotion across TikTok towards the younger generation. Their products are graphic t shirts with funny and ironic sayings on them. The brand is built for TikTok era self deprecation and attitudes, and in their ad strategy it seems they have nailed that theme. This ad specifically is a popular format, adapted to center around another viral meme, and both elements are near entirely unrelated to the brand. Asking strangers what they are listening to has been a popular format over the past few weeks and that combined with the joke that he wasn’t listening to the Amber alert sound for the car he was stealing makes it that much funnier. The shirt stands out on its own and because the video is promoted users understand that it is a product that they can go and buy, despite no mention of if being made in the video. This is the perfect strategy for TikTok as users don’t feel like they are being force fed products and have positive attitudes towards the brand because of the comedy and nuanced humor.