Foreword
As we look forward into a summer of fun and absurdity to come on TikTok, users continue to re-establish themes seen across the platform in all types of content. As such, brands are more and more realizing the need to integrate with the culture of the platform, and to reflect those themes. The only question is now, what brands will be willing to sacrifice their perfect outward projection to align with self deprecation and sarcasm which are held so dearly on TikTok. 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 You’re bleeding what’s your type
172.2k videos on the sound
Trends have been getting more and more creative with wording and puns recently and this one is a great example. Users will setup the video with the premise that they are bleeding out, and somebody is asking for their blood type for medical assistance. The trick is that instead they associate “type” with a user’s preferences for people they want to have a relationship with, not the blood type. When the beat drops in the audio creators cut to pictures of people that are their type. It’s a pretty simple format but the fun twist and ease of creation has meant tons of users have hopped on this one extremely quickly.
Applicability:
Brands will want to replicate the trend but insert the brand as the persons type. Will be even better if there is a brand rep or mascot to pose like instagram photos for it.
#2 Windows sound
630.4k videos on the sound
The sound which this trend falls under depicts the windows operating system shutdown sound, which has long been a meme, but has recently been adapted to TikTok. Users are applying two main trends with this one. The first is using the sound to depict a blunt truth. Whether it be the fact that you would save money without your girlfriend, or that you should probably actually try in school to further your life, these are scenarios which are great in theory but in practice are things we struggle with. The second of the trends is a little more fun and is simply squishing faces when the sound hits. Yes you read that correctly, check the second link to see what I mean in action. Lots of parents are doing this with babies and some people with their friends are participating as well. Regardless the hilarity of the blunt sound of the audio has been widely applicable and TikTok users have been loving it.
Applicability:
Brands will want to create videos where share blunt truths about their brand or the experience of working for the brand.
Additionally if a brand has a recognizable mascot or brand rep they can always participate in the face squish aspect of the sound.
#3 No one can stop me
46.5k videos on the sound
As with recent weeks this week we saw some popular filters making their way around the for you page and this one takes the cake for the week. The filter depicts an augmented bee flying frantically forward and users have associated an audio of Dr. Evil from Austin Powers to it. The audio reads, “the best part of this plan is… no one can stop me” and from this users have applied their own sarcastically diabolical plans to it. Whether it’s stealing the last cookie from the cookie jar, or commenting an out of pocket roast on your friends instagram, the possibilities are endless making this trend one that everyone can jump on.
Applicability:
Brands will want to think of creative scenarios where they are gaining a distinct benefit or advantage due to their actions. For example Wendy’s could joke about tricking people into buying their food with the cool name “four for four.”
#4 Facts
18.1k videos on the sound
This trend format is one we’ve seen before just this time with a slightly adapted audio. Users will setup a premise which is usually based upon a debatable opinion that they have, and then the audio says “facts” which associates this opinion with being a fact. It’s basically just a cool way for creators to describe a trait that often relates to themselves as something that is valid or cool.
Applicability:
Brands will want to associate brand aspects as “facts” under this same format.
#5 Where are they?
11.1k videos on the sound
Under the same line of formats as trend #1, this one uses some clever thinking to draw interest from viewers. Creators will setup videos under this trend with the actions of “getting jumped by” or “talking to” and then follow that up with a very specific group that they would joke doesn’t exist. Whether you’re “talking to a girl that’s prettier than your girlfriend” or “getting jumped by white guys that can dance” users are making the joke that they don’t believe that type of person or group of people with that qualification exists.
Applicability:
Brands will want to joke about competitors not being able to compete by setting up premises of “getting jumped by other brands that do X better than us.”
#6 My mom telling me
11.4k videos on the sound
Parents; we love them dearly but sometimes they do not give the most helpful advice. It seems to be a shared experience of parents not understanding a new landscape or personal space whatsoever and because of this, users have shared their parent’s hilariously bad takes via this trend. The audio is from Keeping up with the Kardashians of Kim saying that someone should “just call taylor up” which was a large oversimplification of the situation at hand. Thus users have aligned it with their parents telling them things like to email the CEO of their favorite brand for a job or to just tell someone exactly how they feel. Great advice in theory, but terrible in practice but regardless users are having a field day sharing their parents’ poor takes.
Applicability:
Brands here are often involved as the butt of the joke so they can easily flip the trend around and joke about something like how they would accept an offer from a 15 year old emailing the CEO.
Trends from last week that keep climbing
#7 My money don’t jiggle jiggle
584.5k videos on the sound
I’m going to give readers a far warning with this trend: if you listen to this sound more than once it will be stuck in your head for the next 5-7 business days, so please be careful. It’s no wonder the audio is blowing up as it is almost addicting to listen to. This virality has all originated from a user on TikTok about a week and a half ago putting together this funny song remix which immediately hooked viewers. Since then users have put together videos with multitudes of formats where they dance to the sound or utilize it in some funny way. There’s no one specific direction to take this audio, yet utilizing it in content has been seen platform wide this week.
Examples:
Applicability:
Brands will want to have representatives or mascots replicate the popular dance that has appeared under the audio (first link).
#8 How excited are you
358.8k videos on the sound
Many trend formats have started to replicate the sentiment of a viral clip, with a situation that causes the same feeling from the creator’s life. For example with this trend it is a viral audio of a girl getting extraordinarily excited about the new My Little Pony movie, but TikTok users are using it for different scenarios of excited anticipation in their own lives.
Examples:
Applicability:
Brands will want to align the audio to the excitement about upcoming brand releases, moments or large events.
Bonus
The F1 season is back in action but more importantly the big teams are back on TikTok and it isn’t wrong to say that F1 social media managers are some of the best memers for brands on the internet. Recently they have made their foray onto TikTok and it seems that Aston Martin has really got the hang of things. Taking a little bit of a first person perspective here, I was just scrolling on my for you page the other day when I stumbled across this video which I honestly thought was going to be the sound that the socket gun makes. For some context, if you remember last week there was a trend which included random screaming which was funny as users associated it with their friends getting excited. Yet here Aston integrated it to cover over the socket gun sound and it completely caught me off guard in the best way. I can’t lie I was sitting their laughing for a good few minutes watching it over and over. The point here is though that Aston did an incredible job of identifying the trend, and then integrating it so naturally into their content that one couldn’t even expect it. Seems like we all need to be taking some notes from Aston Martin. (at least on TikTok maybe not on the track this year lol😬)