Foreword & attitudes on the platform this week
This week we’re beginning to see summer’s big pull towards interactive trends. Last year we noticed that as teens and college students got out of school for summer, there began to be many more trends which appeared out of fun interactions between friends. This year is no different with many groups getting together to make TikToks. In addition to that it may seem small but the new Top Gun film is having a prolific effect on the platform’s culture, pushing guys to use mustache filters and even grow mustaches to replicated Miles Teller. There’s a ton of fun aspects to explore this week so let’s hop right into how your brand can harness trends on the platform this week!
Audio Based Trends
Now you may be asking yourself, aren’t almost all trends audio based trends? And to that I would tell you yes, yes they are. That being said what we mean by audio based trends specifically are trends that pertain to specific lyrics or wording within sound. This is when the action or meaning behind the trend is correlated with the lines spoken. This week we’ve only got one prominent one but let’s jump in.
We jump street
78.3k videos on the sound
The movie 21 Jump Street has been around for over a decade now but this audio saying “We jump street and we about to jump in your a**… right in the crack has reappeared on TikTok this week. The audio contrasts the Ice Cube’s very serious and harsh tone of the first line threatening somebody with “jumping in their a**” with Jonah Hill’s poor attempt to add to the threat. In the film Jonah’s line, “right in the crack”, makes him seem incredibly awkward and almost wimpy in stark contrast to Ice Cube which makes it extremely funny. Users are then aligning this trend with themselves looking either very cool or very awkward. Specifically, there is a face filter out currently that mirrors each side of one’s face, and many users have figured out that one side of their face is much cooler or more attractive than the other. Thus, they are pairing the filter with this audio associating the cool side of their face with Ice Cube’s line, and then awkward side of their face with Jonah Hill’s line.
Brand application: Brands will want to utilize the audio without the filter to reference their brand being cool, in contrast to market competitors. For example a brand like Adidas could joke, “POV: me wearing my Adidas vs my Nikes” contrasting wearing their shoes with Ice Cube’s line and wearing Nikes with Jonah Hill’s line.
Examples:
Nothing makes me weak in the knees
139.8k videos on the sound
In this audio the song sings, “I get so weak in the knees when you bow down for me” referring to falling for someone. TikTok users have applied this to their own preferences or actions that a prospective partner act on or attributes they possess. With the format users start the video saying they never would fall for someone or get weak in the knees and once the audio starts, they present the attribute they would fall for. While walking away from the camera they act as if their knees are buckling or are becoming “weak.”
Brand application: Brands here will want to apply this to attributes of customers that they love or aspects of their own brand that make customers fall for them.
Examples:
Sometimes when lonely I think about you
252.4k videos on the sound
Mama Mia culture has forever been loved on TikTok but this week one song which reads, “sometimes when I’m lonely I sit and think about you” has come to prominence. With this sound users are reflecting on their past loves and lusts that aren’t around anymore. Whether it’s an old TV show or those infamous mango Juul pods, a little trip down memory lane has users bringing up relatable things that they miss and because of the simple format, the trend is blowing up.
Brand application: Brands will want to reflect on past brand products or days in the past of building the company to where it is today. For example a company like Apple could utilize this trend to show off photos of Steve Jobs, alluding to the fact that they (and we all) miss him.
Examples:
Interactive Trends
This should be somewhat self explanatory but interactive trends are trends that involve users interacting with others to create videos. Often the hilarity or interest generated by working with loved ones or peers creates incredible laughs or simply fun times. Most importantly though, authenticity shows through with interactive trends as most often they are truly authentic. This week we’ve got two awesome ones so let’s jump in.
Tortilla slap
I think a lot of the time when adults see TikTok videos like these the first thing they ask is, “why?” This is definitely a reasonable question but the answer isn’t quite as reasonable… The answer of course being, “because it’s funny.” With this trend users are getting together with a friend or partner and filling their mouths with water before slapping each other in the face with tortillas. Yes, you did read that correctly. The hilarity is two fold, as slapping a person with a tortilla is already humorous, but this is amplified further by the fact that the two competitors can’t talk, and will usually end up doing a spit take right into the other persons face. Essentially this trend is just crazy fun to do with friends and because of that it’s going equally crazy viral.
Brand application: Brands will want to participate in this trend by having brand reps replicate the interaction. Additionally brands, especially competitors, would most likely create a viral presence if they were to partner for a video to slap each other with tortillas. (Chick Fil A vs Canes let’s see it)
Examples:
He’s a 10 but.…
About a week ago a video of three girls hanging out in their car went viral as they shouted out attributes of guys that would make them either more attractive or less attractive. The format goes as such: one girl says a guy has a certain rating (i.e. “he is a 7 but…”), and then they would follow that with an attribute that would change the rating (i.e. has a mullet). An example might be, “He’s a 10 but he has poor hygiene.” From there, the other two girls in the car would give their new rating based on the new qualifications. This video went crazy viral and as such other friend groups of both girls and guys have started replicating the trend with their own preferences and distastes. This is another one of those trends that brings friends together in an interactive format so especially with summer happening right now, we expect to see this one growing more and more.
Brand application: Brands here can replicate the format while integrating brand tones into the messaging. For example Chick Fil A could say something along the lines of, “He’s a 6 but he’s a level 2 Chick Fil A rewards member… Oh he’s a 10.”
Examples:
Filter Based Trends
Filters have risen to prominence over the last year as super fun and easy ways for regular users to create popular videos on the platform. They often create scenery or distort faces to replicate different features or expressions. These are the easiest trends for users to utilize and thus generally have very quick and widespread virality.
Miles Teller Mustache
165.4k videos on the filter
Last week we brought to you the topical trend of Top Gun on the platform as the movie has been leading to a lot of viral culture. One of the large elements of the film that mostly girls are talking about, is Miles Teller’s mustache. According to our in depth research, many women find the mustache “hot” and as such are rating their guy friends to see how they would look with a stache using this filter. The mustache filter has been a thing for a while but Miles Teller has single handedly brought this one into TikTok prominence and with so many users seeing either how themselves or their friends look with one, this filter has gone viral.
Brand application: Brand reps or mascots will want to utilize the filter to see how they would look with a stache and reference in the video something around the representative trying to become Miles Teller.
Examples:
Movement Trends
TikTok virality was founded upon the back of Musically which was a platform entirely centered around dance trends. In the past we have defined these exclusively as dance trends, yet today they’ve become more widespread in the form of general movements. Dance trends have been an essential and prominent part of content on the platform ever since its inception. These trends are very simple as it just involves a common audio with a common dance or movement applied to it. Brands can utilize these through simple replication form where brand representatives and mascots will do the dance. These are the most fun but also the most simple!
Handstand but woah
94.7k videos on the sound
As it turns out, it seems like all TikTokers are acrobats for their side job. With this trend users are trying what has become almost a challenge to start in a plank position and use a fluid movement to get all the way up to a hand stand. The videos below make it look easy, but this is a seriously taxing and impressive task that TikTok creators seem to be doing almost casually.
Brand application: If anybody/mascot from your brand can even achieve this one, props to you, simply have that person replicate it in a work environment.
Examples:
Simple Format Trends
This section is a little bit of a catch all for trends that are somewhat nonspecific. They happen on a weekly basis, but with these one generally finds that the trend has a simple audio behind it and creators will utilize a text format on screen to showcase a message. Often these trends tend to be based upon a relatability factor where users will talk about an experience from their own life with extremely relatable undertones that other users can get a good self deprecating laugh at.
I could never stare at photos of myself
507.1k videos on the sound
People on TikTok like to brag about how hot they are. It’s a simple fact that has been displayed since the dawn of TikTok with before+after trends in addition to the prominence of attractive people hitting user’s for you pages. This trend is a no shame integration into this culture, where users are joking that they could never stare at photos of themselves (implying they aren’t narcissists) yet they then cut to photos of themselves that they would stare at. Almost always these photos display users looking their absolute best, which is an interesting turn from the general authentic nature of TikTok, yet there is an undertone showing that they understand they are being narcissistic. A few have stepped up as per usual to take this trend sarcastically by posting themselves looking like a mess or just goofy, so brands have the ability to hop in here as a joke as well.
Brand application: Brands will want to interpret this trend sarcastically, showcasing brand reps or mascots looking hot in a sarcastic sense.
Examples:
Bonus
If you are unfamiliar with Formula 1, in the sport each team is quite involved and have their own social media teams to generate imagery and graphics regarding the races and team news. Mercedes is notorious for having one of the best social media managers because of their deep understanding of Instagram meme culture. Although this last week they dipped their toes into the realm of TikTok and suffice it to say, they seem to be killing the game on all platforms. Specifically Mercedes posted the below graphic for the upcoming Azerbaijan Grand Prix, referencing that their usual designer was out of office for the week. They first posted this on Instagram which it immediately went viral on, with crazy engagement and TikTokers even picking up on it to showcase to their own audiences. Below we have an image of them even posting is on LinkedIn of all places. The reason we bring this to you is not only because it is hilarious, but because this style of sarcastic graphics actually started on TikTok last year. You may remember Emily Zugay, the graphic designer on TikTok who jokingly redesigned the windows logo last year and went crazy viral for it, but she was the person that popularized this comedic graphic style and it all started from the non serious nature of TikTok. Mercedes may be smart on the race track, but their admin is even smarter on social media and this integration with TikTok culture is now taking a much more widespread liking and understanding off platform.
Time Capsule - Prior Week Trends Still Growing
Top gun
60.3k videos on the sound
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably heard about the new Top Gun: Maverick movie. Audiences are raving about it, even saying it is better than the first, but more importantly they are talking about it on TikTok. Using the identifiable track from the film, Take My Breath Away, users have started creating content regarding the movie. There isn’t one specific format but there are a few common themes. Mostly, users are referencing how absurdly attractive everyone in the movie is, and are showing how they are trying to reflect the physical styles from the film.
Brand application: As a brand here you want to align your brand to an element of the film. The popular culture and love for it will drive people to associating it positively with your brand, so whether that is having employees shave their facial hair to reflect characters in the film, or joking about how your business has become more Americanized from the patriotism shown in the production, engaging with the content from the movie is the route to go.
Examples:
Bro said he knew a spot
11.4k videos on the sound
Everybody has those secret locations that they love to go to and this trend is a TikTok manifestation of that. Users are qualifying the video with the text “Bro said he knew a spot” and then in the video are showing crazy cool locations, or sarcastically bad locations. The videos either generate high visual interest with interesting scenery or comedic interest from the sarcastic takes so because it is an extremely simply format users are flocking to it.
Brand application: Brands here will jokingly want to have their brand as the “spot” from the videos, so simply showcasing their brand locations is best. This can be amplified even further by making the shots of the business-place featuring cinematic movements and shot types.
Examples: