Foreword
This week in the world of TikTok, everybody is reminiscing on being teenage dirtbags, kids are sprinting through the night carrying anything from dead fish to fax machines, and friends are walking each other like a dog. As a brand these ongoings may seem odd, if not completely incomprehensible, so join us as we explore how brands can integrate, and gain a grasp about the culture, content, and trends going on in the world of TikTok this week!
Audio Based Trends
Most trends are based around sounds. What we mean specifically by audio based trends 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. These are usually the most prolific of trends on TikTok so let’s dive in.
I like you man you lie a lot
52.7k videos on the sound
Druski is known for having some hilarious one liners, and many of them have converted into trends on TikTok. This one is no different and his recent line, “I like you man, you lie a lot” has gone viral this week. In the trend videos, users are applying the line to scenarios within their own life where someone lies to them to make them feel better, or support an aligned cause despite its shortfalls. These videos are inherently funny due to Druski’s tone and comedic manner so the trend is taking off nicely.
Brand application: Brands will want to align situations from their own workplace where they tell each other little fibs to keep the day going. It’s even better if done seriously about workplace lies to customers but most brands will likely want to avoid this for image (i.e. McDonalds telling customers the ice cream machine is broken)
Examples:
Teenage dirtbag
499.4k videos on the sound
Over the past few weeks Wheato’s 2000 song, Teenage Dirtbag has gone viral on TikTok due to this trend. Users will play the song under old childhood photos of themselves being “teenage dirtbags.” Essentially they’ll showcase raunchy or cool looking photos of their younger self in a montage format. It’s not just limited to people older than teens, as even they have done the trend with photos of themselves from their early childhood. The trend is super wide ranging and even celebs like Jimmy Fallon have joined in.
Brand application: Brands will want to have recognizable brand figures or mascots do this trend showcasing how the brand image has evolved over time. Additionally a mascot could stage teenage dirtbag type photos to buy into the trend further.
Examples:
You’re the girl, you’re the one
324.0k videos on the sound
Couples content is always cute on TikTok and in the wake of national girlfriend day, users have started a trend to the song that goes, “you’re the girl, you’re the one” where they showcase cute photos and videos of their girlfriends. They are effectively tribute posts to their girls and if men have learned anything about social media, they will know that their girls love when they are posted so this one is taking off.
Brand application: This one is more of a user trend, however if a brand has a girlfriend or famous female figure that they are aligned with they would want to replicate the format for them.
Examples:
Movement Trends
TikTok virality was founded upon the back of Musically, a platform entirely centered around dance trends. Dance trends have been an essential and prominent part of content on the platform ever since its inception. These trends are very simple as they just involve a common audio with a replicable dance or movement applied to it. Brands can utilize these through simple replication form where brand representatives and mascots will do the dance. They are the most fun but also the most simple!
Walk you like a dog
71.2k videos on the sound
What’s my usual shpeal? “TikTok users find a new way every week to show off their butts”… Oh yeah, that. This weeks new trend relating to the posterior pelvic region is showcasing users walking their friends like a dog. The song behind the trend, un-ironically goes, “walk me like a dog” and users will bend over and walk forward on all fours, while shaking their butt as their friend acts as if they are holding their leash.
Brand application: Brands will need to simply replicate the trend with a brand representative or mascot.
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.
Not even gonna try to title this one
14.2k videos on the sound
Like I said, this one is so absurd that I’m not even going to try to define it with a title. In the videos for this trend kids are effectively running through the streets at night at full sprint, holding the most random and eccentric items that they can find. The look that they portray is so out of the blue that it’s hilarious. I could attempt to dive into the nuance of how a kid running shirtless in the pitch of night while jugging a gallon of milk is funny, but I think you can understand the point. You’re definitely gonna want to check out some examples below.
Brand application: If a brand is to recreate this they would want to draw the same level of absurdity but with the brand product or components of the product included. For example if Dunder Mifflin Paper company could have Michael Scott running in his basketball uniform with a printer in arms down the street.
Examples:
Falling over
473.4k videos on the sound
The audio for this one depicts a person sighing and then falling over and hitting the floor, alluding to the fact that they are fainting… for a good reason. As such, users have applied this sound to times in their lives when they are overwhelmed by someone or something in a good way. In creating the videos, they will act as if they are first person POV with the camera, and they will fall over so that the camera hits the ground on the thud sound.
Brand application: Brands will want to apply this to offerings they have that are so overwhelmingly amazing that customers can’t contain themselves (sarcastic).
Examples:
Case Study
We’ve just made it through primaries elections in the United States and as candidates prepare for midterms, many are looking to new forms of advertising to grow their base and garner attention. A man by the name of Wade Herring is running for congress in Georgia and he has been quite active on TikTok through campaigning. He does a lot of fun testimonial videos but more recently he’s dipped his toes into trends and created some comedy content. For the younger generation seeing an old person participate in a trend like the chillest dude in America one is absolutely hilarious. It requires a level of knowledge that only younger native internet users really understand and as such it feels as an outreach to the younger demo when he was able to capitalize like this. As such, Wade has done a great job integrating with the trends and this specific video was one that went viral and popped up on our feeds so we thought we’d highlight it as some amazing hilarious candidate advertising.
Time Capsule - Prior Week Trends Still Growing
What is going on in the House of Commons
16.9k videos on the sound
Every so often I’ll give my pick for the top trend of the week, and this week it definitely has to go to this one. A clip from the Australian news of a newscaster bombastically saying, “What is going on the house of commons” has gone viral for having an undertone of being shocked and confused. Users have taken this feeling and utilized it to make fun of Instagram Reels users. For some context, trends that happen on TikTok tend to appear on Instagram Reels for the first time about a month or two after they have completely died on TikTok. As such, users are relating that users on instagram are late to the party. A user might put in text, “Instagram Reels users when they find out that planes flew into the twin towers” with the shocking aforementioned audio underneath. Basically it’s a hilarious exaggeration of how out of touch Instagram Reels users are with current trends.
Brand application: Brands will want to relate their own brand news from well in the past to this trend.
Examples:
Oh no! I fell!
162.2k videos on the sound
If we really break down the concept of content on TikTok, every week it truly is just creators trying to find new and innovative ways to show off their butts on the platform. In this week’s escapades, users are creating videos where they are acting as if they are falling over, but when the beat changes they just end up twerking on the ground. It’s a very simple concept but if you don’t know where the video is going, it can definitely catch you off guard.
Brand application: Brands will want to have mascots or brand representatives recreate the move.
Examples: