5 TikTok Ads Examples All Advertisers Can Learn From
5 TikTok Ads Examples All Advertisers Can Learn From
Short-form video sharing platform TikTok continues to grow in popularity rapidly. As a relatively new social network, there is still plenty of room for advertisers of all sizes to connect directly with their intended audiences.
TikTok is an incredibly dynamic platform that’s captured the hearts and attention of 1 billion people worldwide.
The app allows users to create, edit, and share short-form videos. Plus, the TikTok content is very algorithmically driven. This is most clearly seen on the platform’s “For You Page.” This page shows users content related to past liked videos, trends, and traits — the content shown differs from user to user.
Content is customized to user preferences, but there are still many ways to reach any demographics you desire with TikTok ads. This guide will highlight 5 TikTok ads from 2022 to demonstrate the numerous ways advertisers can take advantage of opportunities on the platform.
What are TikTok Ads?
TikTok ads are generally short videos, under one minute long, that feature a product or service. They are placed organically on users’ For You pages, seamlessly integrating the advertisement into the feed of entertaining content they’re already enjoying.
In addition to the video content, most standard TikTok ads also include a CTA with text that directs interested users to a separate landing page. Additionally, advertisers can include their brand name, a caption about the product, and an image of their product or logo within the CTA.
Benefits of TikTok Ads
Advertisers receive a host of unique benefits when using the platform that makes TikTok optimal for particular campaigns. Here are just a few of the perks of advertising on TikTok:
- Quick Engagement: the results of some marketing strategies take weeks or months to come to fruition. Especially when using TikTok for business, the app reports that it can engage prospects 9x faster than average.
- Speedy Setup: Users report being able to set up and launch TikTok ads within minutes
- Unique User Base: While TikTok is popular among Millennial and Gen Z users, people of all ages are now on the platform.
Need help leveraging the benefits of TikTok ads? Hire a top social media marketing team on The Manifest.
5 TikTok Ads Examples
The best way to see the benefits of TikTok’s offerings is through successful past examples. Each of these 2022 TikTok ad campaigns organically connected large volumes of customers with products and services:
- Bumble and bumble sponsored hashtag campaign
- Taco Bell and Doja Cat Superbowl campaign
- Turbotax timely tax resources campaign
- MAC Cosmetics hashtag challenge campaign
- Aquarium of the Pacific TikTok live campaign
Each of these five ad campaigns leveraged unique features and functionalities of the TikTok platform to engage prospects best. Advertisers looking to get the most from this platform should learn about the host of possible approaches to campaigns.
1. Bumble and bumble: #BbStyleFearlessly
Bumble and bumble is a hair product company that wants to help people protect and detox their hair.
The company aims to connect with women via its products and marketing. They’re known for encouraging their customers to “Style Fearlessly” or “Sweat Fearlessly” via company product lines.
This empowering message carried onto Bumble and bumble’s recent TikTok advertising campaign from February 2022. Rather than a standard video advertisement, the company opted to craft a sponsored hashtag: #BbStyleFearlessly.
In addition to the sponsored hashtag, a photo ad displaying Bumble and bumble’s line of promoted products accompanied the hashtag promotion at the top of TikTok users’ Discover page.
The Discover page is where people can find trending hashtags and sounds. During this promotion, Bumble and bumble also ranked highly on the top hashtags listings on the Discover page.
The biggest perk of the sponsored hashtag: user participation. TikTok users worldwide included this hashtag in their videos related to the product, cultivating a good deal of user-generated content.
Key Takeaway: Use hashtag campaigns to rally an audience around your brand.
Additional reading, ‘4 Ways to Encourage Consumer-Generated Content.’
2. Taco Bell: Super Bowl Surprise Campaign
Popular late-night chain Taco Bell is popular among TikTok’s primary user demographics: Millennials and Gen Zers. The chain has been using TikTok ads as one way to connect with them.
The company has leveraged TikTok expertly in recent months, setting the bar for some of the best TikTok ad campaigns out there.
In February 2022, in the week leading up to the Super Bowl, the Taco Bell account released an ad featuring musical artist Doja Cat — who, frankly, is iconic among Gen Z pop music fans.
The video ad was set up with the standard features: a CTA, hashtags, Taco Bell’s verified branded account, and a sponsored tag (revealing that it was an ad).
However, the video content didn’t come across like a typical ad. Rather than hawking a new Taco Bell product, Doja Cat said that Taco Bell would reveal a “surprise” during the Super Bowl and that even she didn’t know what to expect.
This level of mystery, paired with the endorsement of a pop icon, had many waiting in suspense for what Taco Bell was going to reveal, likely during their Super Bowl ad. With this simple TikTok ad, Taco Bell excited people to see another Taco Bell promotion.
On the night of the Super Bowl, Doja Cat was front-and-center in a colorful, fun commercial that had qualities of a music video — likely because Doja Cat’s new cover of Hole’s Celebrity Skin played in the background.
The mutually beneficial advertisement appealed to the right audience in the TikTok ad and the final Super Bowl Commercial.
Key Takeaway: Integrate TikTok ads into omnichannel campaigns.
3. Turbotax: Timely Tax Return Resources Campaign
Turbotax may not be the first brand name that comes to mind when you think about ads that may appeal to Gen Z, but this company has been innovative about how they’ve used TikTok ads.
Early in 2022, the company began showing basic video ads promoting tax-related resources. Rather than crafting a CTA prompting users to purchase something, they invited people to download help resources as tax season approached.
The ad itself was graphics-focused, showing users that they had the power to ask questions and access tax help from their mobile devices, taking some of the anxiety out of filing taxes.
By running this ad in advance of tax season, Turbotax connected with young tax filers early and positioned themselves as a helpful company that wants to look out for people.
Key Takeaway: Consider timeliness and audience needs when scheduling campaigns.
4. MAC Cosmetics: #MACChallengeAccepted Campaign
MAC Cosmetics is a popular beauty brand that has used celebrity appearances and hashtag challenges in their most recent TikTok ad campaign.
In this effort, MAC aimed to showcase their products as high-performance makeup that can withstand even the most sweaty, challenging, and long days.
MAC produced a video featuring popular, stylish rapper Saweetie who encouraged TikTok users to “Duet” her video with long-lasting looks created with MAC products to kick off the hashtag challenge.
When users “Duet” the original video, Saweetie’s message promoting MAC products stays within the user-generated content, giving MAC more control over the kind of content users were creating.
All of the videos produced during this challenge garnered over 1 billion views, giving MAC tons of exposure to TikTok users worldwide.
Key Takeaway: Encourage user-generated content with challenges and gamification.
5. Aquarium of the Pacific: Aquarium Live Promotion
Lastly, Aquarium of the Pacific teamed up with TikTok in a collaborative sense, leveraging TikTok Live.
TikTok Live allows users to “go live” and stream themselves in real-time to followers. This gives people a chance to interact with their favorite TikTokers and create an active dialog online.
The Aquarium of the Pacific saw TikTok Live as an excellent opportunity to showcase their work with aquatic life — specifically penguins.
The aquarium’s content promotion didn’t encourage purchases but views on a penguin’s health checkup that would be live-streamed at a set date and time. The ad invited people to tune in.
This effort opens up opportunities for events that have become more difficult to hold in person due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Online streaming events have grown in popularity and allow people to connect to experiences regardless of their location.
Key Takeaway: Get creative with underutilized TikTok features and offerings.
Should My Company Invest In TikTok Ads?
Short-form video is becoming more and more popular, not only with younger generations but with audiences of all demographics. With tons of ways to customize ad content, TikTok makes it easy for advertisers to engage with diverse audiences.
By creating user-generated content campaigns, partnering with celebrities, and creating their own eye-catching video content, companies can expand their audience and engage potential customers.
Companies that want to get creative with their ad content should consider advertising on TikTok.
Are you looking for a partner to craft a TikTok ad campaign? Contact a professional advertising agency on The Manifest for help.
Additional Reading
