THE 14TH ANNUAL SHORTY AWARDS

The Shorty Awards honor the best of social media and digital. View this season's finalists!

Special Project

Special Project
From the 16th Annual Shorty Awards

AARP TikTok: "When Gen X _____" Series

Finalist in TikTok

Objectives

How do you enhance perceptions of your brand and establish a connection with a generation that has often been overlooked? 

Once dubbed “America’s neglected middle child,” Generation X has quietly aged into AARP’s 50-plus community. Our challenge: How do we capture the attention of Generation X and establish AARP as a destination for them? Our solution: Develop an engaging presence on TikTok with entertaining and relatable content that resonates with Gen Xers and makes them feel seen. Suprise, surprise! 

Our objectives are straightforward: 

Our first year on TikTok taught us that humor, nostalgia and relatability were key elements for success. With that in mind, we developed the concept for a new content series: “When Gen X ____” – intended to reach and engage our audience on a deep and personal level.  

Strategy and Execution

If there's one thing that brings a generation together, it’s the music of their childhood. And when you're the “MTV Generation,” the music of the 80s and 90s is basically part of your DNA. Enter “When Gen X ____,” our content series featuring “AARP TikTok Guy” Craig Moorhead taking center stage in a musical exploration of the Gen X experience.  

Each video features Craig absentmindedly singing to himself, inserting his own lyrics into popular Gen X songs as he goes about his day. Whether getting ready for company, making lunch, or in the throes of a minor illness, Craig exhibits the very Gen X trait of having a persistent internal monologue made up of pop hits from his youth. The series captures the essence of Gen X's unique perspective through the lens of humor, nostalgia, relatability – and a soundtrack that defines a generation. 

Through Craig's relatable and entertaining portrayal of everyday scenarios, the series resonates with the experiences and memories of Gen X viewers, fostering a sense of nostalgia and connection. The concept also positions AARP as a relevant and relatable presence in the lives of Generation X.  

Results

This series is a perfect example of how our TikTok content succeeds at making Gen X “feel seen.” So far, the first six episodes of “When Gen X _____” have generated: 

It has also moved the needle when it comes to building brand affinity among Gen Xers. The proof is in the comments, which show an overwhelmingly positive sentiment as users find unexpected joy on our channel: 

Media

Video for AARP TikTok: "When Gen X _____" Series

Entrant Company / Organization Name

AARP

Link

Entry Credits