We’re watching the explosion of shortform video, where now that everyone has a high-end camera in their pocket, a massive range of content is being created every second. On one end of the spectrum is what anyone can capture on the fly. On the other end, this shortform boom is creating a space for people to explore their creativity byway of visual expression that captures their authentic voice. That authentic self-expression is what SweeTARTS is all about. And as digital natives, SweeTARTS’ Gen Z target lives and breathes this form of creation.
Where would that next generation of incredible content creators be experimenting today? TikTok!
In partnership with TikTok, we discovered a niche where colorful self-expression and appreciation of high-end content was flourishing: #FilmTok.
SweeTARTS saw an opportunity to tie into this widespread cultural norm and reward those trying to elevate social content not just by posting TikToks, but by pushing the creative envelope to construct short films that capture their authentic, multi-dimensional, self-expression of individuality.
The SweeTARTS Film Fest on TikTok aimed to build an authentic connection with our core Gen Z audience and provide a platform to fuel their authentic self-expression, while injecting the brand into culture and driving reach of SweeTARTS messaging.
In order to create authentic connections with the SweeTARTS audience, we drew on our insights and reimagined what a “film festival” could be for a new generation of aspiring digital creators and filmmakers. In doing so, we created a valuable cultural inflection point where SweeTARTS could celebrate its core values and amplify its cultural relevance to that Gen Z target – something that could only be achieved on social.
TikTok’s beta Branded Mission product was the conduit for us to create the first ever branded film festival on TikTok: “SweeTARTS Film Fest on TikTok”—where 4 grand prizes winners could win $25,000 across 4 short film categories:
Best Expression of Be Both
Best Colorful Creation
Best Use of Visual Effects
Best Story Time
These 4 unique categories leaned into native TikTok platform trends as well as core parts of the SweeTARTS brand identity.
We started by enlisting a Gen Z superstar—actor/director/TikToker: Xóchitl Gómez (Marvel’s Dr. Strange fame) to host this first ever branded film festival on TikTok.
Through Xóchitl’s handle (2M+ followers) we launched the festival with a call to action for creators to submit their best films.
Over the next 4 weeks of the festival, we leveraged 4 additional talented TikTok creators to each post an example video for their respective category and rally Gen Z to submit their own videos to the contest. Rather than a simple Hashtag Challenge, each of these categories harnessed TikTok’s new “Branded Mission” ad product, allowing us to Boost submissions submitted by high value creators with more than 1,000 followers, thus driving even more enthusiasm and fueling everyday creators.
We then developed an inventive retargeting strategy with a custom influencer asset shown only to users who had previously engaged with the festival in order to reiterate the cash prizes and submission deadlines. (This solution was driven by the fact that TikTok’s beta product otherwise prevented us from seeding this program with any incentive messaging.)
The festival culminated with an award ceremony on TikTok Live. We built a SweeTARTS branded set at the TikTok studios, and Xóchitl announced the winners with thousands tuning in. We shared the winners' authentic reactions as they learned the news, capping off the program with a deeply human element which captured the impact the prize money would have on the lives of the next generation of creator-recipients.
The SweeTARTS Film Fest, executed on TikTok (a platform that over indexes with Gen Z) generated nearly 3,000 unique TikTok films from everyday creators showcasing their talents, authenticity, and individuality, ultimately fueling their creativity. The campaign drove mass awareness garnering 607.5MM impressions across Paid and Earned (52% above our goal) and 9M+ engagements on boosted UGC videos. Key placements across top-tier media like Variety and The Drum fueled the story to a relevant audience. Lastly, lifts in Ad Recall were 65% above Kantar Brand Lift Benchmarks illustrating that the SweeTARTS Film Fest resonated with our core audience, stood out on TikTok, and were culturally relevant.
