Our singular objective was clear: Activate the film’s 15-second promo within TikTok’s Story Selection placement in a way that felt native to the platform and highly engaging for audiences. Rather than using the format as a simple branching narrative, we leaned into the interactive nature of the placement and gamified the experience.
Focusing on a comedic beat in the film where Leonardo DiCaprio’s character frantically struggles to recall the correct code phrase to unlock critical information, we transformed the placement into a challenge. Instead of choosing between two passive story paths, users were prompted to select the “correct” code phrase themselves. This subtle shift reframed the ad from a viewing experience into a moment of playful participation, mirroring the tension and humor of the scene.
When users selected the right phrase, they were rewarded with an on-screen congratulatory message – a small but satisfying win. That instant of validation seamlessly transitioned into the film’s high-energy 15-second promo, capitalizing on engagement at its peak and driving excitement for the movie's streaming release.
This ad unit drove higher engagement than our standalone 15-second promo, achieving our goal of creating a much more active viewing experience for audiences.
