We set out to turn a locally made snack into locally made content.
The objective of the campaign was to shift Bugles from a brand-led idea into a community-owned one. While creators helped launch the behaviour, the real ambition was to design a format that everyday TikTok users would want to join, adapt, and keep alive.
The idea invited people to show how they crunch Bugles, not by copying brand content, but by remixing the snack itself. Some experimented with flavours. Others cooked with it. Others turned the crunch into humour, performance, or family moments. Bugles stayed central, but the expression belonged to the audience.
By pairing an original Arabic crunch sound with a recognisable participation format, the campaign lowered the barrier to entry while encouraging variation. The goal was to generate large-scale, authentic UGC that strengthened Bugles’ social presence in Saudi Arabia and reflected local creativity around a locally made product.
Success would be defined by the volume, diversity, and longevity of user content, alongside positive sentiment and engagement driven by the community rather than the brand.
UGC was not the outcome. It was the engine.
From the outset, How I Crunch It was designed to invite participation at scale. Every element was built to help users understand the behaviour quickly and make it their own.
At the centre was an original Arabic sound created from the Bugles crunch. The sound acted as a creative cue rather than a message, signalling how users could join in without over-directing them. Participants were invited to open a pack of Bugles, remix it through unexpected combinations or dishes, sync crunches to the track, and finish with the iconic Bugles-on-fingertips moment.
Creators introduced the format, but UGC gave it momentum. Once users saw how flexible the idea was, participation spread organically across TikTok. Bugles began appearing in Saudi kitchens, home recipes, and playful experiments, with users adapting the snack into local flavours and personal creations. The consistent sound and ending kept the trend recognisable, while the open middle encouraged variety.
TikTok Branded Missions and native placements helped seed early traction, but user content quickly became the dominant driver of reach and engagement. Importantly, participation was not incentivised. People joined because the idea felt playful, social, and culturally relevant.
The challenge was avoiding repetition. This was addressed by balancing structure with creative freedom. The crunch anchored the trend. The community kept it moving.
The community did not just participate. They sustained it.
The campaign generated 44 million views, with 30 percent driven organically, alongside 688K plus engagements. User-generated content played a central role in sustaining momentum, with the campaign sound used in over 240 UGC videos and inspiring more than 170 organic remixes.
Engagement remained strong throughout the campaign, with view-through rates reaching 35 percent during Saudi National Day and averaging 17 percent overall. Positive sentiment reached 91.6 percent, reflecting strong cultural connection.
Beyond platform metrics, the scale and creativity of UGC contributed to a 65 percent increase in eCommerce sales. The campaign also led to the creation of the Bugles Recipe Archive, extending participation beyond TikTok and turning community creativity into a lasting brand asset.
By inviting people to adapt a locally made snack into local flavours and content, the campaign demonstrates how UGC can drive relevance, engagement, and measurable impact.
