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Advertising On TikTok – Top UK and USA TikTok Brand Examples

Advertising on TikTok - Top UK & USA TikTok Brand Examples

TikTok has taken the social media world by storm. The short-form, video-sharing app has become a global phenomenon with users spending an average of 89 minutes per day in-platform. This has made TikTok a key platform for brands to reach young, social media-savvy audiences. Globally, the app boasts over 1 billion monthly active users. UK and USA users account for over 89 million of them. With such a large and engaged user base, TikTok is quickly becoming one of the most popular platforms for brands to advertise on. If you need inspiration for your next campaign, check out our top TikTok brand examples from the UK and USA. We’ve rounded up some creative and successful TikTok marketing campaigns from brands such as Fenty Beauty, Xbox, and Gucci. We’ll also give you some top tips on how to make your TikTok ads stand out from the crowd.

How Do Brands Use TikTok?

Many social media platforms come and go. TikTok, however, has well and truly cemented its place as a key player in the social media landscape. Advertisers are flocking to grab a piece of the TikTok pie. The goal? To get their brand in front of TikTok’s highly engaged and influential user base. But don’t just rush to create your first TikTok campaign. It’s worth taking a minute to understand how TikTok works and what kind of content performs well on the platform.

TikTok is a unique ecosystem. The platform has its very own community subcultures, trends, influencers and even language. Brands that have gotten it right on TikTok have taken the time to create content designed specifically for the platform. That’s because trying to repurpose or transplant a campaign from another social media platform onto TikTok isn’t an optimal approach.

Gen Z TikTok users are incredibly savvy when it comes to advertising. They can spot brands that are trying too hard to be cool or relevant and aren’t afraid to call it out. This means a few things for brands. They must learn the TikTok lingo, understand the trends, and not try to force themselves into campaigns they don’t fit.

If you’re looking for guidance on how to start your campaign, House of Marketers can help. Our team of TikTok experts specialise in creating tailored TikTok marketing strategies. Our team fully manages influencer marketing and paid media campaigns for the most promising startups, SMEs and global co-orperations worldwide.

With that said, let’s take a look at some of the top TikTok brand examples from the UK and USA.

TikTok Brand Examples - Black Lady Smiling On Camera

14 TikTok Brand Examples That Got It Right

1. Fenty Beauty on TikTok

Fenty Beauty, the makeup brand created by Rihanna, is no stranger to TikTok. An early brand entry to the platform, Fenty Beauty has built a strong TikTok presence. They’ve used a mix of influencer content, creative hashtag challenges and original TikToks featuring their products. But it was Fenty Beauty’s ability to quickly pivot their early 2020 #fentybeautyhouse campaign which really set them apart. Before the pandemic reached the public consciousness, Fenty Beauty intended to house several prominent TikTok influencers in an LA-based mansion. The goal was to create content and host TikTok challenges. But as the pandemic took hold, Fenty Beauty quickly adapted its plans, instructing influencers to create and collaborate remotely instead.

Despite the closure of the house, creators still managed to amass over 95 million views on the #fentybeautyhouse hashtag. Influencers included prominent TikTok beauty gurus such as @savpalacio and @challxn. They’re known for their witty, relatable, and often quirky on-trend content. These types of creators cemented Fenty Beauty’s place at the forefront of TikTok’s Beauty community. It helped the brand grow its TikTok following to over 1.3 million followers.

“It’s not about creating content for Instagram and then posting it on this platform. It’s about really using the power of this particular channel and sharing real content that will resonate specifically on TikTok.” – Tressie Lieberman, Vice President of Digital Marketing & Off-Premise at Chipotle

2. Chipotle TikTok Campaigns

American fast-food chain Chipotle is perhaps one of the most in-touch TikTok brand examples out there. When they noticed that their brand name was getting frequent mentions on TikTok, they decided to lean into it. Chipotle’s marketing department employs a team of “culture hunters”, whose sole job is to keep their finger on the pulse. They look for opportunities to reach and engage people with their brand online. So, when they decided to launch a TikTok campaign, they knew exactly what TikTok users wanted from them — and delivered.

“TikTok is a big part of the conversation right now, and we’re seeing more people join in,” said Tressie Lieberman, Vice President of Digital Marketing & Off-Premise at Chipotle. “Bringing through our human side as a brand works really well for us. You don’t want to show up and feel like an advertiser. It’s not about creating content for Instagram and then posting it on this platform. It’s about really using the power of this particular channel and sharing real content that will resonate specifically on TikTok.”

Leading with this approach, Chipotle created a TikTok #GuacDance challenge. It encouraged fans of the avocado-based dip to create a dance that showed their love of avocados. In just six days, this simple challenge led to the submission of over 250,000 videos. This campaign ended up being one of the platform’s highest-performing US-based branded challenges. And it translated to real returns for Chipotle Mexican Grill. The brand saw its digital sales jump by nearly double in 2019.

Chipotle continues to churn out relatable and high-converting TikTok content. They partner with influencers like Afghan-American lifestyle vlogger @zahra and food-loving mukbang creator @slothgirl__. They drive interest among targeted audiences by sharing things like “Chipotle hacks” with their vast number of followers.

@zahra new @chipotle hack for u guys! >:) #chipotle #fyp #guacmode #ad ♬ original sound – zahra

3. Gymshark on TikTok

Sportswear and lifestyle brand Gymshark has TikTok firmly in its sights as a key platform for growth. Gymshark’s founder, Ben Francis is know for growing the company into a $100 million revenue business in just 7 short years. With over 5.6 billion hashtags and 3.5 million followers, Gymshark is the platform’s second most popular sportswear brand. The only brand ahead of them is apparel mega-giant Nike. For such a young brand (Gymshark was only founded in 2012), this kind of social media success is unprecedented. Their mastery of TikTok can be largely attributed to the company’s focus on inclusivity and ability to quickly adapt its marketing strategy to fit the platform’s ever-changing algorithm. “Young people only want to buy community-led brands that align with their values,” says Ben Francis, Gymshark’s youthful founder. “We are a community that also happens to sell things.” Perhaps this approach is what makes Gymshark and Tiktok the perfect match. TikTok is, after all, a platform built on community and connection.

In 2019, Gymshark created the 66 Days | Change Your Life challenge. It led to the creation of masses of user generated content (UGC) under the related #gymshark66 hashtag. They’ve since been involved with prominent TikTok fitness influencers like the Wilking Sisters to continue engaging their target demographic.

4. Red Bull TikTok Campaigns

The popular energy drink, sports and entertainment media brand, Red Bull has always had a savvy marketing team and naturally has to be on the list of top TikTok brand examples. So it’s no surprise they embraced TikTok as a new way to reach their target demographic of “the young and the restless.” In 2020, they launched their annual Red Bull Dance Your Style competition solely on TikTok. The goal was to find the world’s best-undiscovered street dancers. It was a huge success as their branded hashtag #RedBullDanceYourStyle gathered over 7 billion video views.

This campaign tapped into two elements that work extremely well on TikTok — dancing and competitions. Users love a challenge, and if you can make it entertaining and engaging, you’re sure to succeed on the platform. TikTok dance extraordinaires such as @davidjrx have since competed in the competition. This has helped spread the word about Red Bull’s TikTok presence in the dance world even further.

5. Bumble on TikTok

Bumble is a dating and networking app that attributes its TikTok success to a focus on community building and empowerment. Their branded hashtag, #datewithbetteranswers, encouraged users to share their true authentic selves with potential dates. The goal was to capitalise on their newfound interests and hobbies acquired during the pandemic lockdowns.

This branded hashtag campaign was spearheaded by influencers like @thegrubworkskitchen and @oliviaraeweedall. Soon thereafter, it gathered over 3.1 million views. Bumble’s presence on the platform has led to a surge in new users and as of 2020. They claim a 19% share of the US dating app scene. The brand’s profile continues to engage with its community by asking questions like “when is the best time for your partner to meet your parents?” and “how should you deal with a break-up?”.

@thegrubworkskitchen AD | Ive teamed up with @Bumble & @TikTok to show you how to impress your date with this coconut prawns recipe #DateWithBetterQuestions #Learnontiktok ♬ FEEL THE GROOVE – Queens Road, Fabian Graetz

6. Rimmel London TikTok Campaigns

British makeup brand Rimmel London has found a place on TikTok by partnering with some popular content creators. In 2021, they partnered with talent/ modelling agency Storm Management to locate the UK’s next big fashion and beauty creator. This unique campaign encouraged users to engage with the branded Rimmel effect. The goal was to create their own content in line with different challenges and themes over the course of three weeks.

“Rimmel London strives to support self-expression and the TikTok community leads the way for content creators to inspire consumers and reinforce the relevance of our much-loved and category-leading brand,” said Ian McCarthy, VP of Marketing UKI for Rimmel London. The campaign winner was British content creator @caeliya who secured a 12-month contract with Rimmel London. She has now joined the Storm books as a model.

Rimmel continues to partner with TikTok influencers to launch products and promote their brand. In 2022, they partnered with Irish Gen Z influencer @olivianeil to promote the launch of their Thrill Seeker mascara.

7. UEFA on TikTok

TikTok became one of the official sponsors of the UEFA EURO 2020 tournament. It was the first time a large social media platform had sponsored such an event. To celebrate this giant partnership, the platform launched a range of AR effects, Hashtag Challenges, TikTok LIVEs, and Sounds. This allowed the football-loving community to create and share organic content around the event. Building on this success, TikTok and UEFA then paired up again for the UEFA Women’s Euro 2022.

“With the TikTok football community ever-growing with teams, fans, creators, and associations, we are looking forward to showcasing this summer’s premiere sporting event featuring some of the greatest women’s footballers in the world through unique, creative, and engaging content. It’s an exciting time to be a football fan,” said Guy-Laurent Epstein, marketing director of UEFA. The hashtag #weuro2022 currently has over 206 million views on TikTok. Professional footballers and fellow TikTok users like @bethmead_ are also getting involved in the conversation.

8. Cash App TikTok Campaigns

If there was ever a perfect example of how to use influencer marketing to achieve incredible growth, it’s Cash App. The peer-to-peer mobile payment service used TikTok influencers to normalise its product and is one of the best TikTok brand examples out there. This led to a 60% year-on-year new customer increase over three years and $1.1 billion growth in net annual revenue. How did they do it? An influencer and a hit song, of course.

TikTok user and content creator @theshiggyshow wrote a catchy song about the money-sending app and released it on Soundcloud. This spontaneous content excited the Cash App team and they decided to formally partner with Shiggy. The result was a marketing campaign in which users could create their own interpretations of his hit song. It led to 9,400 original videos bringing in 156 million views.

@theshiggyshow When It’s Your Money And You Need If Now 😂😂😂😂 #cashappthatmoney #cashapppartner #foryou ♬ Cash App – Shiggy

9. Natwest on TikTok

British high street bank Natwest is facing an uphill battle in the race to capture the Gen Z market. Natwest is being proactive before their target audience gets snatched up by digital-only brands like Monzo, Starling, and Revolut. TikTok offers a huge opportunity for the brand to connect with this audience in a fun and relatable way. TikTok user and content creator @mimidarlingbeauty became a Natwest ambassador in early 2022. She has been sharing TikToks discussing financial challenges, money mindsets, and how to manage your finances.

Known for her raw and authentic content, Mimi is very public about her struggles with a speech impediment. She has used TikTok to open up about her journey to self-acceptance. Her authenticity makes her the ideal TikTok influencer to spearhead Natwest’s Tomorrow Begins Today campaign. It encourages young people to start taking baby steps to plan for their financial future.

10. Fortnite TikTok Campaigns

If TikTok is the social media platform of teens and tweens, Fortnite is their gaming home. It’s not surprising that the two have teamed up on several occasions to create marketing magic, making Fortnite one of the best TikTok brand examples. In 2020, Fortnite creators Epic Games, announced they would be launching the Emote Royal Contest on TikTok. As part of it, TikTok users could create their own Fortnite emote. The winner would have their dance moves made into an in-game emote that would be available to all players.

TikTok user and content creator @michaelmejeh created the winning moves. This saw him receive 25,000 V-Bucks and a Fortnite VIP giveaway package. The #emoteroyalcontest proved such a success that Epic decided to launch a second contest in 2022. This clever campaign proved the perfect way to encourage TikTok’s Fortnite-friendly user base to increase their in-app activity engagement.

11. Xbox on TikTok

When Xbox released their Series S console they knew that the emerging younger generation was their target audience. The more affordable console was designed for a new generation of gamers who are used to playing on their phones. As such, TikTok was the perfect platform to reach them.

Xbox is a huge company so naturally, they decided to partner up with one of the biggest TikTok influencers in the world — @khaby.lame. Khaby’s unique content relies on his simple facial expressions and signature shrug (with zero dialogue). So, it made sense for him to be the one to promote their “Simply Next Gen” console. In classic Khaby-style content, the ad shows him reacting to a fort-building fail video playing side by side with his nonchalant shrug. It then cuts to him playing Fortnite on his Series S console. This simple campaign ticked all the boxes for Xbox — creative, on-brand, and perfectly targeted to their target demographic.

@khaby.lame Guys!! Don’t overcomplicate it. Learn from Khaby and play next gen games on #learnfromkhaby #XboxSeriesS #SimplyNextGen #learnwithtiktok #adv ♬ suono originale – Khabane lame

12. Spotify TikTok Campaigns

Social music streaming app, Spotify has grown leaps and bounds in recent years. It has cemented its place as the go-to platform for music lovers. But while the app is hugely successful, it has failed so far to capture the elusive Gen Z market. Spotify knows TikTok is key to reaching this demographic and has been working hard to make inroads into its community.

Spotify UK teamed up with British TikToker @nellarose to create a TikTok series titled #spotifysmalltalks. Here Nella interviews artists about their music and career journey. The series has been a huge success. Nella’s relatable interview-style has helped Spotify connect with her engaged Gen Z TikTok followers.

The hashtag #spotifysmalltalks has had over 20 million views and counting. This proves that Spotify’s TikTok strategy is definitely on the right track.

13. Gucci X Adidas on TikTok

When it comes to TikTok marketing, luxury fashion brand Gucci is definitely leading the pack. For starters, Gucci was one of the first brands to jump on the TikTok bandwagon. Since then, they’ve been consistently churning out content that is creative, on-brand, and perfectly targeted to their TikTok audience.

To promote their Adidas X Gucci collab, they teamed up with quirky mega TikToker @francis.bourgeois. Known for his “grandad chic” and love of trainspotting, this unlikely style icon was the perfect choice to model the outside-the-box collection. In a series of videos, Francis is seen modelling his new fit while scooting down a halfpipe. Filming with his typical self-facing GoPro, he later attends a launch party while donning his new Gucci threads.

@gucci The possibilities are endless #adidasxGucci @Francis Bourgeois #AlessandroMichele ♬ suono originale – Gucci

14. Sports Direct X PUMA TikTok Campaigns

To promote the launch of their new PUMA football shoes, Sports Direct wanted to generate some hype. They chose TikTok to create a hashtag challenge that would encourage TikTok users to submit their best football skills. The prize? The winner gets to meet with a PUMA footballer.

To raise awareness of their campaign they teamed up with British creator and football lover @ben. He promoted the hashtag #flashoffuture to his 4.6 million followers. The results? 154M+ video views and an incredible 19.59% click-through-rate. In total, 113K videos were created — demonstrating how powerful a TikTok hashtag challenge can be in generating interest and engagement.

Need Help Making a Name for Your Brand on TikTok?

If you’re struggling to come up with creative TikTok content, the TikTok brand examples above can offer some good inspiration. If you’re not sure where to even begin with a TikTok advertising strategy or need assistance at any point thereafter, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us.

Here at House of Marketers, our team of TikTok experts have the knowledge and experience to help you create content that is on-brand, engaging, and targeted to your TikTok audience. We specialise in identifying niche creators that are a good match for your brand, and then helping you produce high-quality TikTok videos that will get you the results you’re looking for.

Contact us today to find out more.


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