How TikTok is leading the new era of creative direction for TV ads
With Gen Z’s broadcast TV consumption down by two thirds in a decade, and marketing budgets squeezed, TV ads need to adapt and work harder than ever.
Fifty-three minutes. That’s precisely how much broadcast TV 16- to 24-year-olds watch daily now on average, according to Ofcom, versus the three hours spent on social media.
For brands targeting this younger demographic, it begs the question why we’re still referring to TV commercials (TVCs) at all. We know broadcast TV is the least suitable format for reaching the ever more social media-obsessed consumer. That said, video remains king: 66% of us would rather learn about a product or service via video, but creative direction on TVCs is rapidly being led by the latest TikTok trends, turning its back on broadcast TV placements to instead dominate video-on-demand (VOD) and video display.
With this, traditional agency silos have been blown wide open. The ‘ad agency leads, everyone else follows’ approach is a dying formula set to restrict creativity and drain marketing budgets. With the younger generation making the majority of their purchases via advertising seen on TikTok and Instagram – the #tiktokmademebuyit hashtag has a mind-blowing 49.7 billion views on TikTok – those closest to understanding the digital landscape can also be best placed to advise on the most impactful creative. The winning agencies future-proofing their wares are embracing the merging marketing world.
Gen Z-targeted brands are increasingly taking their ‘TVC’ briefs not to traditional ad agencies, but to creative content agencies specialising in social and digital media. With social media dominant in user-generated content, creative needs to work hard to both feel authentic in the space yet stand out amongst the noise. The prolific #GRWM hashtag – where creators invite users to ‘get ready with me’ – has over 74 billion views on TikTok, so it’s a popular starting place for brand creatives.
Creative consolidation
Creative content agency re:act manages the always-on content, organic and paid, for a raft of renowned UK beauty and grooming brands, allowing the agency to understand the audience’s needs in detail. Critically, it enables pinpoint identification of their media consumption and attitudes towards product advertising, all of which become crucial in informing TVC strategies.
Tom Stone, managing partner at re:act, comments: “As a creative content agency, the heart of everything we do comes from knowing our client’s audience better than anyone. For example, our work with Batiste has seen us create and run the Batiste Leave-In Dry Conditioner launch TVC across social.
“It was important that the content was shot in a way that would resonate with the audiences on these platforms. The 180-degree transformational ta-da moment was specifically shot in this style as we knew it would work on TikTok, along with the fast-paced transitions. We don’t stick to agency silos here, we blur whatever lines are needed to ensure our clients get the best campaigns to match their brief, and maximise their investment in the initial creative.”
Sonila Troka, director of UK marketing at Church and Dwight, who is leading on the Batiste Leave-In Dry Conditioner launch, comments: “As the UK’s number one Dry Shampoo, we knew launching our leave-in Dry Conditioner was huge news to our loyal beauty-addict consumers. We needed the TVC brief to be in the hands of digital and social experts first and foremost, knowing that is the media our audience are consuming over and above everything else. Harnessing a social-first approach to the TVC ensured trend-led relevance for our Gen Z target.”
With cost-efficiency front of mind for so many marketing managers, creative consolidation maximises investment and can offer a more seamless brand experience for the consumer. TVC’s are being re-imagined to work across their social media counterparts.
Maybe TTCs (TikTok commercials) will replace TVCs in our not-so-distant future.
Tom Stone is managing partner of re:act
Creating moments that matter for your consumer is key to generating digital penetration for your brand. For creative content that cuts through to your desired ‘bullseye’, at any point of the digital ecosystem, visit re:act
