Creative That Converts

TikTok

TikTok has quickly become the #2 paid social platform behind Facebook. But creatively, it’s a much different beast. In this post, we showcase some recent TikTok ads we’ve made that have performed well and also a few ads from other brands that really caught our attention.

Take a look below to get some insights for your own campaigns!

HOLDEN

This ad we made for HOLDEN  is like a blog post in 15-seconds. It teaches you something and has a clear next step.

It starts with a question, which is a good hook for the right target market.

It then goes through and demonstrates how a ring should fit properly.

It ends with a call to action of using a ring sizer which we’re using as lead gen to then sell HOLDEN’s wedding rings.

So I guess there are two takeaways from this ad:
1.) Test running an ad that teaches something
2.) If you have a higher-priced product, what is an inexpensive, physical product you can use for lead generation?

Grab a ring sizer from hiholden.com to figure out your size.

Splendid Spoon

This ad we created for Splendid Spoon is a perfect way to generate a TikTok feel without running into copyright issues. The original TikTok robot is copyrighted, and the owner actually sued TikTok over it last year. Now, is it likely that they will come after little, old you? No. But is it worth the risk? Definitely not. We were able to identify a copyright-free text-to-voice generator to use within this ad in order to tap into the TikTok feel. It’s clearly not the original sound, so it loses a little something, but it’s close.

Have healthy, plant-based meals delivered straight to your doorstep from splendidspoon.com.

Wandering Bear

This ad we made for Wandering Bear demonstrates how a green screen overlay can capture someone’s attention in a fraction of a millisecond.

This ad grabs the right people’s attention by immediately calling out “cold brew” at the top, in the caption and in the audio.

We aren’t trying to convert new people to cold brew with this one. If you are a cold brew drinker, we’re trying to convert you to Wandering Bear.

The two main components of this style are: (1) the person, and (2) the background.

1.) How do we get these UGC-style overlay videos?
– ask customers
– find TikTokers already posting about you
– search for creators on the TikTok Creator Marketplace
– get people on your team, like we did here (great job, Sharon!)

2.) For the background, there are a lot of variations we can test from here:
– screen recording of the website
– a more native photo
– a native video
– a 101 ad or other ad you’ve already made

You don’t even need to be running TikTok ads for this concept. It can also be run on FB/IG feed and Story.

Regular coffee not hitting the same? Try a box of extra strength cold brew from wanderingbearcoffee.com.

Fly By Jing

(not our client)

Fly By Jing’s ad really highlights the power of sound and ASMR. TikTok is changing audio preference on social, but the best part of this ad is that it’s as compelling with the sound on as it is with the sound off. Gooey, flavorful noodles that are impossible to scroll past. You’ve heard the adage, “Nobody wants a drill bit, they want a hole.” Well, I’m amending that to, “Nobody wants hot sauce, they want a 🔥  meal”.

After that drool-worthy opening shot, they cut to a little ASMR walk-through. Quick edits with sounds of clanking, pantries opening, water pouring, etc. are what you’re after.

If you can’t stop drooling after that ad, pick up a jar of Sichuan Chili Crisp to douse over your own noods from flybyjing.com.

Javy

(not our client)

Javy’s ad is a great example of a conversion-based ad and had a very high 6-second view rate.

It’s an example of a UGC-style ad, without showing someone’s face. This can usually be a big barrier to getting content because most people are self-conscious and don’t want to be on camera. But shots like this are super effective and don’t require someone showing their face.

The video walks you through the routine of how they use the product. With the quick cuts and different scenes, it holds your attention vs. someone talking straight to the camera for the whole time.

Instantly craft any style coffee you want in seconds with javycoffee.com.

MUD/WTR

(not our client)

MUD/WTR spends the entire first half of this ad talking about their competition aka why coffee is bad. Their product isn’t mentioned at all in the first 16 seconds. That’s smart because .0001% of people know what MUD/WTR is but 100% of people know what coffee is. So they attack Goliath and all of the reasons you should consider an alternative. AND then, they introduce their product as that alternative.

Rather than positioning them against direct competitors, the ad is positioning against the consumer’s current behavior. Spinning “Us vs. Them” into “Old way vs. New way” is a powerful way to suggest your product as the better option, without ruffling any feathers.  Show how your product is the answer to moving forward, the key to improving their current situation. 

Looking to break up with coffee? Try an organic alternative with mudwtr.com.

Panera Bread

(not our client)

The good news is that the very recognizable text-to-talk TikTok voice is officially cleared for commercial use (it used to be copyrighted). The biggest takeaway here is that on TikTok you have the latitude to get a little more weird than usual.

While this wouldn’t translate to FB or IG at all, this feels right at home in the wild world of TikTok. You have to be willing to step outside your brand box to execute something like this.

People aren’t expecting perfectly curated aesthetics on this platform in the same way they are for FB/IG.

How can you meet your customers where they are, when scrolling through their TikTok feed? Can you challenge yourselves to get a little weird? And if YES, what does weird look like for your brand?

Order the new chicken sandwich that is worth AAAAAAaaAaAAA-ing about from panerabread.com.

STILL CURIOUS?

We thought this was a fun way to show off some of the cool stuff our creative department is doing without giving away the full strategy secrets. So while I’ve drastically simplified the intention and strategy behind each asset above, I hope these were still entertaining (and maybe even a bit inspiring?) to play through.

If you would like to see more ad examples like the ones above, subscribe to our daily email list to receive ideas to inspire your creative every weekday: