Why you should use TikTok [as] a branding platform

What´s up with Adult Swim [as] and why is it important?

If you´re a millennial and have been scrolling through TikTok the last couple of days, chances are you have already seen this trend. If not, you will now. The brand of our (millennials/Gen Z) childhood has not been top of mind for any of us for some time now. Some of us, or maybe most of us, have been watching “Rick and Morty” — which is an Adult Swim creation, but none of their other “in-house” shows have really hit a mainstream audience. That doesn´t mean that their shows aren´t great, of course.

But why are [as] blowing up on TikTok?
Over the last couple of days, #adultswim has reached an astonishing 1 BILLION views on TikTok. The TikTok trend is based on the original Adult Swim bumps we used to see between commercials back in the golden days. Short, raw, and authentic videos ending with [as] or [adult swim] and combined with the power of TikTok music you have an amazing branding campaign.

Adult Swim didn´t start the trend, but the follow-up and follow-through are effing amazing. A user named VANO3000 produced the catchy, vibey beat which now has been used in over 166 000 TikToks. And it fits [as] just perfect. If you take a look at some of the best bumps from Adult Swim, here´s a link, you can see the similarities and hear the music. Adult Swim picked up the trend pretty early, which means more engagement with and from the brand. That, in turn, means more TikToks with the [as] branding and even more traffic to their shows.

How did Adult Swim pick the trend up and what did they do to enhance brand engagement?
Adult Swim took some of their favorite TikToks and put them on their Instagram and shared them with their 2,1 million followers. The caption? “Real recognize real”. They also tagged the creator of the song. Real recognize real. One day later, Adult Swim created their own bumper and put it on TikTok and Instagram. It now has 13 million views and 2,6 million likes. Adult Swim is also engaging with the audience and commenting on TikTok. Beautifully done.

Why is it so good?!
It´s on the right platform, the music is really, really good and it´s nostalgic. It really hits home for millennials and (early?) gen z, which there is a lot of on TikTok. Adult Swim deserves all the praise for their consistent branding and amazing bumps in the past, which in itself is a part of the existential crisis that is Millenials. I´m just so pumped for this trend. It brings back so many memories, the timing is amazing and the brand contribution is just mwah *chef´s kiss*. Please let this trend live for a bit longer, and please make a contribution.

“Don´t forget to take your birth control. Otherwise, you´ll be stuck watching Cartoon Network instead. [adult swim]”

Here are some of my favorites. Enjoy the nostalgia! https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMd1S6fJN/
https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMd1SM7dL/
https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMd1SL2Us/
https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMd1S6aoQ/
https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMd1S6N2W/

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-Alexander Johannessen