With 79 billion views in three years, #CleanTokTM wasn't just a trend; it symbolised a cultural shift towards embracing home cleaning as self-care. Before social media, cleaning tips came from parents; now, they're from creators.

The opportunity was huge. But we knew a traditional cleaning product campaign wouldn’t cut it. We couldn’t treat TikTok as a sales platform; it was a gateway to a passionate community. A major change from Unilever’s usual TV broadcast-led approach.

Trust in brands skyrockets by 58% when discovered through creators' content but for an established brand, handing creative control to content creators was a huge step.

TikTok was open to a unique partnership, driven by a shared goal of celebrating the #CleanTokTM community, and co-creating the content they love. By engaging in two-way dialogue, we could position Unilever Home Care brands as catalysts for extraordinary moments while gaining insights from users' cleaning hacks.

Funny, creative, authentic, anarchic — not typically associated with cleaning products but key to reaching the #CleanTokTM community. So we took a daring step: handing over to content creators and exploding out authentic trends. A radical move for a major brand, but essential for resonance.

We worked with Sam Cotton, TikTok sensation and animator. He produced "Dirty Deeds," a 5-part series injecting Unilever products into a soap opera (gettit?). Broadcast across 10 markets in 10 languages.

Teaming up with over 350 top-tier creators, we allowed creators to seamlessly blend our products into their content, from emphasising family values in the Philippines, hacks and ASMR-focussed content in the UK, and dads getting involved in chores in France, everything was tailored to each market.

Over 500 digital assets emerged, each reflecting the diverse spirit of #CleanTokTM and tapping into micro-trends like the 'Sunday / weekend reset,' distinctive hacks, deep cleans and ASMRs.

While Gen Z was central to our target, we aimed for broad appeal (AA18-54), recognising #CleanTok's power in democratising cleaning. Home cleaning ads are no longer about targeting the traditional female audience with images of pristine homes; they’re a conversation with an engaged audience and the messier the better.

Expanding our reach meant tapping into #CleanTokTM Creator trends and insights. #CleanTokTM became a multifaceted partnership, seamlessly blending Unilever products with organic creator content—tips, hacks, deep cleans and ASMR—all tailored to platform norms. Creators became product testers, sharing real-life transformations and sparking community engagement. The campaign also tapped into cultural insights already existing on platform such as the #CleanTokTM staple Sunday / weekend Reset.

But we didn't stop there. We celebrated #CleanTokTM best with our own awards, a key organic highlight of the campaign that amplified and celebrated community talent in categories like 'Most Helpful Hack' and 'Most Satisfying ASMR'.

Although the creators were the heroes, our campaign was meticulously structured around awareness, education, and conversion. Running from June 2023 to January 2024 across 10 markets, we employed a mix of strategies—from reach-driving Top Feed buys to Video Views campaigns— culminating with the TikTok Shop to spur conversion.

Staying true to the platform, we utilised Spark Ads across our awareness and consideration phases, spotlighting influencer handles and bespoke 'Cleanipedia' TikTok pages for every market integrated into TikTok search. This approach fostered organic placements and in-app integrations. We created editorial hubs and search banners to amplify Unilever x #CleanTokTM content.

Strategic partnerships extended our reach with IP activations across 10 markets with the UK's Asda and Turkey's Migros supermarkets featuring QR codes in-store, guiding consumers to Cleanipedia.

Weekly check-ins allowed us to fine-tune our approach, leveraging successful creative elements for optimal performance in POE strategy and sharing learnings across markets.

● #CleanTokTM views rose +77.4%, from 63 billion in January 2023 to 110 billion in January 2024.

● UK store activation campaign grew UL HC share 446.9 bbps across the activation

● We generated over 3 billion earned impressions alongside 16 billion paid impressions.

● #CleanTokTM continues to surpass other tentpole hashtags such as #BeautyTok (78.6 billion views).

● The #CleanTokTM awards attracted over one million votes, surpassing other major tentpole awards such as #BookTok in traffic, voting, and video views.

● The Cleanipedia brand accounts gained over 406,000 followers during the campaign.

● 60% of our markets outperformed TikTok CPG benchmarks in key media metrics across France, the Netherlands, the UK, Vietnam, Thailand, and the Philippines.

● Cleanipedia is swiftly becoming the most followed Unilever account on TikTok, with a monthly growth rate of 30%.

Perhaps most importantly, we celebrated the #CleanTokTM community and shared our love of homecare.