Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock for the last 12 months - which would have been understandable given the circumstances - you’ve probably heard of TikTok, even if you haven’t understood it.

But back in early 2020, TikTok’s unparalleled success was anything but guaranteed.

Throughout 2020, TikTok had to face up to intense competition (from everyone from Instagram Reels to Quibi), collapsing trust in social media, and constant political threats to its existence - all whilst building a company and a brand during a global pandemic.

This submission is the story of how TikTok overcame these immense obstacles to become a beacon of hope in dark times.

We’re proud to have partnered with TikTok to deliver a new global brand identity, a new strategy to attract content creators, as well as a new campaign idea and associated identity.

Our work has given TikTok a global brand identity and idea (‘It Starts on TikTok’) that positions the brand as the epicentre of pop culture.

We knew that the new brand needed to retain the playfulness and non-stop movement that makes TikTok magical. Hence, the creation of a visual identity that felt ‘never the same twice’ - constantly serving up the unexpected and ensuring TikTok felt as fresh, vibrant and as far from stale as TikTok’s users themselves.

The new visual identity mimics the multi-dimensionality and spontaneity of the in-app experience and places user-generated content centre-stage. In doing so, it ensures the longevity of the identity system, always celebrating the content that is most resonant with users at any given time.

This ‘never the same twice’ identity brings cohesiveness while still allowing teams creative freedom - through the choice of multiple layouts, secondary colour palettes and a flexible messaging system.

TikTok set its focus for 2020 on growing engagement with new Creators - content makers from all walks of life who are the engine of the platform’s success and who fundamentally shape the brand and its perceptions. Our challenge was to help TikTok grow in the right way - adopting the cohesiveness and sophistication you’d expect of a global cultural icon, whilst retaining the dynamism, playfulness and spontaneity that is core to their user experience.

Our work began with a simple but powerful insight: people want new and creative takes on the world around them, and a space to share and express all that they feel. From there, we defined a distinctive proposition capable of exciting prospective and existing Creators - and fending off mounting competition from copycat products. We supported this proposition with proof points centred on the three essential elements that make TikTok special: creativity, connection, and humanity.

The 'It Starts on TikTok' global launch campaign (TikTok's largest campaign to date) was timed to support TikTok's new global Creator Fund. The campaign showcased the diversity and vibrancy of TikTok’s Creators and the ‘domino effect’ that their creativity has on culture.

The campaign celebrated talent that was born on the platform - from @cheethamswithdreams, raising awareness about cerebral palsy, through to @doctor.emeka, a doctor and Nigerian Prince who creates videos about interesting medical facts and health advice, among many other talented creators.

'It Starts on TikTok' was executed in regions around the world in out-of-home, digital and print. The campaign told Creators’ stories, helping them to grow their audience and putting them in an international spotlight. It launched across 300 sites in the UK and Germany alone, including landmark spots such as London’s Piccadilly Circus and IMAX.

The bid to ban TikTok has been avoided and rivals like Quibi have fallen by the wayside.

TikTok now represents an attractive and grown-up proposition in the eyes of investors; TikTok’s value is estimated at over $50 billion. And TikTok’s global growth since 2019 has been unparalleled: the brand now has 689 million monthly users internationally vs. 500 million users in 2019.

TikTok has also attracted some big, unexpected and premium new partners like the NFL, NBA and TikTok has even become an official global sponsor of UEFA EURO 2020 - the first time a digital entertainment platform has sponsored a major international tournament for UEFA.

AdAge recently declared TikTok ‘Marketer of the Year’ 2020, noting the “sheer might the platform has for kicking off trends and unexpected cultural moments. (Cran-raspberry juice, anyone?)” Our work is a homage to this “sheer might”. As the tagline goes: “It Starts on TikTok”.