TikTok sponsored Carnival parties in key Brazilian cities (Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, and Salvador), featuring its own floats. To showcase the platform's utility to non-users and integrate digital and physical festivities, TikTok introduced TikTok Coins at Carnival. This initiative repurposed TikTok LIVE digital gifts into valid currency for transactions at livestreams hosted by street vendors, enhancing the cultural celebration in real life.

Objectives:

1. Create an exclusive experience at TikTok-sponsored floats, reinforcing the platform's utility to both users and non-users.

2. Enhance Engagement: Bridge the gap between digital content and real-world experiences, fostering a more integrated Carnival.

3. Support Local Economy: Utilize TikTok Coins to facilitate transactions, directly benefiting local vendors and attendees.

4. Promote Digital Innovation: Showcase digital platforms' potential to enrich traditional events, setting a new standard for interactive participation in cultural gatherings.

The Brazilian Carnival is a cultural extravaganza, but attendees face safety concerns due to the prevalence of theft, particularly with traditional payment methods. This insight underscores the need for a secure alternative to enhance the party experience.

TikTok aimed to address safety concerns while fostering community engagement during Brazilian Carnival. By introducing "TikTok Coins," the intention was to provide a secure, innovative payment method that not only mitigates theft risks but also amplifies the celebratory atmosphere.

Leveraging TikTok's existing digital infrastructure, "TikTok Coins" seamlessly integrated the platform's virtual gifting feature into real-world transactions. This adaptation showcased TikTok's versatility, transforming virtual interactions into tangible experiences, and highlighting its potential beyond social entertainment to facilitate practical solutions in real-world scenarios.

TikTok strategically sponsored the Brazilian Carnival, leveraging its cultural significance to engage both current and potential users. By extending the utility of TikTok LIVE gifts beyond virtual spaces, the platform aimed to enhance their real-world value and applicability during the festivities.

Integrating TikTok LIVE gifts into the Carnival experience facilitated seamless transactions for beverages through livestreams hosted by street vendors, supporting local economies and reinforcing TikTok's relevance in daily life. This innovative approach not only connected TikTok's global revenue stream with Brazil's cultural celebration but also enhanced user interaction across demographics, both locally and globally.

The initiative effectively embedded TikTok into culturally significant real-world events, strengthening its position as a versatile platform that transcends digital boundaries.

Exclusive experiences were created on the street floats sponsored by TikTok, attracting millions to the streets. Calculations were meticulously conducted to convert beverage prices at the event into proportional virtual gifts, ensuring seamless integration between digital and real-world transactions. Street vendors were trained to initiate their live streams on TikTok and track received gifts effectively. Three street floats, attended by over 2 million people each, served as primary locations for the initiative. No systemic alterations were required within the TikTok app; rather, a differentiated use of the existing tool added tangible value to real-life experiences, showcasing the platform's versatility in enhancing user engagement beyond digital realms.

Over the course of 6 weeks between ideation and execution, our teams prototyped the use of the tool, got permits in 3 cities, trained vendors, supported the production of signage and menus to create consistency and launched during a week of festivities.

• +27.3K gifts used in livestreams

• 12% of sales were made using TikTok Coins

• +2M people on IRL activations

• +15M people impacted by livestreams

• +5K comments on social media, +80% positive

• Active Consumer Unique Views grew by approximately +103% during carnival activation (YoY growth)

• LIVE Revenue growth +106% during carnival activation (period over period)