When discussing new trends in overseas marketing, TikTok is undoubtedly a core topic.

As the world’s leading short video sharing platform, TikTok has led the marketing trend with its user-generated content (UGC) strategy, building communities by precisely matching user interests, thereby driving explosive dissemination of short video content. It has won the favor of many new and old advertisers, posing a strong competitive challenge to traditional platforms like YouTube and Instagram.

5 Types of Ads Provided by TikTok

With as many as 1.2 billion monthly active users worldwide, TikTok offers advertisers five types of advertising solutions to meet the budget and goal needs of different marketers.

These include TopView Ads, Brand Takeover Ads, In-feed Ads, Branded Effects, and Branded Hashtag Challenge.

Next, Tuke will specifically talk about the innovative gameplay of the Branded Hashtag Challenge.

What is a TikTok Branded Hashtag Challenge?

The Branded Hashtag Challenge is an innovative interactive marketing method. It uses hashtags as the core medium on TikTok, inviting users to participate and create short videos related to a specific challenge.

These videos usually include a series of unique actions or tasks, effectively stimulating audience participation and encouraging them to either replicate the challenge or use their creativity to make personalized versions.

The cleverness of this challenge lies in its potential viral effect. Once the challenge is launched, it can quickly spread among users, reaching tens of thousands of viewers, with an influence far beyond the original publisher’s follower base.

According to data analysis from Mediakix, we can see that food, entertainment, beauty, and fashion brands play a major driving role in TikTok challenges, accounting for nearly 70% of the total advertising spend in this market.

Many well-known brands choose to launch challenges on TikTok as an effective way to promote products, shape brand awareness, and increase brand recognition. This strategy not only increases brand visibility but also further expands brand influence through user-generated content (UGC).

Image source: Mediakix

Below, Tuke will list some blockbuster marketing cases of brands launching challenges. Through these successful examples, we can gain insight into the huge potential of TikTok challenges as an emerging marketing strategy.

Blockbuster Marketing Cases of TikTok Branded Hashtag Challenges

1. GUESS: #InMyDenim Challenge

To promote its autumn denim collection, GUESS launched the #InMyDenim challenge, inviting users to showcase their denim outfits.

This challenge achieved remarkable results in just six days, attracting over 5,550 user-generated videos, with a total of 10.5 million views and a participation rate as high as 14.3%. GUESS’s TikTok account also gained more than 12,000 new followers, fully demonstrating the strong potential of challenges in enhancing brand awareness and user engagement.

#InMyDenim Challenge launched by GUESS

2. McDonald's: #BigMacTikTok Challenge

McDonald's launched the #BigMacTikTok challenge in the Malaysian market, encouraging users to record themselves dancing to a specific Big Mac tune.

This challenge successfully ignited social media enthusiasm, garnering over 5.9 million views on TikTok and demonstrating the brand’s strong connection with young consumers.

3. Y.O.U: #WouldYouLoveYou Challenge

On the special occasion of the Ramadan sales event, beauty brand Y.O.U launched the #WouldYouLoveYou challenge to establish a deep emotional bond with users.

In the end, the challenge concluded with an astonishing 5.5 billion views and 300,000 interactions, successfully delivering the brand message to a wide audience and effectively enhancing brand awareness and market influence.

4. Chupa Chups: #Chupalloween Challenge

Lollipop brand Chupa Chups launched the #Chupalloween challenge for Halloween, inviting users to use Halloween-themed stickers to dress up as various scary characters and create creative video content.

This challenge swept across social platforms like a whirlwind. In just five days, the videos reached 295 million views, attracted 98,000 enthusiastic creators, generated 242,000 creative videos, and achieved an interaction rate of 12.6%, winning widespread attention and positive engagement for the brand.

#Chupalloween Challenge launched by Chupa Chups

Conclusion

As one of the most influential advertising formats on the TikTok platform, branded hashtag challenges have successfully led a new social media trend through multi-channel exposure and diversified marketing touchpoints. They not only significantly enhance brand awareness but also stimulate high levels of participation and interaction among users, thus achieving a deep connection between brands and consumers.

In this way, branded hashtag challenges have become a powerful tool to help brands stand out in a fiercely competitive market, while also bringing fresh and interesting experiences to users.