This week is all about story-times, sneaky smiles, and the power of experimental editing.
A new playful whisper challenge has graced the FYP. One person leans into another person’s ear and softly says, “Smile if you want a new [insert thing],” while filming the other person’s reaction. The prompt is something slightly controversial or scandalous, like a partner saying, “smile if you want a new girlfriend”, and even if you don’t want the thing, your brain betrays you with a grin.
It’s a harmless trick that is easy to recreate and rarely fails to entertain the creators and their audience.
Brand opportunity:
A beauty brand like Fenty Beauty could partner with a creator known for comedic, relatable skits to generate hype around a new product, or remind consumers of a cult classic. For example, the creator whispers, “smile if you want to switch your highlighter”, and the joke is, they don’t want to switch because they’re already loyal to the Fenty Diamond Bomb. The reaction (trying not to smile but failing) reinforces how much they love the product.
Or a food brand like Old El Paso could partner with a family-focused creator, and as an extension of their recent “Fajita Friday” campaign. A parent could whisper to their child, “smile if you want pizza for dinner” making it clear in the caption or on screen that it’s a Friday, so the only obvious choice is fajitas!
Experimental photography and editing is a great way for brands and creators to showcase their creativity and personality on social media. A simple concept can go viral when done right and in a way that is accessible for others to join in.
The airport tray photograph trend that blew up around a year ago is a great example of this. A simple concept, yet easy to replicate, and a great way to show off products and accessories.
Now, with AI advancing and professional editing tools like Adobe Express aiding more creative experimentation, inventive editing is the latest hot trend.
This creator, @roxannelele, has combined food and fashion by editing tiny versions of herself in outfits she knows her audience will love onto the delicious food she has eaten recently. Praise for her creativity is a popular theme in the comments.
Brand opportunity:
This is the perfect trend for Adobe to capitalize on, working with creative experimenters across verticals like fashion, food, and travel to show how they can achieve the latest trending editing style by using a free tool like Adobe Express.
Story-time content has been popular on social media for as long as it’s been around. US influencer Tana Mongeau has 12,588,542 views on her playlist “STORYTIMES,” which features videos dating back to 2015.
Audiences are obsessed with story-time content as it’s engaging with a strong hook, entertaining, shocking, and gives us an insight into others' lives that we may or may not relate to. Some story-focused videos – like Tana’s – are elaborate, but on short-form platforms, audiences are obsessed with lighthearted tales that are often posted in multiple parts, keeping them coming back to certain creators.
UK creator @madsiverse has hundreds and thousands of viewers hooked with a story of a friend who's “Thirsty Thursday” drinks in London, Liverpool Street turned into a cheating scandal.
Her videos have become so popular because of the casual approach to storytelling; watching Mads’ videos feels like being on FaceTime with a friend. And for those local to the area, or working in similar corporate jobs, can relate heavily to the context.
Brand opportunity:
The longstanding popularity of story-time content on social media won’t be dwindling anytime soon; brands can get involved all year round.
“Get ready with me” is a popular take on story-time content, especially amongst beauty creators. A brand like Rare Beauty could partner with a creator known for this style of content, providing them to do a full face of Rare Beauty makeup, seamlessly integrating each product throughout the story to feel natural.
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