In the comedy spirit of TikTok, April Fools was an important moment on the platform. Many prank videos went viral. One video of two girlfriends pranking their boyfriends gained 35.9 million views.
Rather than fashion or beauty tutorials, TikTok users enjoy posting videos of them styling looks or putting on makeup while telling an unrelated story. This was one of the most popular formats in April.
Self love is an important message among TikTok’s Gen Z user base. In April, users took to the platform, celebrating themselves miming the lyrics of Alright by Nardo Wick. 554,000 total videos have been made using the sound, hitting 760 million views in April 2022.
Burberry partnered with popular comedy TikTok account @SylvanianDrama to introduce its Lola Bag. The video, which places a tiny Lola Bag in the animated Sylvanian Drama world, hit 5.6 million views and is an example of innovative ways luxury can build awareness on TikTok.
As the seasons change, nature and spring content is surging on TikTok, as users get outside and explore parks, forests and animals.
Sounds and songs
To understand TikTok is to understand TikTok sounds and songs. The majority of videos feature music or voice overs and using popular songs is a great way to engage the audience.
The platform also has the power to catapult old songs back into the charts, from Fleetwood Mac’s Dreams in 2020 to Boney M’s Rasputin, which both hit the charts in the last two years, decades after their release. TikTok users consume content fast, so music trends move very quickly. Here we chart the three top songs from 1-17 April 2022.
Love You So, The King Khan & BBQ Show
9 million videos have been created using this track from lesser-known Canadian Rock Duo The King Khan & BBQ Show, from cute videos with pets to celebrity gossip. Videos using this track have 22 billion views.
Just A Cloud Away, Pharrell
2.5 million videos feature this uplifting track, originally created by Pharrell Williams for Despicabke Me 2. From outfit styling videos to comedy sketches, videos using this song have 3.3 million total views.
First Class, Jack Harlow
424,000 videos use this song by rapper Jack Harlow, which samples the noughties Fergie song Glamorous. Users have created all types of content for this track, from singalong videos to luxury lifestyle videos that chime with the lyrics. Videos using this track have 2 billion views.
February/March 2022
Audience
TikTok might have started out with dances and comedy voiceovers but the community and content is diversifying. Fashion content is surging on the platform and the TikTok audience is hyper-engaged, according to TikTok and GWI data.
Fashion Week content performed better on TikTok in 2022 than previous years. Fashion interest spiked from January, to March 2022 during the Autumn/Winter 2022 season, as brands, media publications and creators streamed, narrated and reacted to the shows.
The platform is a source of inspiration for young fashion fans and their networks. The TikTok fashion audience is also 40 per cent more likely to tell their friends and family about new products compared to the average internet user, per GWI. This inspiration could translate into sales: over half of TikTok users purchased clothing in the last month and 56 per cent of TikTok users with an interest in fashion are loyal to brands they like, per GWI.
Creators
The rising stars of fashion TikTok have much to offer, from aspirational luxury content to interesting commentary on fashion business and history. During the Autumn/Winter 2022 season, TikTokers at home drove the most earned media value for runway shows, above TikTokers attending events, per influencer intelligence platform Lefty. The platform’s young creators understand the appetite for reactive commentary and exciting post-show content beyond the usual visuals. Here are some of the platform’s burgeoning names that fashion brands should know:
