Hilton’s 10 Minute TikTok ad and why it went viral: a breakdown in breaking the mould of digital advertising
Whether it be through influencer marketing or in-app ads, TikTok has solidified itself as a digital advertising powerhouse in the past couple of years. This year, the short-form video app is on track to generate 6 billion US dollars in advertising revenue, more than triple the amount it made in 2020.
One brand in particular went viral recently, for producing a video that’s not only an ad, but 10 minutes long.
Alongside the iconic hotel chain heiress Paris Hilton, the Hilton Hotels video featured famous creators including Chris Olsen, GirlBossTown and KelzWright, challenging viewers to stay to the end in order to be in with a chance of winning Hilton Honors Points.
As users flood the hotel company’s comment section praising the campaign, a broader question remains: what does this mean for the future of commercial content on TikTok? Does it mean that longer-form content is coming back? And to TikTok specifically?
The short answer is no, probably not. Part of the video’s viral fame is due to the fact that it stood out as a longer video on the short-form platform.
The ad also makes constant reference to itself as an ad and the fact that audiences have wised up to brands’ promotional content..The sheer cleverness of the video is that it also feels like a mash-up of different videos; utilising different trends in different styles, filters, creators and effects, overall making it seem like 10 minutes of seamlessly scrolling through TikTok without actually having to scroll: elevating the platform to a seamless scroll-less experience.
Why it works:
Simply put, the ad works because it’s long-form content standing out in a short-form content platform. It doesn’t feel like the same video, each section feels like it’s own tiktok. It had a reward incentive, and lastly; it’s simply funny and on trend.
Thomas Walters, Europe CEO and Co-founder of creator agency Billion Dollar Boy said in a statement: “one of the actors in Hilton’s TikTok ad says: ‘10 minutes on TikTok is like three years in the real world’. And it certainly has felt like that in the past, as attention spans have increasingly become shorter.
“But maybe not anymore. The hotel chain’s ad bucks a long-standing trend towards short-from video content on social media. However, despite its success, initial analysis would suggest that it’s an exception to the rule rather than being indicative of a broader shift in media consumption habits towards long-form content.
“That’s because the length of the video alone – although undoubtedly helping it to stand out from other short-form content on TikTok – isn’t what makes it a success. Its success actually comes from its clever use of a combination of already tried-and-tested marketing techniques.”
“Its success also lies in its ability to satirise marketing,” says Walters. “The Hilton video pokes fun at influencers’ traditionally over-promotional ad content, tapping into the ‘de-influencing’ trend on TikTok. This self-aware humour is popular because, as Baron Ryan says in the Hilton ad, “we don’t want ads on TikTok, people hate them”. It makes the ad relatable and honest which helps to support its effectiveness.”
Over the past few years, it seems that companies have almost developed a rulebook to cater to TikTok users. These brands tend to take a personalised approach to the platform, positioning a single person as the “face” of the company and creating to-the-point videos with trending audio. Though this formula has proven relatively successful in the past, Hilton made waves for disregarding promotional norms in a recent TikTok advertisement.
With Hilton’s newest campaign gaining traction online, it’s becoming clear that social media users want companies to create original, reflexive and honest commercial content – and it doesn’t necessarily have to be short-form video. As TikTok continues to push ads to users, the door is wider than ever for brands to break the mould of digital advertising.