Dive Brief:
- Unilever is enacting the second phase of its global #CleanTok partnership with TikTok through a creator awards program and a new branded content campaign, according to a news release.
- The content series, which includes five short episodes plus a teaser video, riffs on the idea of a soap opera, with animated versions of the marketer’s cleaning products serving as the characters. “Dirty Deeds: A Kitchen Crime” was co-developed with creator Sam Cotton and will live on TikTok’s dedicated #CleanTok hub and Unilever’s Cleanipedia website.
- The companies are also launching the #CleanTok Awards honoring the most creative influencers, or “cleanfluencers,” on the social media app. Unilever is attempting to maintain momentum from its work with TikTok, which has helped drive web traffic and the favorability of brands like Cif Cream Cleaner in the U.K.
Dive Insight:
Unilever is rounding out a collaboration with TikTok that has allowed the CPG giant’s Cleanipedia to act as the exclusive sponsor of #CleanTok, the most popular hashtag on the short-form video app. #CleanTok videos have accumulated over 98.5 billion lifetime views and seen an uptick in engagement since the partnership was struck last June. Meanwhile, Unilever’s Cleanipedia online portal offering cleaning tips and advice has reached 2.8 billion impressions in that time frame, with web traffic up 30%.
Interest in #CleanTok first spiked during the pandemic, when many people were stuck at home and hygiene stood front of mind. Gen Z has helped lead the charge, TikTok standing as the cohort’s preferred social media app. Over half (56%) of surveyed TikTok users also turn to the platform for comedy sketches, an insight that informed the soap opera-inspired content series, Eduardo Campanella, Unilever’s CMO of home care, said in a statement.
“Dirty Deeds: A Kitchen Crime” showcases anthropomorphized, crudely animated versions of Unilever brands such as Cif, Comfort and products that fall under the company’s Dirt is Good project, some of which carry different names for different markets. The story centers on a “love rivalry” with a comedic bent and was created with help from influencer Sam Cotton, whose posts have generated over 56 million likes. Agency Gravity Road aided with promotions supporting the effort.
Also on the influencer marketing front, Unilever and TikTok’s #CleanTok Awards seek to recognize excellence in categories including “Most Helpful Hack,” “Most Motivational Sunday Reset,” “Most OMG Extreme Clean” and “Most Satisfying ASMR.” Winners will receive free Unilever Home Care goods, while a separate Spotless Creator competition comes with a €4,000 cash prize for those who post the most impressive cleaning transformation.
Unilever’s bets on #CleanTok aim to not only help the marketer reach new audiences like Gen Z but also key into purchasing habits driven by TikTok’s creator community. Influencers on the app sparked a trend of using Cif Cream Cleaner to clean their white sneakers, which led to a 38% increase in U.K. adults under 28 buying the brand, according to Kantar Worldpanel data cited by Unilever.
Unilever’s #CleanTok work spans paid media, a branded TikTok content hub and the use of the phrase “Proud Supporter of #CleanTok” both on and off the app, including in point-of-sale materials. The partnership runs through January and is present in markets including the U.K., Vietnam, Turkey, Brazil, the Philippines, Thailand, France, the Netherlands, Argentina and Indonesia.
A successful social media strategy for TikTok arrives as Unilever undergoes changes to its marketing leadership. Previous marketing chief Conny Braams stepped down in August, replaced by Esi Eggleston Bracey, who was promoted to the role late last month.
