TikTok spotlights Black creatives to mark Black History Month
To mark Black History Month TikTok has launched an in-app and out-of-home (OOH) brand campaign spotlighting a cohort of Black creators.
TikTok has placed 200 OOH ads across the country
The #ThisIsBlack campaign includes a series of panels and educational content covering food, comedy and music, with TikTok creators such as DJ and filmmaker @djkrystallake, food vlogger @thegrubworkskitchen and activist and Black historian @kaynekawasaki among the line-up.
A series of in-app activations such as Hashtag Challenges, Branded Effects, TikTok Lives and TopView ad takeovers have been created for the campaign.
TikTok has placed the 200 OOH ads at locations including the O2 Forum in Kentish Town, Peckham High Street in London and Castle Street in Cardiff. Online ads will also feature on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
TikTok said the initiative aims to “spotlight trailblazing” creators across art, music, literature and food, and “provide educational resources in-app to encourage everyone to be a better ally to the Black community.”
Education is a key part of the campaign, with the platform hosting a TikTok Unpacks Live panel teaching users about microaggressions and racism featuring LGBT+ activist @Benjy_Lookbook and diversity and inclusion campaigner @Bellewoghirenn.
“We believe that TikTok is becoming one of the leading destinations providing users with a window into the Black Lives Matter movement,” said Trevor Johnson, head of marketing, global business solutions for Europe.
“#ThisIsBlack is a unique employee-led campaign that we hope can inspire us to move as a collective toward a more equal society,” he said.
@kaynekawasaki, who was involved in TikTok’s 2020 Black History Month campaign, said he was surprised by the engagement. “To me, Tiktok was the place for gen Z and viral dances, I didn’t expect to find an audience intrigued about UK Black history and cultural commentary, but I did.
“Now, my hope moving forward is that the next generation are also taught about our own trailblazers – if not, I hope they find my videos. I intend to talk about UK Black history until it’s seen as British history; not restricted to one month but as a staple.”