Sweetarts hosts first branded film fest on TikTok
With the help of Doctor Strange star Xóchitl Gómez, Sweetarts will award four content creators on TikTok with $25,000 in the platform’s first-ever branded film festival.
Four creators will score $25,000 in Sweetarts’ Film Fest on TikTok / Sweetarts
To engage with TikTok’s 1 billion monthly global users, Ferrara-made Sweetarts is hosting TikTok’s first branded film festival and awarding four creators on the platform with $25,000. The promotion leverages a new ad format on the platform called the ‘Branded Mission’ program.
The Sweetarts Film Festival marks the brand’s latest attempt at bolstering its ‘Be Both’ campaign. First introduced in 2019, Be Both celebrates both the duality of the candy’s flavor and the dualities of people. “Sweetarts, as a brand, believes that powerful results are unleashed when you combine things that are seemingly opposite, like our sweet and tart product,” said Jennifer Brownson, Sweetarts senior brand manager at Ferrara Candy Company. “Tiktok is home to this new generation of filmmakers who are leading culture, while at the same time promoting creativity, inclusivity and self-expression – all of which align with what Sweetarts’ core values are.”
Between August 12 and September 7, users can submit TikTok shorts showcasing their duality by using the hashtag #sweetartsfilmentry and tagging @sweetartscandy in the caption. More information on the contest can be found here.
A panel of judges, including the 16-year-old actress and TikTok star Xóchitl Gómez, will select four winners based on creativity and originality. One winner will be selected for each of the four categories: ‘best story time,’ ‘best use of video tools,’ ‘best colorful creation’ and ‘best expression of Be Both.’ Gómez will announce the winners on her TikTok handle via a livestreamed awards ceremony on October 6 at 7pm ET, each of whom will receive a cash prize of $25,000.
“We’re looking to inspire and involve all different levels of creatives, from aspiring creators to seasoned professionals – and Xóchitl represents a generation that is pushing boundaries in their art,” Brian Camen, senior director of media, content and public relations at Ferrara Candy Company, told The Drum. “She’s the perfect person to partner with because of who she is, what her values are and her target audience.”
Sweetarts will also be the first American candy brand to leverage Tiktok’s new ‘Branded Mission’ program, which was first introduced in May. According to TikTok’s website, the Branded Mission program is a new ad format that enables brands to co-create branded content with creators on the platform. The program crowdsources and selects top-performing content and turns it into ads for the brand.