It’s officially crypto winter. Yet while the cryptocurrency market plummets, the Middle East (especially the UAE) continues to forge ahead in its mission to become the crypto capital of the world. From NFTs to web3, creators are hot on anything even remotely metaverse – and women are leading the charge. This isn’t exclusive to the...
Meenoi’s Yorizori to Workman: Five YouTube shows South Korea’s Gen Z are choosing over traditional television
YouTube is the most dominant video platform globally and consumers in Korea are obsessed. 76.2% of Gen Z head there for entertainment on a daily basis while just half of this demographic watch television. Additionally, in a recent survey asking the “most used video medium after 7pm“, YouTube was most popular and the evening destination...
Asos wins best Black Friday creative thanks to its inspired ad with Sylvanian Drama: TikTok weekly roundup
Let’s get started with brand wins. The big one is ASOS teaming up with cult account Sylvanian Drama for Black Friday. The comments are full of praise for the retailer – because Sylvanian Drama is one of those accounts that is uniquely TikTok but also doesn’t play by the rules. It’s TikTok perfection. The channel
TikTok’s Project Unicorn wants to turn Middle Eastern creators into entrepreneurs – but locals question the programme
From online merch stores, to makeup lines and podcasts, the mark of a successful content creator has always been linked to whether they can leverage their audience to launch a brand of their own. For a long time, this has rested on the creator – but now TikTok wants to get involved, too. Earlier this...
South Korean platform Zepeto has created the first metaverse influencers and Gen Z are fully invested
South Korea aims to become the 5th biggest metaverse market in the world. Samsung Electronics and Hyundai Motor have opened virtual brand shops while Blackpink and BTS are already virtually meeting their fans in the metaverse, but there’s so much more. Earlier this year, the Korean government announced an investment of 224 billion Korean won...
Sarah Ashcroft turned her startup SLA The Label into a multi-million pound business using TikTok
“We made a quarter of a million off of just one collection,” Sarah Ashcroft, influencer and founder and CEO of SLA The Label tells CORQ. “It was wild because everything just flew out the window.” Ashcroft is referring to SLA The Label’s party collection, which launched at the end of October 2022. Three items –...
How Terry’s Chocolate Orange got its viral TikTok moment via an unboxing video: TikTok weekly roundup
Jazz Thornton made TikTok headlines when she unboxed a gift of British treats from her friend. The New Zealand activist then proceeded to bite down on a Terry’s Chocolate Orange. She was forced to apologise to the UK after being savaged on social media by BritTok. Top comment: “you will be forever in the UK...
Influencer strategy 2023: brands need to leverage creator direction over creative direction
KEY TAKEAWAYS: Creator direction is a skill brands will benefit from investing in next year and needs to exist alongside creative direction. True diversity is key for commercial success and mastering this will allow brands to reach new audiences in the economic downturn. Campaign strategy needs to be the result of “working backwards” – defining
How The Tartan Blanket Co. sold out its collaborative collection with Amy Bell in two minutes flat
When Scottish sustainable fibre brand The Tartan Blanket Co. launched its first collection with lifestyle creator Amy Bell in 2021, it sold out in less than two minutes. Teaming up with Bell for a second collaboration in October 2022, three of the four scarves sold out in less than 24 hours. Talk about the power...
Swedish brands Färsodlarna and DeoDoc reveal the influencer strategies cementing their trailblazer status
“Influencers who have credibility are so important,” says Oddgeir Hole, CEO of Sweden-based vegan food brand, Färsodlarna. “We collaborate with creators who specialise in food and sustainable eating. People who can vouch for our brand.” Right now, Swedes are eating the lowest amount of meat since 1990, according to the Swedish Board of Agriculture. As...
Inside The Emiratis Club: an NFT collection, private members club and metaverse accelerator for the UAE’s tech bros
In the non-fungible token capital of the world, one community hopes to usher in a new era for NFTs. Introducing The Emiratis Club. Half private NFT collection, half members club, the group launched earlier this year with a mission to unite the UAE’s investment community – and it’s already well on its way to succeeding. On...
Deplatforming and prison: what happens when Middle Eastern influencers violate the region’s public morals
Countries in the Middle East have their own guidelines on what is and isn’t acceptable for creators to post online – and for those who breach these boundaries, there can be serious consequences. Said guidelines can seem nuanced, but as a general rule that means any content that violates cultural norms. In Saudi Arabia, anything found...