A brief rundown of key moments from TikTok over the past seven days, highlighting brand partnerships, conversations and new content formats.
Luke Hamnett X Virgin Atlantic
Comedy TikToker Luke Hamnett tried to take a nap in Virgin Atlantic’s first class cabin, only to be woken up by the Sugababes singing Push the Button: the band (and Hamnett) was invited aboard for a concert in the sky, livestreamed on TikTok to promote its new Starlink Wi-Fi. A hilariously surreal partnership, made all the more relevant by the fact that Hamnett – whose video has 285,000 views and 26,100 likes – is a big Sugababes fan. Unexpected activations give creators genuinely entertaining stories to tell.
Blank Street X Secret matcha
The chain previewed its new summer drinks (Coconut Cream Matcha, Coconut Cream Latte and Miami Vice Matcha), accessible via a secret password. Cue chaos. While TikTokers such as Ayaat Mishaal and Reema Vaghela managed to unlock and sample the new launches, others fell foul of incorrect passwords circulating the platform. The beverages weren’t exactly met with acclaim (Sophia Atfi’s confession that the Coconut Cream Matcha tastes like spoiled milk has 63,900 views), but the stunt achieved its primary objective: turning a routine launch into a social scavenger hunt.
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Greg James Vs Steven Bartlett
After Steven Bartlett claimed that drinking two glasses of wine “ruined his life for three days”, presenter Greg James shared a TikTok with more than one million views and 93,000 likes on how the endless pursuit of optimisation hinders happiness. Creators such as Alice May Porter and Ashwinn shared similarly negative views on optimisation culture. The conversation around wellness is shifting. Consumers are increasingly seeking balance, not perfection – brands may find more resonance in realistic, sustainable lifestyles than Bartlett-esque style of relentless self-improvement.
Chisom Aimée Vs Love Island
“Black girls need to stop going on Love Island,” Chisom Aimée declared in a TikTok with 349,000 views. She accused the ITV series – which premiered this week to its lowest ratings in a decade – of systematically failing Black female contestants. “If none of the men like Black women, why would you put a Black woman in the lineup?” (Aimee has repeatedly been invited to appear on the show, so knows how thoroughly ITV vets contestants’ types). Similar discourse pops up every year (see past takes from Naomi James and Habiba Katsha), yet the show has still failed to answer its audience’s concerns. The takeaway? Brands ignore recurring criticism at their peril. Eventually, discourse around the problem becomes bigger than the project or product itself.
Niall Horan X TOPJAW
As he gears up to release his new album, Dinner Party, Niall Horan joined TOPJAW’s Best of London series, revealing his go-to dining spots in the capital. The result? More than 220,000 views and 23,100 likes. The series is a natural fit for the One Direction alumnus’ ongoing food-oriented press tour, which has also seen him cook spaghetti for Vogue and host a dinner party for fans in London. A strong example of building on a pre-existing narrative.
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Rachel Lord X Toy Story 5
Is Taylor Swift in Toy Story 5? The internet now has its answer (yes), but before Pixar made the official announcement, it invited Rachel Lord – AKA TikTok’s go-to Swiftie authority – to a screening of the film’s first 45 minutes to provide “boots on the ground journalism” for the singer’s fans. Her five videos from the screening have more than 260,000 views. Brands hoping to leverage a fandom’s loyalty and passion should prioritise identifying and working with its existing authorities.
Mika Abdalla and Stephen Kalyn X Quinn
Off Campus is Amazon Prime Video’s latest runaway hit – see CORQ’s report – and Mika Abdalla and Stephen Kalyn are its breakout duo. The audio erotica app recruited the pair for their own series, alongside more than 40 comedic TikToks over the course of one week that leaned on their chemistry for over 90 million views. Quinn has a history of moving quickly on talent, previously recruiting Heated Rivalry stars Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams, as well as The Summer I Turned Pretty’s Christopher Briney, at the height of each project’s online buzz. The lesson here: move fast. Brands that act while the conversation is still unfolding are best placed to benefit.
@dualipaofficial Bonjour Paris 🇫🇷 👋 Sun’s out and skin is glowing – The DUA by AB Pop-Up has now arrived! @DUA by AB 📆: 27 May – 7 June 📍: Palais Royal, 84 Gal De Beaujolais, 75001, Paris
Dua Lipa X Dua by AB
The singer was in Paris promoting a pop-up for her Augustinus Bader skincare collaboration when she used LaNia The Artist’s viral sound in a TikTok. The clip – which sees her greet the sun with “bonjour” – has 5.5 million views and 850,300 likes. Already used across TikTok to show off glowing, sun-kissed skin, the sound is a perfect case study in trend-led storytelling.
Creator of the week: Gilét Slays
In his own words, Gilét specialises in “debriefs, breakdowns and roasts”. Recently, that’s extended to everything from the final series of Euphoria to the ongoing saga of Katie Price’s husband going missing in Dubai. His latest series? Daily debriefs of Love Island, which are arguably more engaging than watching the show itself. Insightful, timely and hilarious – all the makings of a go-to pop culture analyst.
@charlixcx lol
Trend of the week: Acting challenge
TikTokers are putting their acting skills to the test by challenging themselves to say the same thing in different ways. For Charli XCX, that means saying “now we’re making rock music” (a reference to her recent controversial genre switch) in supportive, disappointed, sarcastic and flirty tones for 551,000 views. Also see Max Balegde’s different interpretations of “balegde” – inspired by Jesy Nelson’s viral attempt at a Jamaican accent – and takes by Charithra Chandran, George Airey, Grace Beverley, and the Jonas Brothers.
By Chloë James, insights correspondent for CORQ.
