How brands navigated their way through a seesaw between the Supreme Court and Trump
It’s been a busy few days in American politics, from the presidential inauguration of Donald Trump, the declaration of a “border emergency” and the revocation of federal DEI directives.
In the midst of all this, America’s 47th POTUS found time to sign an executive order ordering the Attorney General’s Office to delay for 75 days the enforcement of a Supreme Court ruling banning TikTok in the United States starting January 19.
When the deadline arrived, TikTok went inactive nationwide, revoking access to 170 million U.S. users and some of its users. the biggest advertisers. However, within a few hours, the the application was quickly reactivated.
If you think you’ve had whiplash, think about the social media managers who worked overtime last weekend trying to make sense of the ban and inform their followers.
Scroll down to see how brands reacted on TikTok to the Supreme Court’s about-face, using surreal humor, trending audio and more to follow the conversation.
Bubble Skin Care
Gen Z’s Favorite Bubble Skincarewhich has relied heavily on TikTok to build a community and compete with larger, more established brands, initially directed its followers to its Instagram account when the ban briefly went into effect.
On Sunday, he posted a jubilant throwback video when news broke that TikTok was back in business.
Carnival
Last week, Carnival showed its crew flocking to Alternative to TikTok RedNote. He quickly reacted to the news of the reversal with a funny and awkward video using the “Hey, how are you?” ” her from Little Women of Atlanta.
Chipotle
Chipotle took a trip to the archives, sharing a 10-year-old video of the viral “Chipotle is my life” child before TikTok’s short-lived ban. He also revealed all the admins who make the magic happen on his tongue-in-cheek account.
Crocs
Crocs really said, “It’s not goodbye, it’s see you soon.” [Instagram] Reels”, offering a montage of the brand’s best TikTok moments set to sad music. There has been no comment yet on TikTok’s surprise return.
Duolingo
TikTok darling Duolingowhich saw its Mandarin classes rise 216% last week as Americans switched to the Chinese alternative RedNote, addressed the prospect of a ban with his characteristic unhinged humor.
He unmasked his popular green owl mascot, Duo, before hinting at a little regret about the decision once TikTok is reestablished.
Elf Cosmetics
Elf Cosmetics has become known for its quick reactions to trending topics on TikTok, capitalizing on discussions around the Nasty press tour to get involved in the “Hot Girl Walk” Trend.
Her reaction to a TikTok ban was no different, throwing herself into the ring as a potential buyer (armed with a suitcase of makeup) and using the opportunity to promote her Power Grip primer. We would expect no less.
Jack in the box
The absurd and slightly creepy Jack in the Box mascot bid farewell to fans this weekend, leaving with the promise of seeing them on RedNote. The fast food brand also used the goofy “Hey!” How are you ? sound when the application returns.
The North Face
The North Face took a trip down memory lane of his most memorable TikTok moments, including the time he delivered rain gear by helicopter to a woman in New Zealand following a complaint on the platform.
The outdoor brand urged TikTokers to take inspiration from its slogan: “Never Stop Exploring.”
Target
Target created a funny movie-style epilogue for his TikTok mascots, imploring its 3 million followers to stay connected on other social networks. Little did we know that Red Ball, Bullseye and Art the Cart would be back on the small screen within 4 p.m.
Wendy’s
Subscribers can always count on Wendy’s for a slightly sarcastic and irreverent take on the news of the day, and the TikTok ban was no different.
“Gone but never forgotten until I forget in about two weeks,” the channel captioned a commemorative-style video that shared her biggest moments on the platform from 2019 to present.
Follow ADWEEK’s ongoing coverage on (now paused) Ban on TikTok here.
