The Sea Shanty started on TikTok and grew into a nationwide campaign, capturing culture with 4.6 billion views in the first four days.
The Sea Shanty
Showing that culture starts on TikTok
2021 began in just as crazy a way as 2020 left us with the rise of the sea shanty trend. With the trend originating from a solitary video by a postman on TikTok, we wanted to celebrate him as part of TikTok's existing #ItStartsonTikTok campaign.
The momentum was harnessed through social content on Meta and X (formerly Twitter), collaborating with the TikTok creator Nathan Evans, followed by the rapid production of a national TV spot in just four days. It recieved 4.6 billion hashtag impressions in-app and a VTR 239% above benchmark.
The campaign went on to become TikTok’s most successful in Europe at the time, showing how agile, culture-led ideas can turn internet buzz into mainstream impact. And helped TikTok own one of the biggest internet moments of the year.
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