IF you only know “Tiktok” as that song about getting drunk and wasted, you either live in a house with no teens or have totally abandoned your social-media feeds.
There is simply no escaping the wrath of TikTok and my dad makes sure I get my daily dose of viral TikTok compilations.
The app that allows users to post short videos, usually lip-syncing to a soundtrack (think Yaya Dub), or doing all sorts of challenges, dance moves, unique skills/talents and a lot of comedy. It has become a YouTube alternative for people with uber-short attention spans.
First launched in 2016 in China, TikTok debuted in the United States in August 2018, after Chinese parent company ByteDance acquired lip-syncing video app Musical.ly and combined them. Since then, TikTok has been downloaded 1.5 billion times, making it the top free non-gaming app in the US.
In its first full calendar year in the US, the app wasted no time becoming a key part of Internet culture, and is now among the world’s five most-downloaded non-game apps of 2019.
With an estimated 625 million monthly active users globally, it is closing in on competitors Instagram and Snapchat. And though the numbers are still small compared to Facebook’s 2.45 billion MAUs, its popularity has topped Google Trends this year, enough to draw the attention of the US military which has banned it from all its issued devices—for security reasons.
In Google’s annual “Year in Search” TikTok stars and trends were inescapable, proving that the app has life beyond its Gen Z niche.
In music, singer Lil Nas X made the leap from TikTok fame to mainstream fame after his song “Old Town Road” went viral on the app, then broke the record for longest-running No. 1 song on the Billboard Hot 100. He was the fourth most-searched singer, and “Old Town Road” was the most-searched song of the year. On the other hand, Lizzo, the No. 7 most-searched musician, has been called the “queen of TikTok.” She found mainstream fame this year, but TikTok was full of viral trends set to her songs, with the starting line of “Truth Hurts:” “I just took a DNA test, turns out ….” #DNATest become a top meme. Creators uploaded videos with audio from Lizzo’s song, and then after that line switch in audio about their identity, or a joke about themselves.
E-girls, e-boys, VSCO girls and the anti-influencers of TikTok topped fashion and outfit searches. TikTok now has its own subculture and their popularity rivals the Instagram influencer. Those who are popular on TikTok use the platform to promote their Instagram and YouTube accounts, and vice versa. E-girls are characterized by their heavy eyeliners, dyed hair, and often a septum piercing, while e-boys typically wear beanies and belt chains.
Then there are the VSCO girls. VSCO is a photo editing app, and the term was originally used as an insult describing a young, usually white woman who posts trendy pictures using the app, but it quickly became a popular hashtag on the TikTok, with users offering their own, oftentimes mocking takes on what it means.
A VSCO girl usually wears a very big T-shirt that covers the bottom of her shorts, has a scrunchie in her hair or her wrist alongside a Pura Vida bracelet, carries a Fjallraven backpack and drinks from and a sticker-covered Hydro Flask. Completing the outfit are Birkenstock sandals, Crocs, Fila Disruptors or any other ugly trendy shoe.
Beauty influencer and YouTuber James Charles became even more famous on TikTok, and was the third-most searched person on Google this year.
TIKTOK PHL TRENDS
TikTok broke down many barriers in 2019, but it wouldn’t have been possible without the diversity of its users and content. Creators from various backgrounds have increasingly turned to the platform to express and exchange their interests, whether that’s cooking, comedy, or simply just showing the world what their adorably cute pets can do.
Local celebrities have also jumped on the TikTok train and found themselves in the center of attention among the fun, loving TikTok community. They include Steph Robles, Jodi Sta. Maria, Andrea Brillantes, Liza Soberano, Sofia Pablo, Iñigo Pascual, Donnalyn Bartolome, Patrick Quiroz and AC Bonifacio.
Local creators are also emerging as the breakout stars of 2019 on TikTok, as they leveraged the platform to grow their fan bases and engage the global audience. This year, TikTok launched its inaugural “TikTok All-Star Southeast Asia” competition, which cultivated creators from across the region to share their talents on a global stage.
The region-wide competition received 300K submissions and 650 million views. Local creator Yanyan de Jesus successfully emerged as the victor of the TikTok All-Star Talent category. Now, he continues to pursue dancing professionally by joining the popular dance group G-Force.
Simon Joseph Javier, on the other hand, made waves locally after receiving the Rising Star award. Simon, as a travel blogger on TikTok, was introduced as one of the creators to promote the tourism campaigns brought about by the recently launched partnership between TikTok and the Department of Tourism (DOT).
TIKTOK PARTNERS WITH D.O.T.
In addition to cultivating talent across Southeast Asia, and launching record-breaking hits on a global stage, TikTok has further expanded its commitment to corporate responsibility. TikTok has cooperated with various nongovernmental organizations across Asia to drive real social impact. Some of the most notable challenges from 2019 include #SaveOurOceans, #ForClimate and #ZeroWaster which generated monetary donations and awareness among a growing user base.
Recently, TikTok partnered with the DOT to promote and showcase the beauty of the Philippines to the platform’s global audience. DOT is the first government agency to partner with TikTok and name the platform as its co-branding partner for its signature campaign: It’s More Fun in the Philippines.
The partnership was sealed with the signing of the memorandum of agreement between Donny Eryastha, TikTok head of public policy for the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia; and Howard Lance Uyking, Tourism assistant secretary for branding and marketing communications.
The partnership serves as the pilot program in the Philippines for #TikTokTravel, a global campaign launched by TikTok across 90 countries worldwide. #TikTokTravel is an initiative that aims to inspire users to creatively capture and share their favorite travel moments.
By empowering people to quickly and easily capture and, share moments that matter in their lives from their smartphones, TikTok has become increasingly popular for showcasing authentic travel moments, with almost 400,000 videos under the #TikTokTravel hashtag and a total of 5.6 billion views and counting. These videos range from creators interacting with nature in various ways, to immersing themselves in different cultures, such as tasting street food, to trying their hand at uniquely local experiences.
LIFESTYLE UPGRADE AT TECHLIFE EXPO
It was an early Christmas treat for expo-goers during the first TechLife Expo held last month at the SMX Convention Center, Pasay City, as leading brands showcased their latest products and services. Visitors got to experience technology before they could even buy the products for amazing prices, including up to 50-percent discount on selected items.
The three-day expo highlighted the tech-integrated lifestyle where digital experience becomes seamless and more accessible to the Filipinos. The event officially opened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony led by Pasay City Mayor Imelda Calixto-Rubiano, SMX Director for Events and Banquet Janytte Siega , celebrity guest Alex Gonzaga and TechLife Expo Organizing Head Haidie Esmero.
Guests were able to enjoy three days of booth hopping and shopping, and were able to take home loads of knowledge from industry thought leaders discussing various topics to help them upgrade their lifestyle through technology.
Alex was the first guest onstage and she recounted her journey as a celebrity vlogger and shared her piece of advice to aspiring individuals who would want to venture into video blogging: “You must love what you do…I love what I’m doing. I never felt any pressure in creating my first vlog because I did it for me.”
GetGo lifestyle rewards card offered a free flight promo during the event and gave away travel must-haves for those who availed themselves the CEB GetGo Prepaid Cards. Successful registrants can easily enjoy faster points-earning which they can redeem for everyday perks and rewards, especially free flights with Cebu Pacific. Top gaming peripherals producer Logitech delivered excitement and action among gamers as they showed off their skills during the daily live tournament. Popular among the younger guests was the Mobile Legends competition where players got to hear supreme audio quality with the Logitech G331 Stereo Gaming Headset.
More crisp and immersive sound experience were brought by Bluetooth audio device providers Ultimate Ears Wonderboom and Jaybird.