My son Chell just turned four years old last week, and one of his new favorite activities is walking over to our bookshelf in the dining room after dinner, grabbing a book, and bringing it back to the table.
“Mama, do you want me to read you a story?” he asks, holding out the book and smiling.
“Of course,” I answer, scooping him up on my lap. He then proceeds to flip through the book's pages—typically a title like Strangers on a Train, Running with Scissors, or Not Much Fun: The Lost Poems of Dorothy Parker.
“What, what page was I on…” he scrunches up his face in thought. “Oh, I was on this page.” He stops on a page and proceeds with a story.
“Once upon a time, Silly Willy was a girl. She had red hair, just like you! She also had rainbow hair. She had all kinds of hair. She was going to the sushi. Then she ate the sushi. And then she goes to her house. And there was a boy named Chell. And they were walking down the flowers because they saw many, many kingdoms. It was the Mushroom Kingdom. The end.” *
*Actual transcript is taken from videos of my son.
Chell’s nightly storytime got me thinking about how natural it is for us as humans to both tell stories and listen to stories, no matter our age. It’s the reason that the idea of storytelling in marketing has become an integral part of modern marketing strategies across various industries. We use the art of storytelling in marketing to create narratives around brands, products, and services that connect with audiences on an emotional level, making the marketing message more relatable and memorable.
This approach leverages the fact that humans are naturally drawn to stories. Stories can evoke emotions, drive empathy, and create a sense of connection between the audience and the brand. And by telling compelling stories, brands can differentiate themselves in a crowded marketplace, foster brand loyalty, and drive engagement.
As brand builders and marketers, we’re always looking for fresh ways to involve customers in the stories of our brands. And to engage today’s customers, the way we tell those stories needs to evolve alongside the platforms on which we present them—most notably for now: TikTok.
Most marketers are following the same standard “send them a PR package and hope they post something” playbook when it comes to TikTok storytelling and engaging with creators. But two recent campaigns stand high above the rest as brilliant examples of storytelling on social channels.
I’m deep-diving into both right now to show (1) why they’re so compelling and (2) what you can learn from them.
Campaign #1
Michael Cera and CeraVe
A few weeks ago, actor Michael Cera—of Arrested Development, Juno, and Barbie fame—was spotted passing out bottles of CeraVe Moisturizer in the streets of NYC and signing his name on bottles of the product in drugstores.
News of this first broke when TikTok personality Haley Kalil happened upon him and taped him in a Brooklyn store. In addition to autographing the bottles, he was putting stickers with his face on the packaging, writing “Michael” above the “Cera.” Cera told Kalil it was “a lovely cream” before heading out the door.
Kalil captioned her video: “Guys run to this pharmacy in BK, I just saw MICHAEL CERA signing bottles!! I’m a #ceravepartner, and I’m asking @cerave what is going ON 😳😳😳.”
Cera then popped up on the Really Good Podcast, claiming that he “has some skin in the game” with beloved skincare company Cerave.
This prompted headlines in major publications like People and Page Six: The Internet Is Convinced Michael Cera Is a Secret Skincare Mogul — Here's Why the Actor Is Going Viral.
A few days later, Caleb Simpson—a creator known for going inside the homes of random people and celebrities—posted a video where he got taken inside a movie trailer with Michael Cera’s name on it. Inside were shelves stacked with CeraVe products, alongside microscopes, a poster that said “Seeking skincare advice? Just ask me, Michael Cera, developer of CeraVe,” packaging sketches, and photos of potential models for the brand with what appeared to be Michael’s select marked “Hunkier.”
Then, Haley Kalil returned with a video on CeraVe’s site. She debunked the idea that Micheal Cera had anything to do with the CeraVe and emphasized multiple times that CeraVe was developed by dermatologists, clarifying that the “Cera” in Ceraly stands for “ceramides,” essential lipids crucial for skin health. And while her words were clear, her attitude was enigmatic.
Then, came the Superbowl Ad. In it, Michael Cera pretended like he was the brain behind their moisturizer and showed off a commercial he created, starring himself. But then, plot twist, the ad spills the beans that it's dermatologists who whipped up the cream, not our guy Cera.
For anyone who had been scratching their heads over those wacky posts on social media leading up to this, the commercial was like the big reveal that cleared up all the mix-ups, all while keeping things light and funny. And it became one of the most remembered and talked-about ads of the Super Bowl this year.
Campaign #2
The Hollywood Lipstick Heist
When I first saw a video of mega beauty influencer Mikayla Nogueira unboxing a PR package from makeup brand Charlotte Tilbury, which looked like a giant tube of lipstick, I expected to see her open it and then “ooo” and “ahh” as she revealed a slew of new lip Hollywood Icon Lipstick shades inside — aka, your typical TikTok unboxing video.
But both Mikayla and I were shocked to find half of the package was empty.
“Mine is empty! Is this a mistake? I don’t know what’s happening!” she exclaimed. All of the pockets that should have had lipsticks in them contained—nothing.
And Mikayla wasn’t the only victim of apparent lipstick thievery. Over the next few days, more macro and micro influencers revealed similarly empty pockets in their packages — while other influencers did have their lipsticks inside of the pockets.
The comments section on these TikToks went crazy: was this a massive mistake, or was it a marketing stunt?
Eventually, the Tilbury brand followed up with news on this “Beauty Crime.” They posted on Instagram:
Darlings, it’s the #HollywoodLipsticks scandal EVERYONE on TikTok is talking about! 💫 The gorgeous @mikaylajmakeup has uncovered a BEAUTY crime!
My NEW! Hollywood Beauty Icon Lipsticks are MISSING and RANSOMED by a mysterious makeup mastermind!!! 😱 Do YOU know who the BEAUTY BANDIT is, darling?! Head to my TikTok now for the latest Hollywood Lipstick Heist updates and to become my Lipstick Finder!!🕵️♀️
More TikTok users began weighing in on “the jaw-dropping incident that had sent ripples throughout the makeup community.” And many continued to speculate on whether this was a case of a brand turning lemons into lemonade or a planned marketing campaign.
Charlotte Tilbury went on to put out a timeline for when “clues would start dropping” concerning the mystery, and they asked everyone in their audience to post theories and tips. The brand also posted videos taken around their office, trying to track down the thief. And they later sent all of the influencers who had been victimized the full set of lipsticks—in branded “Evidence Bags.
And even after the campaign wrapped, the TikTok makeup community continued to buzz about it—with some people being angry that Mikayla had potentially duped her followers by being in on the heist from the start.
What We Can All Learn
Both of these campaigns involved the most critical elements of good Storytelling on TikTok Today:
A Plot… That Actually Interests People
Characters… Who Move This Plot Forward
Time and Space for Characters AND Your Audience to Develop This Plot
The mystery of “Is Michael Cera the person behind CeraVe” gave the campaign a plot that could be threaded through appearances and interviews. There was an introduction. There was rising action. There was a climax. And there was a resolution.
The campaign featured a compelling main character (Cera) and real people (your favorite TikTok creators) together in a web of intrigue. And the story took time to tell (3 weeks!), which allowed it to grow and take on legs as more and more people interacted with it and added to it.
Similar to the Michael Cera campaign—the plot of The Hollywood Lipstick Heist involved a mystery that we as consumers could follow along with: had the brand messed up, or was this a marketing stunt? It also featured TikTok creators in a more unique way than just asking them to simply open a PR box (although that’s how it kicked off…). And it took time to tell, allowing for more influencers as well as the audience to weigh in.
Last night, I told Chell I had written out one of his stories and read the story of Silly Willy eating sushi in the Mushroom Kingdom back to him.
He immediately replied, “Mama, that’s not the end. It’s about Monsters. And some of the Monsters are bad. And some are good.”
Then he paused and looked at me expectantly.
“Oh, that sounds great, Chell. Tell me more!”
I love that Chell was moving the plot forward, introducing new characters, and giving me time to interact. I just might need to post his next installment of The Mushroom Kingdom (now featuring Monsters!) on TikTok. 😳😳😳