When the Turkish beverage brand DIMES introduced its new product Milkshake to the market, the brand wanted to generate excitement for the launch among gen Z. Social media, specifically the latest platform TikTok, is very popular among this target, so the brand created a TV commercial in the style of a TikTok video. The ad was supported by a TikTok account which shared behind the scenes content and the campaign even started its own TikTok dance challenge.
Objective and Context:
DIMES aimed to maintain brand loyalty and rejuvenate its perception within the gen Z audience. To accomplish this, DIMES brought a new milkshake product to the shelves. DIMES produced the first long-life milkshake with an on-the-go package in Turkey. The brand created a new category of beverages that would become an internet sensation that would achieve wide reach and increase engagement with its target.
Target Audience:
DIMES Milkshake targeted gen Z in Turkey. This generation is comprised of social individuals between the ages of seven and 18. They are open to innovation, live in the digital world, and seek sincerity and realism. They are also known for their fondness for fun and friends.
Creative Strategy:
DIMES began with a brand statement suitable for its target audience. Then, it created branding for the DIMES Milkshake. The brand is social and sincere. It knows how to have fun, it wants to share, and it does not miss trends.
A groundbreaking launch was planned for the product. The campaign leveraged TikTok, which is a preferred media channel among gen Z. In Turkey, TikTok has approximately 10 million users. DIMES recruited TikTok influencers to act in a TV commercial. The brand used TikTok camera angles to capture the spirit of the medium.
Dance, which is a cornerstone of TikTok, was the opening scene of the ad. Lighting effects and animations strengthened the scene. Instead of a jingle, a song was specially made in the style of trap music which is popular in TikTok challenges. Since Milkshake is a product that consumers must shake before they drink, the brand aimed to teach the shaking movement to the target audience in the dance.
Overall Campaign Execution:
The brand created a DIMES Club TikTok account, and before the product was on sale, TikTok influencers livestreamed content to pique curiosity. Backstage scenes of the commercial shoot were also released on this account.
In addition to TikTok, Instagram and YouTube platforms were part of the campaign, and a unique strategy was applied to each platform. Special content was created for each social media account and authentic language was used to appeal to the target audience. DIMES also published a page on its website sharing with consumers where they could buy Milkshake in stores.
The commercial was broadcast for the first time on the DIMES Club TikTok account. After the commercial was broadcast, a hashtag challenge was launched on TikTok to further support the campaign. Consumers should shake Milkshake before drinking it, and the hashtag challenge made the shaking motion an iconic part of the viral dance. The challenge was started by the same TikTok influencer who was the lead in the commercial. By using the song from the ad together with the dance challenge, the memorability of the ad increased. Four winners were selected from those who participated in the challenge, and they were given the chance to shoot a YouTube video with their favorite TikTok influencers.
Mobile Execution:
The main platform for the launch was TikTok, so the majority of the campaign took place via mobile. Instagram and YouTube channels were used as well. Special content was prepared for each platform. While short videos (15 seconds max.) were used for TikTok, longer videos were featured on YouTube.
DIMES was the first brand to adapt TikTok to television. As a result of the campaign, many consumers established a bond with DIMES Milkshake and shared over 1,500 videos of them purchasing and drinking the product. On TikTok, the video reached one million organic views in two days. It received 20,000 comments. The target audience's completion rate of the video was 80 percent.
Over the course of 30 days, the video received 45 million organic views across various social channels. The DIMES Club TikTok account reached 155,000 subscribers, 21,000 Instagram followers, and 106,000 YouTube subscribers. The DIMES Milkshake commercial was first on the leaderboard of YouTube's most popular monthly ads.
With the increasing interest in the product, the Milkshake product page and sales points page became the most visited pages on the DIMES website.
