Heard of a skincare brand turning TikTok into a full-funnel sales machine during Ramadan? That’s exactly what The Raw. pulled off—and they didn’t rely on influencers or gimmicks to do it.
Instead, this brand leveraged TikTok’s unique ad formats to execute a data-driven brand awareness campaign that merged community engagement with commerce. From occupying the top in-feed ad slot to reeling users back in with shopping ads, they proved that strategic creativity beats outdated, traditional advertising models—especially on platforms designed for scroll-stopping content.
What happened next? A boost in conversions, lower cost-per-purchase, and a loyal following that grew with every swipe.
Curious how The Raw. made it work—and what the other five campaigns did differently? Keep reading to discover six TikTok brand awareness campaigns that outsmarted traditional ads with creativity, platform fluency, and results.
- Owning the Feed – How The Raw. Hijacked TikTok’s First Impression Slot
- From Local Cheers to Global Chants – Newcastle United’s Spark Ad Takeover
- Faith Meets Funnel – Ummul Qura’s Educational Commerce Strategy
- Love at First Scroll – How MediaMarktSaturn Turned Valentine’s Day Into a TikTok Event
- Crossing Oceans with Micro-Influencers – SKIN&LAB’s U.S. Expansion Playbook
- Breathing Life Into Brand Storytelling – So!Flow’s Authentic Self-Care Campaign
- Turning Scrolls into Brand Stories
- Frequently Asked Questions
Owning the Feed – How The Raw. Hijacked TikTok’s First Impression Slot
Let’s face it: TikTok users scroll like they’re training for the thumb Olympics. If your brand isn’t grabbing attention in the first second, you’re practically invisible. That’s why The Raw., a Malaysian cosmetic brand, went all in on TikTok’s Reach & Frequency (R&F) Top Feed ads — the golden ticket to being the very first thing users see when they open the app.
It’s like getting front-row seats at a concert, except in this case, your brand is the opening act.
But here’s where it gets clever: The Raw. didn’t just stop at awareness. They built a full-funnel flow — starting with Top Feed to drive recognition, then layering in Community Interaction ads to deepen engagement, and finally retargeting warmed-up users with Shop Ads.
Think of it as speed dating: you grab attention, charm your way into a conversation, and then seal the deal with a direct purchase option.
The Case Study: The Raw.’s Ramadan Power Play
During Ramadan 2024, The Raw. knew their audience would be actively shopping for skincare and beauty products (after all, everyone wants to look fresh for Raya). They launched a multi-stage campaign:
- Top Feed Ads: Owned the “For You” front door by being the first ad slot users saw when opening TikTok.
- Community Interaction Ads: Encouraged users to follow their page and explore more videos, effectively turning passive scrollers into brand-aware followers.
- Shop Ads (Video Shopping Ads, LIVE Shopping Ads, Product Shopping Ads): Retargeted users who had already engaged, giving them clickable product anchors that led directly to TikTok Shop checkout.
This wasn’t just an ad campaign — it was a synchronized funnel, carefully designed to capture attention, build trust, and drive purchase in one seamless flow.
Results & Why It Worked
The numbers tell the story:
- +23.8% uplift in conversion rate when users had seen branding ads first.
- -10.2% cost per acquisition for primed users.
- +16% Shop Ads bidding efficiency and +24% conversion uplift when pairing branding with retargeting.
The brilliance here lies in sequencing. The Raw. proved that awareness ads don’t just build recognition — they directly impact conversions when layered strategically with commerce ads. Instead of treating brand campaigns as “fluffy top-of-funnel stuff,” they used them to prime an audience for cheaper, more efficient retargeting.
Key Takeaway
Don’t think of awareness and conversion as separate silos. Instead, treat branding as the warm-up act for your performance campaign. Get in front of your audience first, build familiarity, and then let retargeting close the loop. If you want better ROI on TikTok Shop, prime your audience before pitching them products.
From Local Cheers to Global Chants – Newcastle United’s Spark Ad Takeover
Most sports clubs rely on TV spots and stadium banners to grow their fanbases. Newcastle United flipped the script and leaned into TikTok with one central weapon: Spark Ads. The genius? Instead of pushing polished, corporate-style promos, they took organic, authentic fan-style content (kit launches, behind-the-scenes locker room footage, tunnel walks, player challenges) and simply amplified it with paid reach.
This combo lets them scale globally without losing the raw, community-first energy that fans crave. Think of it like putting a megaphone on your best fan chant — it’s still authentic, but suddenly everyone in the stadium can hear it.
The Case Study: Newcastle’s Global Expansion
Fresh off new ownership and ambitious growth goals, Newcastle United wanted to grow an international fanbase. TikTok became the perfect stage. Working with agency partner The Social Co., the club ran a two-phase Spark Ads campaign:
- Phase 1 (Kit Launch): Leveraged the hype of their 2024/25 adidas kit drop. One hero video + behind-the-scenes content → 6M impressions, 400K+ new followers, 126K likes.
- Phase 2 (Ongoing Engagement): Expanded with fresh content like goal replays, matchday rituals, and viral player challenges.
By boosting their most engaging organic clips with Spark Ads, they kept content authentic while pushing it into new markets (Saudi Arabia, Brazil, etc.), aligning perfectly with player heritage and global strategy.
@nufc Our city. Our team. Our kit. The Newcastle United 25/26 home kit - available May 29th in-store and online 🖤 @adidas
Results & Why It Worked
The campaign crushed expectations:
- 189M+ impressions
- 7.7M paid likes
- 1.8M paid followers
Spark Ads were the secret weapon — they blended organic authenticity with paid reach, which is basically the antidote to the overly-polished “corporate promo” vibe that fans tend to ignore. By using interest-based and lookalike targeting, Newcastle reached beyond their local fanbase into global markets, growing both credibility and community.
Key Takeaway
If you’re trying to scale awareness globally, don’t ditch authenticity for reach — amplify what’s already working organically. Spark Ads are like pouring rocket fuel on your best TikTok posts, letting you grow without losing the human, relatable edge that audiences trust.
Faith Meets Funnel – Ummul Qura’s Educational Commerce Strategy
When most people think “TikTok Shop,” they picture beauty products, fashion hauls, or viral gadgets. Ummul Qura, a religious book publisher, showed that even spiritual education can thrive on TikTok by using a dual-layer funnel strategy:
- Reach & Frequency (R&F) Ads to scale awareness.
- Product GMV Max to optimize commerce delivery and maximize return on spend.
Instead of choosing between branding and performance, they fused them into one seamless approach — delivering both inspiration and conversion. In other words, they weren’t just selling books; they were selling knowledge and making it shoppable.
The Case Study: Scaling During Ramadan
As Ramadan approached, Ummul Qura saw an opportunity to connect with audiences seeking educational and spiritual content. They launched a full-funnel TikTok campaign:
- Product GMV Max Tool: Optimized creative assets across all shoppable placements (For You feed, TikTok Shop tab, search results). Unified videos and product cards made it easier for audiences to discover, learn, and buy in one scroll.
- R&F Ads: Ran branding-focused ads to expand reach predictably, ensuring they consistently hit target frequency and scale.
- Precise Attribution: By using a one-day attribution window, they could track same-day orders and measure ROI with accuracy.
The magic here is that they didn’t just advertise products — they blended their mission (educating Muslims) with commerce formats, so the campaign felt less like “ads” and more like “valuable content with easy access to books.”
Results & Why It Worked
With only a <30% increase in ad spend, the campaign delivered:
- +23% purchases
- +14% GMV (gross merchandise value)
- 1.9x ROI
The key driver? Pairing broad awareness campaigns (R&F) with conversion-focused Product GMV Max, ensuring that the funnel didn’t just stop at education but nudged audiences into purchases.
This approach also future-proofed their brand: by building awareness at scale, they didn’t just sell books for Ramadan — they grew recognition that will support long-term sales.
Key Takeaway
Don’t choose between reach and conversion. Instead, layer them together. If your brand has an educational or mission-driven edge, let that message drive awareness — but always back it up with commerce tools that make it easy for audiences to buy in the moment. Awareness + accessibility = sustainable sales growth.
Love at First Scroll – How MediaMarktSaturn Turned Valentine’s Day Into a TikTok Event
Some brands wait for Valentine’s Day to push chocolates and roses. MediaMarktSaturn — Europe’s go-to retailer for consumer electronics — decided to make February 14th less about flowers and more about fun, tech-powered experiences.
Their secret? Turning a cultural holiday into a brand stage by combining high-impact TikTok placements (Max Pulse + TopView) with interactive features (Branded Effects).
Instead of asking, “How do we sell more products this Valentine’s?” they reframed it as: “How do we become part of the cultural conversation around Valentine’s Day?” The result: a campaign that wasn’t just about products, but about play, participation, and personality.
The Case Study: Valentine’s Day, But Make It Techy
MediaMarktSaturn built their campaign through TikTok’s Commercial Partnership Solution, which basically lets brands hijack cultural moments with a package of placements and creative support. Their mix looked like this:
- Max Pulse: Ads placed next to top-performing content in trending categories like gaming and fashion. Translation: they didn’t just ride the algorithm, they piggybacked on what users were already obsessed with.
- TopView: The ultimate visibility play — appearing the second users opened the app. Instant “front row” attention.
- Branded Effect: An interactive Valentine’s-themed filter that got users to engage, play, and create.
To polish it all, they tapped into TikTok’s Content Solutions Package — creators, agency support, and data-driven creative insights — to ensure their campaign felt native, not corporate.
@mediamarktsaturn Blumen, Schokolade oder Luftballons? 😐 Ganz nett, aber auch ein bisschen einfallslos. Deshalb überrascht eure Liebsten dieses Jahr mit Technik, die von Herzen kommt. ❤️ #Valentinstag #MediaMarktSaturn
Results & Why It Worked
The numbers? Basically Cupid-level accuracy:
- +247% engagement rate
- +107% increase in 6-second view-through rate
- +116% increase in average watch time
Max Pulse alone brought an 85.7% engagement rate and a 41% lift in CTR. Beyond numbers, a Brand Lift Study showed +2.3% ad recall and +4.2% favorability. Translation: people not only remembered the brand but liked it more.
This worked because MediaMarktSaturn didn’t force their way into the conversation — they designed a campaign that blended seasonal timing, cultural relevance, and playful interactivity.
Key Takeaway
If you want to stand out during holidays, don’t just slap a heart emoji on your logo. Build campaigns that merge cultural relevance with interactivity. Seasonal moments are when audiences are primed to engage — meet them there with creativity that feels native, not intrusive.
Crossing Oceans with Micro-Influencers – SKIN&LAB’s U.S. Expansion Playbook
Breaking into a new international market isn’t about shouting louder — it’s about speaking the right language (literally and culturally). Korean skincare brand SKIN&LAB wanted to grow in the U.S. beauty market, but instead of relying solely on polished brand videos, they used a more strategic weapon: U.S.-based micro-influencers.
By partnering with creators who already had credibility with American skincare enthusiasts, SKIN&LAB didn’t feel like a foreign newcomer — they felt like a trusted recommendation popping up on someone’s For You feed. Then, by amplifying these posts with Spark Ads, they scaled authenticity into mass awareness.
The Case Study: A U.S. Skincare Love Affair
Working with creative agency G Futures, SKIN&LAB deployed a two-pronged approach:
- Reach Objective: First, cast the widest net possible by pushing impressions at scale. This got the brand in front of as many U.S. consumers as possible, cost-efficiently.
- Video Views Objective: Next, zero in on users who showed higher engagement potential, making sure they weren’t just seen but actually watched.
Then came the ace move: Spark Ads. By boosting top-performing micro-influencer videos directly in the For You feed, the brand blended right into the native TikTok experience. No “this looks like an ad” vibes — just skincare tips, routines, and transformations that also happened to feature SKIN&LAB.
@skinnlab_global by @sambstarr ❤️ Testing out two new skincare gems! #skinnlab #skinnab_global #skincareroutine #bakuchioleyeserum #tiktokshopmothersday
Results & Why It Worked
In just seven days, the campaign crushed benchmarks:
- 380K+ impressions
- 43% six-second focused view rate across 38 videos
- 15% lower CPM than benchmarks
This approach worked because it combined authentic storytelling with efficient scaling tools. Instead of pushing a foreign brand voice, SKIN&LAB borrowed the trust of local creators and then used TikTok’s ad formats to make sure those voices were heard at scale.
Key Takeaway
If you’re expanding into new markets, remember: locals trust locals. Tap into micro-influencers who already have cultural resonance, then use tools like Spark Ads to scale that resonance without losing authenticity. Global growth starts with local voices.
Breathing Life Into Brand Storytelling – So!Flow’s Authentic Self-Care Campaign
Most cosmetic brands on TikTok talk about glowing skin, shiny hair, or the “five steps to flawless beauty.” So!Flow by Vis Plantis did something different: they told a story about slowing down, self-care, and breathing. Their “BREATHE” campaign wasn’t just about pushing product benefits — it was about aligning their cosmetics brand with a lifestyle value their audience craved.
The twist? They paired this storytelling with TikTok-native ad formats like Spark Ads, boosting authentic posts that already resonated organically. In other words, instead of forcing ads, they let community-driven content carry the message, then scaled it with paid reach.
The Case Study: The “ODETCHNIJ” Movement
Working with PromoTraffic Agency, So!Flow launched their BREATHE (ODETCHNIJ) campaign with dual goals: brand promotion and community empowerment.
- Content: Short, aesthetic videos showing moments of slowing down — paired with product visuals and benefits. The vibe? Calming, relatable, almost therapeutic.
- Targeting: Women in Poland aged 18–45, aligning the brand’s products with the self-care needs of a very specific group.
- Execution: Boosted with Spark Ads, ensuring authentic, well-performing posts reached more users. Split testing helped refine which groups responded best, building valuable audience insights for future campaigns.
@soflowpl Jaki jest Twój ulubiony zapach antyperspirantów i dezodorantów so!flow? 🍍 Liczi kokos czy 🍓 owoce leśne? Daj znać w komentarzu! 👇 Pamiętaj, że znajdziesz je w drogeriach Rossmann! 🛍️ #soflow #kosmetyki #dezodorant #fitness #antyperspirant #rossmannpl
Results & Why It Worked
The campaign delivered:
- 10M+ video views
- 1M+ people reached
- 35% higher CTR compared to other platforms
- Plus, increased sales in Rossmann stores and expanded product lines (face products, deodorants, antiperspirants).
Why did this work? Because So!Flow didn’t just advertise cosmetics — they positioned themselves as allies in women’s wellness journeys. The campaign resonated emotionally first, and that emotional connection translated into measurable awareness and sales.
Key Takeaway
Don’t just market your product — market the lifestyle, values, or emotional relief your product represents. When your brand stands for something bigger than “buy me,” audiences reward you with attention, engagement, and loyalty. Pair that with TikTok-native formats, and you’re building both community and sales.
Turning Scrolls into Brand Stories
If there’s one thing these six campaigns prove, it’s that TikTok isn’t just another channel for ads — it’s a cultural playground where brands can spark conversations, build communities, and turn awareness into action.
Whether it’s The Raw. owning the first scroll of the day, Newcastle United using Spark Ads to rally global fans, or So!Flow weaving self-care into storytelling, each strategy shows the same truth: authenticity scales when paired with the right tools.
What makes TikTok different is the blend of creativity and commerce. It’s not about polished, one-way ads; it’s about interactive, relatable content that earns attention and makes shopping effortless.
So the question isn’t “Should I use TikTok for brand awareness?” — it’s “How soon can I start experimenting?” Because the brands that move first don’t just get seen — they get remembered. And in today’s attention economy, memory equals market share.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are more brands shifting their budgets to TikTok over traditional platforms?
Because TikTok enables brands to reach younger, highly engaged audiences in more immersive ways, many are reallocating spend toward its ad formats, driven by the platform’s ability to deliver measurable ROI across brand and performance objectives.
How important is trendjacking for brand awareness campaigns on TikTok?
Incorporating timely pop culture or viral moments into campaigns can significantly boost visibility, as trendjacking on TikTok helps brands ride existing momentum rather than trying to generate it from scratch.
What makes TikTok different from other platforms in terms of marketing strategy?
Unlike platforms built around static content, TikTok rewards creativity in motion, pushing marketers to produce dynamic videos that align with user behavior and native storytelling.
How can user-generated content (UGC) amplify a brand campaign on TikTok?
Encouraging fans to co-create content not only increases authenticity but also unlocks viral potential; some of the most impactful campaigns have harnessed user-generated content on TikTok to build trust and scale impressions organically.
Are TikTok challenges still effective for driving engagement?
Yes—when aligned with brand values and executed creatively, TikTok challenges can spark massive participation while subtly reinforcing brand messaging.
How are fashion brands using TikTok to drive brand affinity?
Many are embracing native video formats and tapping into culture-driven moments; the TikTok fashion playbook reveals how creators, not commercials, are shaping consumer decisions.
Can TikTok deliver results for industries outside of lifestyle or beauty?
Absolutely—sports, for instance, have found success using TikTok to boost fan interaction, as shown by Ligue 1’s record engagement on the platform through content that matches the tone and rhythm of the feed.
What are the key components of a successful TikTok campaign structure?
Campaigns that blend storytelling, community interaction, and shopping triggers perform best, especially when built using TikTok’s case study-backed campaign blueprint for advertisers.
