The making of Modibodi’s TikTok first series I’m Dying Inside provided new challenges and opportunities for the creative team bringing it to life. Ahead of TikTok’s #ForYou Summit in September we deep dive on a standout piece of Australian work which resonated with audiences around the world.
Despite being “definitely not Gen Z”, Modibodi CMO Liana Lorenzato is an avid user of TikTok, with anything from the #leadershiptok genre capturing her interest.
As a user of the platform, she knew exactly what needed to happen when tasked with growing Modibodi’s audience in a younger demographic ahead of the launch of a new lower cost range called ModiBasics.
She explains: “We saw that only 17% of our customers were in the 18 - 25 demographic, so essentially, we were not talking to that audience. And we know how important that audience is to our business, both short term and long term.”
The issue, as every marketer is only too aware, is that this is not an easy to find audience. Howatson+Company copywriter Katy Hulton sums up the challenge as “they are typically quite resistant to traditional forms of advertising and they may not be on those more traditional channels”.
This audience is elusive because they do not occupy the usual places marketers can rely on for reach such as linear TV, with user data showing platforms like TikTok massively over index on females in this age group.
And, while Modibodi already had an active TikTok presence with successful collaborations with various content creators, Lorenzato saw the opportunity to double down and create something which would really grab attention.
Working with creative agency Howatson+Company, content series I’m Dying Inside was born. A short description of it would be a professionally produced comedic short-form content series. It follows four female housemates as they navigate everything from endometriosis flare-ups, to accidental period sex stains, to baby-gay period hook-ups and other “taboo” topics, showing how Modibasics helps you leave leaks out of it.
But that only scratches the surface of this interesting and complex campaign, which has amassed more than 10 million views and been repurposed for audiences across the globe in just two months.
All the lead characters in the show are played by well-known Gen Z creators, with Samantha Andrew, Iolanthe, Kate McGuinness and Natali Caro all collaborating with the Modibodi team to help craft bite-sized snippets which allude to a wider and highly relatable universe their characters live in.
Most brands lean into the ‘organic’ look when it comes to their work across platforms, but Howatson+Company’s Hulton, who helped create the campaign, explains that they had identified this as something that could make I’m Dying Inside really stand out.
“We know that TikTok is becoming a place that's more than just memes, dance trends or flash in the pan moments,” she says. “It's really becoming a place where the entertainment value of TV is being transferred and people are coming there for that level of entertainment. So we really wanted to capture and leverage that to tell these richer stories and connect with people in more meaningful ways.”
The professional production aesthetic is noticeable and stands out on the platform. But four cast members to feature in certain group shots, and videos designed to run for just a couple of minutes each, posed a different set of challenges for the team.
Howatson+Company Art Director, Elly Pipiciello, details one of those challenges as creating a “cinematic” feel in a 9:16 (vertical) format: “We made sure in the script writing process, dialogue was between fewer characters to make sure we could fit them into a narrow frame. We also chose to shoot in a large house, so that we could get a nice depth of field in shots, and even worked with mirrors on set to allude to a larger space.
“And of course, there is that TikTok UI that we needed to work around, so we had to make sure that someone's head wasn't going to get cut off by logos or captions. It was really interesting and a very different challenge from a traditional shoot, but we learned a lot.”
Another challenge to overcome was how to work around sensitive content themes without raising red flags for inappropriate content on the platform. Modibodi is no stranger to this, having previously had seemingly straightforward campaigns pulled down by other social media companies for violating rules.
As Modibodi’s Lorenzato says “we didn't want to do that, we wanted to ensure that we could have the storylines of each individual character come through and not get banned”.
So the team worked closely with TikTok from the outset to ensure they avoided words or phrases which would be flagged by the algorithm for violating community standards.
As copywriter, Hulton (pictured right with Pipiciello) explains, this complexity actually ended up adding to the authenticity of the dialogue: “This audience already talks in that TikTok language, so when we had to revert to safer ways of saying a certain thing, it still felt natural and authentic, because they’re the ones creating that language.”
That sense of authenticity runs through the whole series, with high levels of detail around costumes (thrifted, vintage and upcycled) and even the music, with a specific theme track created for the series which would resonate with the intended audience.
To complement the series and draw a wider audience, the team created an ecosystem of content around it, Just all of the above thanks 🍩🍦What’s your go-to on your period? #period #snack #icecream #modibodi #tiktokseries
One aim for the campaign was to create dialogue and commentary around a topic which is still not openly discussed in many open forums. This inevitably leads to some questions or criticism from the public.
Lorenzato (pictured below right) says this was something the team was well prepared to respond to anyone with “a constructive concern”. But, she says, there is also an upside to this, which is the way the supportive community also steps in on behalf of the brand.
She describes these moments as “quite a win” as they create an opportunity to understand where concerns still lie and help guide more educational content to help break the stigma.
So what does success look like with this work? According to Lorenzato, the first objective was to raise the share of voice for Modibodi in the 18 - 25 demographic, which the brand has done with more than 10 million views across TikTok alone. Engagement has also increased by 90% month on month for the brand since launch, another win. Importantly, it has also stirred interest and early sales for the ModiBasics range, which is aimed at this audience.
As a direct to consumer brand, the content has also been used to drive sales across other important international markets, as Lorenzato points out “the experience of periods is global”, with versions pushed out in French and German and helping to drive attention and sales in the UK and US.
Hulton sums it up as follows: “I think the power of TikTok to be able to tap into this incredible community across the globe is super exciting for us as creatives. We looked at bringing in elements that would tap into international markets, you’ll notice that even the references aren’t localised, they are things that are within culture for this generation around the world.
“There's a real power with that that goes far beyond what you could do with a TV commercial.”
To learn more about how TikTok is the platform for entertainment that drives social impact, join industry experts and TikTok insiders at #ForYou Summit Australia on September 19! Register now: https://bit.ly/FYSAustralia
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