Revealed: Eight popular Australian businesses on TikTok in 2021

Digital bank Up and Melbourne-based bakery Goldelucks are among the most creative Australian businesses on TikTok this year, and are being celebrated for having used the social media platform to reach new audiences and kickstart trends.

It’s no surprise more Australian brands have joined TikTok in a bid to get their products in front of more potential customers. The short-form video sharing app was the second most downloaded app in Australia after Zoom last year. According to Roy Morgan, 2.5 million Australians used TikTok in the first half of 2020.

As of September this year, TikTok had reached 1 billion active monthly users worldwide. And insights by AppAnnie found users spent an average of 16.8 hours a month on the platform — that’s more than the 16.3 hours that users spend on YouTube.

Announcing the most creative Australian businesses and campaigns on the platform, regional general manager at TikTok global business solutions Brett Armstrong commended the creativity that brands brought to the app.

“2021 was the year that TikTok became a launchpad for must-have brands and products that the community loves,” Armstrong said.

Here are some of the most creative Australian businesses and campaigns on TikTok in 2021.

Goldelucks

Goldelucks is a chain of bakeries located in the Melbourne suburbs of Croydon South, Ringwood and Patterson Lakes.

The business, which also sells nation-wide online, specialises in donuts, gift boxes, brownies, cookie cakes, explosion boxes, and what it calls ‘cheeky gifts’.

Thanks to the Goldelucks’ wildly popular videos of cake explosion boxes and rudely shaped donuts, it has attracted 19.8 million likes and almost 800,000 followers on TikTok.

@goldelucks

now back in stock!

♬ Brityardigans – T. Kyle

Max Hawker

Max Hawker is not a stereotypical TikTok user: he’s the owner of the Queensland-based computer repairs business Hawker IT.

After joining TikTok in 2020 to share videos of recovering phone data and fixing Nintendo Gameboys, Hawker has now built a fanbase of 460,000 followers and 5.7 million likes.

@maxhawker

iPhone X won’t boot! So I fixed it. #aiadwm #repair #tech #iphone #yeet #fyp #foryoupage

♬ original sound – Max Hawker

Miss Customs

Australian artist Miss Customs sells custom sneaker designs, painting unique colour combinations on a pair of shoes for between $300 to $850.

With 7.5 million likes and 313,000 followers, the artist’s painting videos have clearly been a TikTok hit.

@misscustoms

10/10 for the colour combo #af1pixel #af1pixelcustoms #customaf1 #customaf1s

♬ original sound – hemsworthy.ae

Shelby Sherritt

Shelby Sherritt is a potter who sells hand-made mugs, ornaments and other colourfully glazed giftware.

Filming from her studio in Ballarat, Sherritt’s videos have attracted the attention of 1.8 million followers and 33 million likes on TikTok. Her videos feature her using pottery wheels and carving creative designs.

Bondi Blades

Bondiblades is an e-commerce brand that sells at-home dermaplaning blades, which are used to remove dead skin cells.

Founded by Ali Clark in 2019, the business has used video tutorials on TikTok to show potential customers how to use the product. Clark’s videos have since attracted 40,500 likes.

TikTok brand campaigns

Up

Digital bank Up launched Australia’s first gamified marketing campaign on TikTok this year, driving brand recognition with interactive content. Within three weeks, the campaign had reached almost 20 million views.

To launch the promotion, Up created a coin-eating game that users could play, record and share for the chance to win $1000, if they also posted the hashtag #UpEasyMoney.

@mama_mila_What would you do with $1000? We’re making saving for our dream home easier with @upbanking ##UpEasyMoney ##upbanking ##ad♬ original sound – Chantel Mila | Home Tips

Telstra

According to TikTok, Telstra’s paid and organic content “speaks the language of an under-indexed millennial audience”.

The telco company posts fun videos on TikTok that relate to its services. For instance, the video below, which shows someone levitating because their phone is connected to 5G, has been watched 1.6 million times.

@telstra

Switching to 5G be like… #telstra

♬ Heavenly Sheeeeesh by veryveryvinny – veryveryvinny

Mecca

Cosmetic retailer Mecca was one of the first Australian businesses to launch a livestream campaign that allowed users to shop from TikTok.

In collaboration with the makeup brand Charlotte Tilbury, Mecca’s TikTok campaign made it easy for users to shop from the Mecca website directly from videos, and make their own content about the products.