This is not a film, this is a TikTok video
Context
In 2022, TikTok became the first-ever tech company to partner with the Cannes Film Festival, a landmark moment for both TikTok and the film industry. This collaboration strategically aligned with Cannes' commitment to celebrating innovative storytelling, yet many French audiences struggled to grasp the connection.
For them, Cannes represented high art and cinematic excellence, while TikTok was still widely perceived as a platform for casual, low-production-value content. The challenge was to bridge this gap and reframe TikTok as a space for serious storytelling.
Challenge
How can TikTok leverage the Cannes Film Festival’s prestige to shift perception among French non-users, proving that TikTok is a platform for high-quality, high-value entertainment?
Insight
TikTok creators have already mastered cinematic techniques without traditional studios, large budgets, or professional equipment. They were redefining visual storytelling, yet their creative excellence remained largely unrecognised by mainstream audiences. In reality, many TikTok videos were so visually compelling that they could be mistaken for scenes from professional films.
Solution
“This is not a film, this is a TikTok video” was a campaign designed to reclaim the visual language of cinema, elevating TikTok creators’ content by applying classic cinematic tropes and storytelling techniques.
By blurring the line between traditional filmmaking and digital content creation, the campaign proved that TikTok is more than just short-form entertainment, it is a legitimate storytelling platform.
Out-of-home
TV bumpers
Digital video
Role
Creative strategy, creative direction, copywriting, concepting, artistic direction, script writing, leading +5 creatives.