Dive Brief:
- Amazon Prime Video France launched "Cités" exclusively on TikTok in late February, per details shared with Marketing Dive. The series, written and directed by French author and artist Abd Al Malik, shows how a group of friends, aged 15 to 25, use the app to explore France's cultural heritage.
- "Cités" is comprised of a dozen episodes up to 60 seconds long and will run on TikTok on the @primevideofr page. To cast the show, Prime Video launched the #PrimeVideoCasting challenge last December, asking users to reinterpret something classic from French culture. The challenge netted more than 45,000 participants and 105 million views.
- Conceived by Paris agency Herezie, "Cités" is billed as the first Prime Video series that is "100% TikTok," with casting, shooting, editing, post-production and broadcasting decisions all made with the platform in mind, an approach that could help Amazon Prime Video reach a broad group of young French viewers.
Dive Insight:
Amazon Prime Video France's decision to produce content exclusively for TikTok demonstrates the power of the social video app in reaching younger consumers. More than half (58%) of Gen Z and one-third (33%) of millennials are now using the app, per a YPulse survey. Even for a digital streaming platform like Amazon Prime, which presumably already reaches young consumers looking for alternatives to traditional TV, TikTok can help it broaden its appeal to this demographic. Through the focus on TikTok, the creators hope to support the series' message that there is still a connection between France's youth and the country's cultural heritage.
"Cités" is notable because all production and distribution decisions, from casting to editing, were made with TikTok in mind. As younger consumers seek authenticity in content and advertising, it is crucial for creators to tailor their creative to fit the quickly growing app. The vertical video format popularized by social media apps like TikTok has led marketers, including Taco Bell, to adopt it for other formats.
After weathering the storm of a potential ban in the U.S., TikTok continues to develop as a key platform for marketers. Chevrolet last month made its first appearance on the app with a remix of a viral song titled "My Truck." TikTok also announced a multiyear partnership with soccer teams Portland Timbers and Portland Thorns FC designed to connect with fans through mobile content, in-stadium moments, player appearances and more.
Agencies are also increasingly interested in TikTok. Previously, WPP and TikTok began a global partnership that grants the agency holding group early access to the social video app's latest advertising products and mobile innovations. WPP will receive exclusive access to some TikTok creators, opening collaboration opportunities for select advertising clientele, and is developing creator-focused applications for TikTok as the platform's lead agency development partner — including ways for brands to glean deeper insights into talent and more easily connect with diverse voices.
