Dive Brief:

• Chevrolet made its first appearance on social video app TikTok with a rebooted version of "My Truck," the hit song by hip-hop performer Breland. The General Motors brand features its Silverado full-size pickup truck in the video, while the lyrics mention the Chevy Trucks lineup, per an announcement.
• Chevrolet posted the video to its TikTok profile page, which launched earlier this month to showcase the carmaker's latest models and has nearly 140,000 followers. The music video shows three models of the Silverado in different settings throughout Nashville, while Breland discusses the background for his hit song and enthusiasm for the brand in a separate video interview.
• The music video and recently launched TikTok channel point to how the vehicle brand seeks to target younger consumers who tend to be heavier users of social media. The pandemic has increased people's time spent watching digital video and connecting through social media, making the platforms more significant for marketers looking to reach homebound consumers.

Dive Insight:

Chevrolet's music video on TikTok aims to highlight its brand among a younger generation of consumers who are reaching the age of purchasing their first vehicle. Trucks tend to be more popular with younger adults, as 50% of new truck buyers are between the ages of 25 to 54, compared with 43% of SUV buyers, according to data compiled by digital marketing firm Hedges & Co. The pandemic depressed automotive sales as more people worked from home or were unemployed, but there are signs that demand is recovering as the economy rebounds from lockdowns. Chevrolet aims to be top-of-mind among the most likely truck buyers with its expanded presence on the buzz social media app.

@chevrolet

Time to pickup and get down with ##Silverado and @breland . ##MyTruck

My Chevy Truck - BRELAND

By enlisting hip-hop artist Breland to appear in a music video on TikTok, Chevrolet aims to reach Generation Z, which is the most multiethnic demographic group in U.S. history. Breland's song "My Truck" is similar to Lil Nas X's "Old Town Road" in showing broad appeal as a "country trap" song that mixes country-western and hip-hop genres. Breland said in the press release that Chevy appreciates that truck enthusiasts are getting younger and more diverse, an insight that also inspired the song.

Chevrolet is among the brands that have embraced hip-hop artists in their marketing campaigns to appeal to younger audiences. Chevrolet's campaign is another sign of parent company General Motors' effort to adopt more inclusive themes in its advertising, as seen with this year's most significant update to its logo in more than five decades. As of press time, the video had more than 70 million views on TikTok, demonstrating the wide reach the app offers.

Chevrolet's expanded presence on TikTok comes as the social video app emerges from turbulent period that nearly resulted in a U.S. ban because its ownership by a Chinese company raised national security concerns. The Biden administration is said to be developing a strategy for Chinese technology companies that differs from former President Trump's stance. The proposed acquisition of TikTok by Oracle and Walmart to satisfy concerns about national security is on hold until a new policy is hammered out. It's possible that that a trusted third party will manage TikTok's consumer data in the U.S. to address concerns about privacy and help to drive adoption by more marketers in their social media campaigns.