Mucinex dares TikTok users to share their 'sickest' Halloween looks

Brief:

Mucinex cough medicine is running a Halloween-themed campaign on social video app TikTok that urges people to share their before-and-after looks as they get into costume, per an announcement shared with Mobile Marketer. With the campaign, Mucinex becomes the first over-the-counter (OTC) brand to partner with the platform.
To participate in the "Too Sick to Be Sick" challenge, TikTok users must post videos that contrast their "Too Sick" suffering from a cold with the "So Sick" glamour of getting ready for Halloween festivities. Mucinex hired several TikTok influencers to create suggested styles that people can use in their videos, which must include the #toosicktobesick hashtag to be grouped with other posts on the social video app.
The brand is promoting its Nightshift medicine in the campaign, which runs through Nov. 2. Mucinex, which is made by CPG giant Reckitt Benckiser, worked with McCann Health and McCann New York on the sponsored challenge.

Insight:

Mucinex's branded hashtag challenge aims to engage Generation Z consumers with a participatory campaign that urges viral sharing on TikTok, the social video app with more than 500 million users worldwide. As of press time, videos with #TooSickToBeSick hashtag tallied more than 94 million views, indicating that the campaign had gained traction.

"Too Sick to Be Sick" challenge on TikTok.

Mucinex

Mucinex claims that it's the first OTC brand to run a hashtag challenge on TikTok, marking the platform's extension into a new product category. TikTok helps to drive viewership of branded hashtag challenges like Mucinex's by featuring them in its feed of trending videos. From there, users who feel inspired to participate can create their own videos that spread Mucinex's branding and may drive sales ahead of the winter season. Brands as varied as American Eagle Outfitters, Chipotle Mexican Grille, Kind Snacks, the NFL and Walmart are among the first major companies to create similar campaigns for the popular social video platform.

TikTok, which is owned by Chinese tech giant ByteDance, last month was the most downloaded social media app worldwide with 60 million installs, per an estimate by researcher Sensor Tower. About 40% of users are 16 to 24 years old, researcher GlobalWebIndex found in a global survey. The age group tends to prefer "snackable" mobile videos that can be watched throughout the day instead of sitting down to view longer content at once, making TikTok an ideal platform for sponsors who want to reach Gen Z consumers on the go.