Which brands have gone viral on TikTok?

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What does "going viral" actually look like on TikTok for a brand?

Viral success on TikTok means achieving rapid, exponential reach with millions of views, thousands of comments, and significant spikes in profile visits and follower growth.

For brands, viral moments typically generate 1-5 million views within 24-48 hours, accompanied by engagement rates of 8-15% (compared to the platform average of 3-5%). Comments often exceed 10,000, shares reach the thousands, and profile visits can increase by 500-1000% during the viral period.

The algorithm heavily weights shares (7x more than likes) and comments (5x more than likes), meaning viral content creates a snowball effect where engagement begets more engagement. Successful viral moments also drive measurable business outcomes: website traffic increases by 200-400%, brand searches spike by 300-600%, and sales can jump 50-200% during and immediately after the viral period.

Most importantly, viral content on TikTok spreads beyond the platform, generating organic mentions across Instagram, Twitter, and traditional media outlets, creating a multi-platform brand awareness boost that extends the viral moment's impact for weeks or months.

Which specific brands have gone viral recently, and what kind of content did they post?

Recent viral successes showcase diverse strategies from organic user-generated content to strategic influencer partnerships.

Dr. Scholl's achieved massive viral reach through organic user-generated content featuring their sneakers in European travel videos, sparking a trend among younger audiences without any overt sponsorship. Little Moons leveraged trending audio like "Girl Dinner" and "Hi Barbie" to create comedic, relatable content about finding their mochi products in stores, reaching over 460 million views with their branded hashtag.

Dunkin' Donuts built sustained viral success through their partnership with Charli D'Amelio, who created over 120 videos around "The Charli" drink, consistently using trending sounds and authentic excitement. Chipotle's Halloween #Boorito challenge with Zach King used magic-style video editing and smooth transitions to drive massive participation. Saikebon created the #TakeEatEasyChallenge across Italy, using funny filters and local influencers to generate humorous eating moments.

Cross-brand collaborations also proved successful, with Duolingo x Scrub Daddy creating chaotic, humorous content that embraced both brands' quirky personalities. Alleyoop demonstrated the power of micro-influencer gifting, sending products to creators like Erica Maria who generated authentic testimonial content that resonated with audiences.

What formats or content types are working best right now for brands on TikTok?

Short-form content between 21-34 seconds drives the highest conversion rates and viewer retention for brands.

Behind-the-scenes content and "day in the life" videos perform exceptionally well because they humanize brands and build authentic connections with audiences. How-to tutorials and educational content position brands as experts while being highly shareable, often achieving 2-3x higher engagement than promotional content.

Storytelling and humor create emotional connections that drive long-term brand loyalty, with relatable skits and customer success stories generating the most comments and shares. User-generated content and branded hashtag challenges foster community engagement and social proof, typically achieving 4-6x higher engagement than brand-created content alone.

Interactive formats including polls, voting mechanisms, and challenges boost participation rates significantly, with challenge-based content generating 50-80% more user participation than static posts. Product demonstrations that feel natural and unscripted outperform polished advertisements by 300-400% in terms of engagement and conversion rates.

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How do these viral brand videos hook viewers in the first few seconds?

Successful viral videos capture attention within the first 3 seconds using direct audience call-outs, bold visual actions, and surprising statements.

The most effective hooks include direct audience targeting like "If you're a foodie, stop scrolling!" or "Anyone else obsessed with..." which creates immediate personal connection. Bold visual actions such as sliding products into frame, using unexpected props, or breaking the fourth wall create pattern interrupts that force viewers to pause their scrolling.

Surprising statements or intriguing questions like "THIS is what happens when..." or "Have you heard of..." create curiosity gaps that viewers need to fill. Starting with recognizable trending audio instantly signals relevance to the TikTok algorithm and user expectations, increasing the likelihood of continued viewing.

Fast pacing with visual or audio changes every 3-5 seconds maintains attention throughout the video, while emotional hooks that promise entertainment, education, or insider knowledge perform consistently well. The most successful brands combine multiple hook types, starting with visual impact, adding audio relevance, and including direct audience engagement within the first few seconds.

What kind of music, sounds, or trends did these brands use to boost virality?

Trending songs and sounds are crucial for viral success, with 67% of TikTok users preferring brand videos that feature popular or trending music.

Little Moons strategically used trending sounds like "Girl Dinner" and "Hi Barbie" to tap into existing viral moments and extend their reach. Dunkin' Donuts and Chipotle consistently leveraged trending audio while maintaining brand authenticity, ensuring their content felt native to the platform rather than forced or promotional.

Original brand jingles can also achieve viral status when they're catchy and memeable, though they require more strategic promotion to gain initial traction. Brands that participate in viral trends, challenges, and meme formats see 40-60% higher reach than those using only original audio.

The key is timing—jumping on trends within 24-48 hours of their emergence maximizes reach potential, while using sounds after they've peaked rarely generates significant engagement. Successful brands monitor trending audio daily and have content creation processes that allow rapid response to emerging trends.

What was the tone or personality of the brand in those viral posts?

Successful viral brands adopt casual, authentic, and playful tones that feel genuinely human rather than corporate.

Did these brands collaborate with influencers, and if so, who and how?

Strategic influencer partnerships played crucial roles in most viral brand successes, ranging from mega-influencer collaborations to micro-influencer gifting strategies.

Major partnerships included Charli D'Amelio with Dunkin' Donuts creating over 120 videos, Zach King with Chipotle for the #Boorito challenge, and Khaby Lame with Hugo Boss. These partnerships worked because they felt authentic—influencers genuinely used and enjoyed the products, creating content that felt natural rather than forced.

Micro-influencer strategies proved equally effective, with Alleyoop's gifting campaign to creators like Erica Maria generating authentic testimonial content. Cross-brand collaborations like Duolingo x Scrub Daddy created viral moments by combining complementary brand personalities and audiences.

Successful brands use TikTok's Creator Marketplace, strategic hashtag monitoring, and direct outreach to identify creators whose audiences and values align with their brand. The key is prioritizing authentic fit over follower count—creators with 10K-100K highly engaged followers often generate better ROI than mega-influencers with millions of less engaged followers.

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How often were they posting before they went viral — was it consistent or random?

Consistent posting schedules significantly increase viral potential, with TikTok recommending 1-3 posts per day for maximum algorithmic reach.

Industry analysis shows food & beverage brands average 1.2 posts per week, retail brands post twice weekly, and fashion brands maintain 1.9 posts per week. However, brands that achieve viral success typically post more frequently in the weeks leading up to their viral moment, often increasing to daily posting to maximize their chances of algorithmic pickup.

Batch filming and content calendar strategies help maintain quality while increasing posting frequency. Brands that sustain momentum after going viral continue regular posting schedules, adapting content types and frequency based on performance analytics and audience response.

The most successful approach combines consistent baseline posting (3-5 times per week) with the ability to rapidly increase frequency when trends emerge or viral moments begin. Adaptability in posting schedule—increasing when content performs well and adjusting when engagement drops—proves more effective than rigid scheduling.

What hashtags did they use, and how did that affect reach and visibility?

Strategic hashtag combinations mixing branded, trending, and niche-specific tags maximize reach potential and algorithmic discovery.

Successful campaigns used branded hashtags like #littlemoons (460M+ views), #TakeEatEasyChallenge, #CharliRunsOnDunkin, and #Boorito to create trackable brand movements. These were combined with trending hashtags relevant to content themes and location-based hashtags for regional targeting.

The most effective strategy uses 3-5 hashtags total: one branded hashtag, 1-2 trending hashtags, and 1-2 niche-specific hashtags. Avoiding overly broad hashtags like #fyp or #viral prevents content from getting lost in oversaturated feeds, while targeted hashtags increase chances of reaching genuinely interested audiences.

Challenge-specific hashtags encourage user-generated content and participation, creating viral loops where users create content using brand hashtags, expanding reach organically. Regular hashtag performance monitoring and quarterly rotation prevent hashtag fatigue and maintain discovery potential.

What was the call to action, if any, and how did they turn views into conversions or followers?

Clear, direct calls to action placed strategically in the final 3-5 seconds of videos can boost engagement and conversions by up to 55.7%.

Effective CTAs include "Tap the link in bio," "Shop now," "Comment below," and "Share this with a friend," often combined with urgency elements like "Limited-time offer" or "Don't miss out!" The most successful brands place CTAs in multiple locations: spoken in the video, written in captions, and pinned in comments for maximum visibility.

Dr. Scholl's capitalized on their viral moment by adding "As Seen on TikTok" banners to their website and product pages, directly connecting viral content to sales pages. Other brands used profile link optimization, directing traffic to landing pages specifically designed for TikTok audiences with mobile-optimized checkout processes.

The key is making CTAs feel natural and valuable rather than pushy—successful brands frame actions as opportunities to get exclusive content, discounts, or insider access rather than simple sales pitches. Converting views to followers requires consistent value delivery post-viral moment, maintaining the same content quality and engagement level that drove initial success.

How did their engagement metrics change after going viral — comments, shares, profile visits?

Viral moments create dramatic spikes across all engagement metrics, with shares and comments weighted most heavily by TikTok's algorithm for sustained growth.

What are these brands doing now to sustain the momentum after their viral moment?

Successful brands treat viral moments as launchpads rather than endpoints, implementing strategic follow-up campaigns and consistent content strategies.

Content diversification becomes crucial—brands experiment with new features, update hashtag strategies quarterly, and rotate content pillars to avoid audience fatigue. Little Moons continues creating trend-aware content while maintaining their comedic brand voice, consistently participating in new trending sounds and challenges.

Community building through direct comment responses, Q&A sessions, and user recognition helps convert viral viewers into loyal followers. Cross-platform content repurposing maximizes reach by adapting TikTok content for Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, and other platforms, extending the viral moment's impact across digital channels.

Analytics monitoring and strategy refinement based on retention rates, engagement patterns, and follower growth helps brands maintain relevance and continue growing. The most successful brands establish viral moment documentation processes, analyzing what worked to create repeatable frameworks for future viral potential.

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Conclusion

Sources

1. Convince and Convert - TikTok Magic: How Four Brands Cashed In On Going Viral
2. Goat Agency - Food Brands on TikTok
3. InBeat Agency - Best TikTok Ads
4. Planly - TikTok Brand Collaborations
5. WordStream - TikTok Marketing
6. Sprinklr - TikTok Hashtag Strategy
7. Shorts Generator - What Happens When You Go Viral on TikTok
8. Swydo - TikTok Metrics Organic

Who is the author of this content?

NAPOLIFY

A team specialized in data-driven growth strategies for social media

We offer data-driven, battle-tested approach to growing online profiles, especially on platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook. Unlike traditional agencies or consultants who often recycle generic advice, we go on the field and we keep analyzing real-world social content—breaking down hundreds of viral posts to identify what formats, hooks, and strategies actually drive engagement, conversions, and growth. If you'd like to learn more about us, you can check our website.