• TikTok has announced its first ever Ad Awards for the METAP region, including South Africa.
• The TikTok Ad Awards is “designed to celebrate the brands and agencies leading the way” on the social media platform.
• The deadline for entry submission is 6th September 2024.

While the United States government is trying to get it sold or banned, it has hard to deny the pervasiveness of a social media platform like TikTok.

It is why many brands are turning to it in order to showcase their latest products and shying away from more problematic platforms like X. It is with this in mind that the first ever TikTok Ad Awards have been announced for the Middle East, Turkey, Africa, and Pakistan (METAP) region.

The TikTok Ad Awards is designed to celebrate the brands and agencies leading the way on platform with creative and high-performing campaigns, as well as highlighting innovative ways that advertising experiences are delivered.

“The Awards will showcase some of the most inspiring advertising campaigns that have brought authenticity, creativity and joy to the platform while achieving groundbreaking results. The initiative aims to acknowledge exceptional talent and innovation within the region,” notes TikTok in a release shared with Hypertext.

Submissions from brands and agencies based in the METAP region, which encompasses Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Egypt, Turkey, South Africa, and Pakistan, are now open.

The program features six main categories, which are:

• “It’s the Creative for me: Focuses on the idea and its strategy, and celebrates the brands and agencies that dared to push the boundaries of creativity with campaigns that were built TikTok-first, and showcased impactful results.
• Community Core: Celebrates the best use of creators and the community. Shows how creators can use their unique voices and content styles seamlessly within your campaign idea.
• Bougie on a Budget: This category is for campaigns with the most creative use of modest production budgets and resources through both paid and organic content with community management to create maximum impact.
• Sound On Please!: Celebrates campaigns that use sound as an entry-point to their creative idea. There are so many different types of sound, different uses of sound, and likewise different creative approaches to the use of sound on TikTok.
• The Trendsetter: Reimagine advertising through TikTok, showcasing your innovation and ability to captivate audiences and drive bold, effective ideas through the unique utilisation of ad products with a measurable impact on the platform.
• The People’s Choice: Chosen through a vote by the guests of the ceremony. The highest accolade – The Greatest Of All Time (The G.O.A.T) – will be presented to the best overall campaign that excels in creativity, achieves its media objectives and demonstrates effectiveness. This award aims to recognise campaigns that really tapped into TikTok’s community, creativity and trends to inspire joy and create cultural moments. All applications submitted under any of the six main categories will be automatically considered for the G.O.A.T.”

Agencies and creatives are urged to head here to find out more information, as well as make their submissions before the closing date of 6th September 2024. Winners will be announced in November, but no precise date has been outlined.