Is TikTok kinda cringe?

It’s ok if you think it is.

And if you feel like you’re a little too old for it, welcome to the club. But what if you turned that insecurity into your secret weapon?

Today you’re about to find out how our client, who was “too old for TikTok,” has used that fact to get 12k followers in just a month!

In today's newsletter:

• WrestleMania’s coming up on 6 & 7 April (and we’ve got content ideas for you!)

• Minecraft’s coming to the big screen (join the social media frenzy as we all guess who will be in the cast)

• Feel too old for TikTok? (how our client grew to 12K followers and 1.9M likes in less than a month, despite being “too old”)

• KWESCHENS with Sophie (y’all she’s got a LIST of most savage coworkers…not sure what that says about TAS)

• Should you be running TikTok ads? (it depends…)
  

- Charlotte, Editor ♡

WrestleMania 40 throws down in Philly on 6 & 7 April.

This isn't just wrestling's biggest event. It's a year-long hype machine. Think epic rivalries (Reigns vs. Rhodes!), legendary returns (The Rock!), and electrifying storytelling.

But beyond the body slams, it's a masterclass in personal branding and storytelling. Wrestling fan or not, you won't want to miss this spectacle.

What can you do?

Predictions: Have your say on the winners and losers of the two nights.

POV: Create captivating POVs of different superstars or audience members in differing scenarios.

Get in the comments: WWE’s TikTok content has been gaining interest as we get closer to WrestleMania. So join the conversation! The most obvious and silliest observations in the comment section garner traction quick.

Calling all crafters! The wait is over (well, almost) for the epic live-action Minecraft movie.

Scheduled to demolish the box office on April 4, 2025, this flick promises to bring the blocky world we know and love to life.

Whispers suggest Jason Momoa, known for his action hero roles, is in talks to join the project. Will he be a stoic warrior or a nuanced villain? The possibilities are intriguing. This makes us wonder if this is at a film with broader ambitions than just a pixelated popcorn flick.

Adding further weight to these rumours is the potential involvement of comedic legend Jack Black. Black's comedic timing could provide a welcome counterpoint to the film's action elements.

The movie's supposed to capture the spirit of the game, which is awesome. But how they'll do that in a movie is anyone's guess.

Why not create some content around how you think this is going to work? Make sure to share your predictions about who’s going to be in the cast and ask your audience to do the same!

- Carter, Intern & Leigh, Videographer

Feel too old for TikTok? Most of us do!

Introducing Smazzi7, your latest TikTok obsession.

But how did we turn a real estate branch manager into a TikTok superstar?

Too often in strategy ideation, a client will have a no-go area of their business. This could be something like a past scandal or public perception, which they then use to ring-fence our planning. When you’re upfront and honest with your audience about these issues, you can actually change public perception and create a winning strategy.

In Steve Maserow’s case, we always knew it was going to be difficult to sell an older real estate agent to a younger audience on TikTok. Instead of sweeping this issue under the rug, we attacked it directly. We actually twisted it into an advantage by making it a key part of our strategy.

How? We went full absurdity, creating a humble character who just wanted to be a part of the TikTok craze.

Now Steve is inundated with people calling him uncle on the platform. His audience constantly tells him he’s the funniest person on the app, clamouring in the comments for more content. Likeability can be hard to build on socials.

But thanks to his authenticity, people are all on board the Smazzi train. Someone even made a fan edit of Steve, a first for any of our clients.

We’re lucky though, because Smazzi is an amazing client, down to do anything we throw at him. As a fun-loving person, he makes our job easy. It also helps that he is an active user of TikTok, so he knows what works on the platform.

What’s the main takeaway? Don’t be afraid of taking risks. It's ok to acknowledge your brand isn’t all sunshine and roses. People can see through bullshit, so you can’t sell a sanitised social presence. Your audience wants the real you, warts and all.

-Sam, Personal Brand Manager

Get To Know The Team

Welcome to KWESCHENS – the inside scoop on our TAS team and what's unfolding in their lives. Each letter in KWESCHENS unveils something they'd love to share with you - you'll catch the drift.

For this interview, we have Sophie Randell (aka Smokey). Not only is she our resident Art Director and newsletter graphics queen, she’s also an extremely talented singer. (How lucky are we?!)

Check out her answers to my KWESCHENS 👇

Who's Killing it in the office?

Sam. He has an amazing brain.

What’s a recent Win you’ve had?

Launching the newsletter with Charlotte. It’s been challenging but it’s fun.

What are you most Excited for at TAS?

Seeing what the future holds for our team.

Who's the most Savage coworker in the office?

Danya, Sam, and Leish. And Stanley as well.

What’s your Coffee order?

A long black with a splash of cream.

What's Hard in your role right now?

Challenging myself to keep growing.

What are you currently Exploring at TAS?

Learning to work with different visual styles outside what I normally do.

Who’s the Naughtiest person in the office?

It’s me.

Favourite Social media thing at the moment?

The newsletter that we write for you every day.

Check out the full interview here.

Stay tuned for more KWESCHENS with the TAS team!

- Charlotte, Editor

What’s Going Viral?

Got FOMO?

Listen to our YAP Podcast Tuesday - Saturday, where Stan & Jony break down the videos that are blowing up on social media. Not only will you learn why they work, but we’ll tell you how to capitalise on these trends before they disappear.

We’re taking a wee break over the long Easter Weekend. The YAP Podcast will be back Wednesday, 3 April.

Tweets from The Intern

Ask the Editor

Q - I'm just getting started on TikTok. Should I be looking into running ads? - Max

Hey Max,

If you're new to TikTok, start just making content until you figure out how to make things people actually want to watch. Because users tend to scroll right past ads unless it's very good content.

So until you're getting 10k or even 100k views on your content, I wouldn't worry about ads. Focus on learning how to make good content first.

Then, once you have a following, you can run some ads because you'll know what people want to watch on the platform.

- Charlotte, Editor ♡