How to make trending edits your own (without watering down your brand)

It started with the sports edits. Fast cuts, heavy bass, glitch overlays, and an aura of triumph.

Then came the self-mythologising. Lana Del Rey-style PicsArt edits. “POV: You’re the main character.” Melancholy montages of blurry sunsets and even blurrier boyfriends. Everyone became the star of their own moody trailer.

But somewhere between Addison Rae posing like she’s on the cover of Born to Die and influencers turning Tuesday’s iced coffee into a highlight reel, the format hit critical mass. And now, brands are in on it, too. Or rather, they’re beating the freaking life out of it.

The TikTok/Instagram edit format - call it nostalgia-core, call it brainrot hypercut, call it whatever you want - has lost its edge.

Why? Because it’s lost its intent. What was once a way to reframe the everyday into something worth remembering has become a soulless parade of overlays and transitions chasing engagement. If I have to hear Doechii's "Anxiety" over a carrot recipe one more time I’m going to freaking lose it.

Even the term “iconic” has been flattened into a content strategy. “Iconic” isn’t about cultural permanence anymore. It’s become a form of self-manifestation. A shortcut for meaning. A vibe people can borrow without earning it.

And brands are often the worst offenders. In trying to “speak the language of the platform,” they forget to speak in their own voice.

Edits can work, but only if you have something real to say.

Take Goodyear’s recent campaign. It’s not technically a TikTok edit, but it uses the same vocabulary: cut-ups, archival footage, emotional resonance. And it works because it’s rooted in something real: the brand’s long history and cultural relevance. The edit isn’t doing all the heavy lifting. The story is.

Compare that with the countless brands using trending audios and low-res VHS filters on random b-roll of their product, hoping to ride the coattails of whatever format is performing this week. The result is that you get engagement, but no equity. You get views, but no one remembers it was even you.

So, how do you use trending formats without sucking the life out of them?

1. Lead with a brand moment, not a TikTok trend.

Don’t start with “what’s trending.” Start with asking, “What do we want people to feel about our brand?” Then reverse-engineer the format to support that emotion.

Do this: Pull from your brand archive, a milestone, a product memory, a cultural moment.

Not this: Grab trending audio, slap it on a lifestyle montage, and hope for the best.

2. Create your own edit rules.

Every brand should have its own editing personality. Are you glitchy and chaotic? Slow and nostalgic? Sharp and futuristic? Think of it like this: if someone muted your video, would they still know it was you?

Do this: Develop an editing style guide that reflects your brand values.

Not this: Using whatever After Effects preset everyone else is using.

3. Use edits to recontextualise, not replicate.

A good edit reframes something old in a new emotional context. It doesn’t just replay it.

Do this: Use edits to revisit legacy campaigns, show how your product evolved, or tell a story from your POV.

Not this: Recycling old content just because it fits the trending format.

4. Stop treating edits like engagement bait.

When you treat the format like a cheap growth hack, your audience can feel it. They might still like it, but they won’t care.

Do this: Treat each edit like a short film—tight, intentional, emotive.

Not this: Prioritising speed over soul.

5. Balance the platform-native format with brand-native meaning.

You don’t have to choose between being native to TikTok or true to your brand. You just have to be thoughtful. Medium native, message native. In other words, make it look like it belongs on the platform, but make it say something only your brand could say.

The edit format isn’t dead. It’s just been overfed. Over played. Overdone.

The brands that will survive this era of visual noise aren’t the ones who master the template. They’re the ones who bring meaning back to the medium. Who understand that aesthetic is nothing without intent.

So, make the edit. But make it matter.

-Sophie Randell, Writer