Sour Patch Kids

The objective

Turning to TikTok for increased Gen-Z appeal and to drive increased purchases

Sour Patch Kids, the iconic candy brand that’s sour-then-sweet, has a sizable fan base in the world of candy lovers and is the #1 Sour Candy brand in Canada!¹ Aiming to engage with Gen Z audiences nationwide, the brand came out with a new limited edition Lemonade flavour just in time for summer. With an objective to enhance overall purchases and bring their sour-then-sweet candy experience to more Canadians, Sour Patch Kids turned to TikTok to reach this core demographic with tailored messaging and fresh TikTok-first content.

The solution

A sour twist on summer with creator content and high impact ads

Sour Patch Kids intended to reinforce their core message among target audiences to unlock their playful, daring side. To promote the launch of their new Lemonade flavour candy, the brand worked with TikTok’s Client Solutions team and TikTal to execute their first-ever creator campaign to seize the summer!

The newly developed creative consisted of both brand sell content as well as creator videos that were tailored to the platform and the campaign. The fun and playful side of the brand was relayed by partnering with known Lifestyle and Gaming creators @naomileanage, @lau_ramoso and @madamezoum who instantly resonated with the brand’s personality. Through unique TikTok-first concepts, the creators perfectly portrayed the campaign message that Sour Patch Kids Lemonade was perfect for socializing, gaming, weekends and time off!

Stirring up on the sour power with a mix of TikTok ad solutions, the brand leveraged TopView, TikTok’s high-impact takeover ad placement, to effectively boost awareness and maximize reach. Additionally, to sustain momentum throughout the campaign’s 8 week flight period, the brand utilized Auction In-Feed Ads.

Finally, Sour Patch Kids ran a brand lift study with questions that were very specific to the new product to track Ad Recall, Awareness, and Purchase Intent.

The results

Making a splash with increased reach and brand lift success

Sour Patch Kids’ flavoursome campaign performed exceptionally well with a notable TopView video completion rate of 243% above TikTok Canada’s benchmarks. That’s not all, according to the results from the campaign’s brand lift study, Sour Patch Kids squeezed up every bit of summer with a 4.3% lift in Ad Recall and a 6.1% increase in Purchase Intent, showcasing the power of bundling TikTok ad solutions and collaborating with authentic creators. Now that’s what we call a sweet (not sour) summer success!

1. Source: Nielsen Market Track, Period: 52W PE Aug 26, 2023