Learn how to drive performance on TikTok from these award-winning brands

The 2023 winners of the TikTok Ad Awards highlight the brands that are embracing the platform and have stand-out results to show for it.

Take inspiration from the 2023 winners of the TikTok Ad Awards Greatest Performance category, which highlights the brands that have best used the platform to drive lower funnel results.

The TikTok Ad Awards have returned for a second year, and are again rewarding the brands and agencies across Europe that are leading the charge with creative, high-performing campaigns. Launched in 2022, TikTok developed this awards program to showcase the campaigns that are embracing the platform and have the stand-out results to show for it.

Following ceremonies in the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Poland, and the Nordics, the following brands were crowned the winners of the Greatest Performance category, which celebrates the campaigns that harness TikTok to smash their lower-funnel objectives. Together, they give the inside track on how to leverage the platform to reach and exceed performance goals. Could your brand be next?

Greatest Performance UK

PureGym

Growing customer numbers at a low cost with a full-funnel strategy

PureGym wanted to increase consumer consideration and grow its member base, all while reducing its cost per acquisition. Knowing that the most successful content on TikTok is content that is created specifically for the platform, the brand utilized the TikTok Creative Exchange Programme to develop 20 pieces of creator-led content that leveraged trending sounds, special effects and Interactive Add-Ons. The brand then developed a full-funnel strategy consisting of reach, traffic and conversion campaigns that utilized a suite of ad solutions including In-Feed Ads and Spark Ads. The campaign reached more than 10.9 million people in the UK, delivering over 173 million video views and 26,000+ new joiners to the gym, and as a direct result of their test-and-learn approach, PureGym reduced their cost-per-completed-payment by 77%. PureGym proved that a full-funnel approach and the right mix of ad formats are key to driving long-term success on the platform and real business results.

Greatest Performance Italy

Ray-Ban | Cooltura

Showcasing a new product range and driving impact

Ray-Ban's innovative reflective lens collection needed an equally innovative campaign to drive impact with consumers, so the brand came to TikTok to combine the best of performance marketing with the platform's unique ability to connect with audiences. The brand took a test-and-learn approach to its full-funnel campaign, leveraging Interactive Add-Ons, Video Shopping Ads, Spark Ads and In-Feed Ads to drive impact, achieving 40 million impressions, an increase in click-through rate of 36% and a return on investment 132% higher than the brand's average. Additionally, there was a significant boost in searches and sales on search channels during the TikTok campaign, with a remarkable 4x increase in daily searches compared to the pre-campaign period. This campaign showcased the effectiveness of testing different ad formats and solutions to learn how to best reach your objectives.

Greatest Performance Nordics

Oddlygood | Bright Mind Agency

Gaining market share and standing out in a crowded competitor landscape

If your brand's goal is to stand out, then there's no better place to make your mark with audiences than on the platform that prizes uniqueness and individuality. Oat drink brand Oddlygood wanted to stand out in a crowded market, so it leveraged TikTok's creative tool CapCut to make sure the brand was speaking its audience's language, entertaining them and bringing value. After boosting its content as Spark Ads and In-Feed Ads, the brand's rating on the Nepa brand tracker climbed from 34% to 72% in just two months, putting it in first place when compared to other oat drink brands. Further, offline sales reached an all-time high and increased by more than 40%, showing that TikTok is the go-to platform to engage audiences and, critically, convert that engagement into real-world action and sales.

Greatest Performance Poland

Orange (Orange Flex) | Follow Agency | SalesTube & Value Media

Boosting app downloads with playful and authentic content

Mobile network Orange Flex came to TikTok to boost app downloads among younger users at a low cost. The brand created multiple short videos in which it demonstrated the process of downloading its app, then analyzed which videos performed the best. The brand then leveraged TikTok's new end-to-end automation solution Smart Performance Campaign, which maximizes delivery outcomes for businesses. Due to the optimizations applied, the brand reduced the cost of app downloads by 68% compared to previous campaigns. The cost per app installation for this campaign was also a record low, with a 37% reduction in cost per app install, revealing that the platform is perfect for brands whose campaign goals involve driving maximum performance at a lower cost.

Greatest Performance Spain

ING | Señora Rushmore | iProspect

Attracting new users at multiple touchpoints with an always-on strategy

Banking brand ING was facing two major challenges: Standing out in an increasingly competitive environment and attracting a new digital-first generation of consumers. Deciding to run an always-on account nurture strategy on TikTok to achieve a lower CPA and higher conversion rates, ING leveraged multiple ad solutions including Top Feed Ads, Top View Ads and In-Feed Ads. TikTok turned out to be a key acquisition channel for the brand, with a CPA that was 50% lower than the brand's average. ING's success demonstrates TikTok's unique ability to engage audiences at multiple touchpoints and positively impact business KPIs.

Greatest Performance DACH

ERGO | xevio GmbH

Using an agile approach to content creation to attract a new audience

Insurance brand ERGO had its sights set on attracting a new audience with a significantly higher customer lifetime value. Knowing this audience was hard to reach with traditional analogue marketing — and even on other digital channels — and wanting to connect with the target audience authentically, ERGO launched a TikTok campaign. Learning that TikTok is a fast-moving platform, the brand cleverly adapted its video production to combat ad fatigue, moving from producing content monthly to weekly, and boosted their videos as In-Feed Ads. With agility came results, and the brand attracted 2,153 new customers directly from TikTok and reached their profitability target after only eight weeks, with one video raising over €85,000 alone. ERGO's campaign shows the effectiveness of scaling your TikTok ad creative to combat fatigue and drive results.

Greatest Performance France

La Rosée Cosmétiques

Driving sales for a new product range with a targeted e-commerce solution

In La Rosée Cosmétiques' second year on TikTok, it faced the challenge of promoting a new range of products while renewing interest in their existing range. The brand developed two types of content to reach its goals: Educational content to drive awareness which was boosted as Spark Ads and product-focused content served as Video Shopping Ads, TikTok's newest e-commerce solution that enables consumers to shop brands' products directly. Leveraging this combination of products enabled the brand to drive 6.8 million video views, a conversion rate of 26.85% and a return on ad spend of 4.42x. La Rosée Cosmétiques' strategy of developing content with dual objectives and combining two key ad solutions was pivotal to the success of this campaign.

Ultimately, the incredible selection of shortlisted and winning campaigns shows that the advertising industry is embracing everything that the TikTok platform embodies, leaning into entertainment, culture, creators, and relatable creative to build campaigns that truly resonate with their audiences and drive remarkable results.

And, in reaching and exceeding their lower-funnel objectives, these brands show that the idea that TikTok is simply a platform for reach and awareness is outdated, and its power to drive performance is huge. Businesses that want an edge should start planning performance campaigns on the platform and tapping into a mix of ad formats to see results across the funnel.

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Read about the winners of the Greatest Creative category at the TikTok Ad Awards 2023.

This post was created by TikTok for Business with Insider Studios.