System1 and TikTok Unlock Keys to Short-Form Platform Ad Success

​System1, the Creative Effectiveness Platform, has announced publication of new research in partnership with TikTok. The report, The Long and Short (form) of it, builds on Les Binet and Peter Field’s insights from The Long and Short of It. System1 extends its exploration beyond the what and why of long- and short-term marketing goals. The research dives into the how, exploring how creative can be designed to maximize effectiveness across the funnel, and unpacks how brands of all sizes can optimize their impact across creative styles.

Using System1’s Test Your Ad Social platform, which measures consumers’ responses to predict creative’s short- and long-term impact, the comprehensive study analysed reactions to 887 global short-form video ads from over 92,000 TikTok users. By matching these responses to 350+ in-market result studies, the research uncovered the true effect of short-form creative quality on brand-building and conversion, using TikTok’s Brand Lift and Conversion Lift data. It also examined the consequences of high ad frequency, offering insights into the real dynamics of creative fatigue and strategies to mitigate it.
Key areas of exploration include how entertainment builds brand, how salesmanship converts and how to appropriately build in branding without detracting from attention.

Key findings include:

• Creator ads win attention, early branding maximises its impact: Creator-led ads capture outsized attention, but often lack recognition. By integrating distinctive assets early, brands unlock a powerful path to outperformance.
  
• Entertainment drives both the long and the short: The most effective form to drive both the long and the short is ads that entertain. Selling doesn’t have to be transactional, it can put on a show, and when it does, brands and consumers win.
  
• The enemy of conversion isn’t dislike, it’s indifference: Dull ads that leave consumers feeling nothing drive 27% fewer conversions. To convert, whether it's positive or negative sentiment, advertisers must strive to leave consumers feeling something.
  
• Branding done right isn’t a tax on attention, it’s a dividend: When early branding is distinctive and seamlessly woven into the creative narrative, it doesn’t detract from attention, it enhances it.
  

"This research brings much-needed clarity to how brands can drive commercial impact in short-form video. By blending System1's creative measurement data with platform in-market results, we’ve uncovered a new playbook for earning attention, building brand awareness and image, and converting more effectively, all while fighting while tackling the creative fatigue that digital campaigns grapple with," said Andrew Tindall, SVP of global partnerships at System1.

“At TikTok, we know that creativity drives connection - and connection drives performance,” said Sofia Hernadez, head of global business marketing and commercial partnerships at TikTok. “Our partnership with System1 helped us understand what truly resonates with our community - what makes them feel something, remember something, act on something. When brands create with emotional intelligence and cultural relevance, they don’t just show up - they show results.”

System1’s Test Your Ad Social helps advertisers win on social media by accurately predicting an ad's potential for both long-term brand building and short-term sales impact. Leveraging unique diagnostics that measure attention, emotional response and branding to uncover how and why creative holds attention in a cluttered feed.

These rapid, actionable insights empower brands to confidently optimise creative campaigns, ensuring maximum return on investment and effectiveness across any social platform.

To access the full whitepaper, visit here.