D&AD and TikTok Warn: "Brands Leaving Serious Results on the Table" Without a TikTok-First Approach

Above: Karl Haddad on the left and Sammi Vaughan on the right

Gone are the days of TikTok being perceived as a viral dance app that you indulge in only during the long days of lockdown. Years after its conception, the platform has transformed into an unstoppable cultural powerhouse, redefining humour, filmmaking, and, of course, the way audiences engage with brands. But it seems some have missed the memo.

Even though TikTok’s impact on immense swathes of people is undeniable, brands still overlook the space as one worthy of its separate advertising strategy. Often this might come from a fear of not ‘getting’ younger audiences, not fitting with authentic enough messaging, or because they still might not believe in the app’s sheer power. Whatever the reason, numerous brands approach TikTok with a TV-first mindset, cutting down traditional ads rather than embracing the platform’s unique ecosystem of trends, co-creation and niche communities, and as such, miss out on heaps of opportunities.

Enter the TikTok Masterclass – a groundbreaking new course that TikTok created in partnership with D&AD, the creative education charity behind one of the world’s most celebrated advertising accolades, the Pencil.

The Masterclass was designed to help creatives shift from merely repurposing content to fully crafting TikTok-first campaigns, and it taps into insights from D&AD Award-winning work and the creators behind it. It comes as an essential toolkit for those looking to push creative boundaries and harness TikTok’s potential – not just for awareness, but as a full-funnel marketing machine.

LBB’s Zoe Antonov sat down with head of global creative lab at TikTok Karl Haddad, as well as Sammi Vaughan, partnerships director at D&AD, to discuss why the platform deserves to be at the heart of everyone’s creative strategy.

LBB> What was the driving force behind launching the TikTok Masterclass with D&AD? How did the partnership start?

Karl> We launched the TikTok Masterclass with D&AD to help the industry truly understand how to harness the power of our platform. The partnership naturally evolved after we at TikTok spoke at the D&AD festival in 2024 and realised we shared a common goal: inspiring creativity. D&AD's legacy of celebrating the best in design and advertising, combined with TikTok's ability to transform the ad landscape, made this collaboration a perfect match for educating and inspiring creatives worldwide.

Sammi> Ours is a creative education charity, and it’s under that remit that D&AD first approached TikTok about partnering on a new learning experience for our community to help them maximise their creativity on the platform. The big idea was simple: D&AD will keep a watching brief over all 30,000 pieces of work entered into our Awards, to identify the campaigns where TikTok played a key role in the attainment of creative excellence. We’ll team up with the Pencil-winning talent behind these ideas and TikTok creators to teach what they know back to everyone else.

LBB> How does the Masterclass help creatives transition from a TV-first mindset to a TikTok-first approach? And what does a ‘TikTok-first approach’ mean?

Sammi> Some of the most impactful work we see at D&AD emerges when brands embrace the nuances of the medium. In fact, in our craft categories, it’s a core criterion for winning a Pencil. Is it a great creative idea? Is it beautifully executed? And, crucially, does the use of medium elevate the idea? A TikTok-first approach is about rethinking creative strategy from the ground-up, rather than adapting other formats.
The Masterclass is designed to bridge this gap, providing creatives with an understanding of how to craft work that aligns with TikTok’s native behaviours and fosters authentic audience engagement. By embedding these principles, brands and agencies can create campaigns that not only succeed on TikTok, but also set new industry benchmarks for creativity.

Karl> A lot of us at TikTok come from the agency world, and we know many brands that still approach their campaigns in a more traditional way – prioritising TV, and then when it comes to social, doing cutdowns or other high-polish content captured during the TV shoot. They tend to think of TikTok as just one piece of their campaign, rather than something that can inspire their entire campaign. The Masterclass shows creatives the power of thinking TikTok-first, meaning building campaigns based on the platform's unique culture, focusing on entertainment, co-creation, trends, and community engagement.

Previously, advertising and culture was manufactured from the top-down. A brand puts out a piece of content, it gets disseminated through platforms and influencers, and reaches the masses. But now, culture is an ever-flowing exchange between creators, brands, and audiences. Thinking TikTok-first means understanding this massive shift towards co-creation.

LBB> And how can creatives use TikTok as a full-funnel marketing solution rather than just a platform for awareness?

Karl> With over one billion engaged users, TikTok offers a playground for every stage of the funnel, from sparking curiosity and building brand awareness to driving conversions and loyalty. The course highlights how to leverage TikTok's unique culture to craft campaigns that authentically resonate and move audiences to action. By tapping into TikTok-first strategies, creatives can design campaigns that capture attention, build trust, and inspire real results, proving that TikTok is not just a stop for views, but a powerful engine for growth.

LBB> Can you share an example of a successful TikTok-first campaign that embodies the principles taught in the course?

Karl> A great example is D&AD Award-winning brand ModiBodi's ‘I'm Dying Inside’ campaign, which nailed the TikTok-first approach by combining authentic storytelling with a touch of humour and relatability. Instead of shying away from the awkwardness of periods, it leaned in, creating a binge-worthy series that felt more like entertainment than advertising. The campaign tapped into TikTok's trend-driven culture, using familiar formats like ‘fit check’ to start conversations that resonated with its audience. By embracing co-creation and empowering users to share their own stories, ModiBodi turned what could have been a taboo topic into a relatable and shareable moment – proving the power of TikTok to drive both engagement and brand impact.

Sammi> Another outstanding example and D&AD Award-winner that embodies the TikTok-first principles is Amazon Prime's ‘Directed by TikTok’. This campaign cleverly used the Duet feature to transform passive viewers into active participants. By inviting users to dub themselves into scenes with Bollywood superstar Varun Dhawan, Amazon Prime turned its audience into co-creators, blurring the lines between entertainment and advertising. It wasn't just about reaching people, but giving them a role to play – literally. This approach embraced TikTok’s unique mix of trends, sound, and community engagement, showing how brands can harness co-creation to build deeper connections and create buzz that feels organic rather than forced.

LBB> How does TikTok’s unique ecosystem – trends, sounds, and other community pillars – change the way creatives should think about campaign development on the platform?

Karl> The biggest mistake people make is thinking of TikTok as a social platform – it's an entertainment platform. Trends, sound, and community engagement are all important elements (and are covered extensively in the course), but the real magic happens when brands lean into co-creation. The most powerful campaigns are designed for the community to remix and build upon, turning ads into a shared experience rather than a one-way message.

LBB> Many brands still repurpose traditional media formats for TikTok. What are the biggest missed opportunities in this approach?

Karl> Repurposing traditional media leaves a lot on the table, from making headlines to driving revenue. It's a huge missed opportunity to win D&AD Pencils, make products fly off shelves, make people fall in love with your brand, and transform culture on and off the For You Page.

Sammi> You miss the chance to co-create with your audiences, and to make better, more inclusive, more effective work. Great TikTok campaigns aren’t just ads; they’re ideas designed to be played with, reshaped, and spread by the audience. Often, this also means paying less for media, because great creative ideas travel farther and better than dull alternatives.

LBB> What specific skills and strategies will participants gain from the Masterclass?

Karl> The TikTok Masterclass equips creatives with the skills to go from a TVC (TV commercial) mindset to a TTC (TikTok campaign) approach, crafting campaigns that feel native to the platform's culture of trends, sound, and co-creation. It's packed with practical tips on how to tap into trends naturally, get the brief right, build campaigns that drive results, and break the rules. At the end of the day, it's all about learning to think like a marketer, but act like a creator.

Sammi> Through our research in designing the course, the D&AD team identified key barriers preventing creatives from bringing their ideas to life on TikTok. With these insights, we developed a course that tackles specific challenges: building client confidence in how ideas will resonate on the platform, mastering storytelling techniques to capture fleeting audience attention, and adapting final executions to align with TikTok’s unique aesthetic. By the end of the course, participants will have a clear understanding of how to use TikTok as a creative launchpad, effectively sell their ideas to clients, and connect with their target audience.

LBB> What role do content creators play in TikTok-first campaigns, and how does the course address collaboration with them?

Karl> Creators are the heart and soul of TikTok – they're not just talent, they're co-directors, producers, ideators, and thought partners. The Masterclass shows brands how to move away from the old TV mindset of scripted ads and instead, let creators take the lead. When brands trust creators to do what they do best, it's like a shortcut to authenticity and credibility, instantly connecting with TikTok's community. The bottom line? Partnering with creators turns your audience into millions of genuine spokespeople – no script required.

Sammi> At D&AD, we champion the makers; every Masterclass trainer is actively working in the field they teach, and this course is no exception. Designed in collaboration with content creators, the course is shaped by their expertise, with hands-on teaching and direct input into the curriculum. This ensures learners gain first-hand insights from those actively creating, understanding what works, and resonating with their target audience. And of course, having had their talents recognised by our international judges, these creators are very much worth learning from.

LBB> For brands and agencies hesitant to prioritize TikTok, what compelling insights from the Masterclass might change their perspective?

Karl> The Masterclass reveals that the real missed opportunity isn’t just being on TikTok – it's not using the platform to its full potential. With insights from D&AD’s award-winning case studies, the course shows how TikTok can do it all, from driving a 75% spike in sales for a period underwear brand to supercharging a Super Bowl campaign and putting a skincare brand at the top of search results. If brands aren't making TikTok a priority, they're leaving serious results on the table, period.