Absurd humour is an attention magnet for Gens Z and Alpha, so that’s what Anomaly and footwear brand, Journeys, has given them – a long-form, narrative-driven content series on TikTok.
The initiative is part of a specific project that Anomaly created for Journeys, a strategic move to test new formats and entertainment-first thinking in response to the range of ways Gen Z and Gen Alpha view brands and engage with content.
In episode one, Jazmine wanders into Journeys, where she makes an instant connection over shoes, hair streaks and skateboarding with a female employee. In episode two, Jazmine begins to get her bearings as the newest Journeys employee.
@journeys spoiler alert: it’s short king spring and we’re here for it 😩🫶🥹 stay tuned next week for more. #journeysshoes ♬ original sound – Journeys
@journeys just wait until jaiden meets mr. bigfoot 🫢 #journeysshoes ♬ original sound – Journeys
@journeys how many letters in journeys again?? oh yeah. ATE. #journeysshoes ♬ original sound – Journeys
@journeys team work makes the dream work, or something like that… #journeysshoes ♬ original sound – Journeys
The idea came from Journeys and Anomaly noticing a shift in consumption behaviour and scepticism of brands on the platform. Younger audiences are starting to engage with individual contributors’ obscure, yet universally relatable, stories (such as the Who The Fuck Did I Marry series). At the same time, there’s growing fatigue around inauthentic branded content and influencer partnerships.
@journeys omgggggg he remembered 🥹 @tacobell #journeysshoes ♬ original sound – Journeys
So, the task became to create content that every teen can resonate with, but make it entertaining enough that it breaks through the sea of sameness in the algorithm, to introduce Journeys to the next generation of fans.
Instead of the typical bite-sized ad placements the platform is known for, Anomaly and Journeys broke the mould with a non-traditional long-form series and narrative – a fresh and unexpected way to use the platform and one that TikTok is encouraging as more Gen Zers and Gen Alphas are going to the channel for content with longer view times.
The early results show promise. The trailer alone racked up over 5 million views and 26K+ likes, with the full series pulling in over 16 million views and 148 thousand engagements to date. Since October, Journeys’ social has grown by almost 30k.Viewer sentiment is overwhelmingly positive, with the majority of viewers commenting on how they’d like to “see more” and how this is “the best ad” they’ve seen.
“This series represents a strategic shift in how Journeys shows up in youth culture,” said Stacy Doren, chief marketing officer at Journeys. “By leaning into storytelling that Gen Z actually wants to engage with, we’re setting a new tone for how brands can show up on social. The response so far shows we’re on to something.”
“Credit Stacy, Greg and the Journeys team,” added Jeff Stamp, managing director and chief creative officer at Anomaly. “They wanted to start with TikTok and invited us to experiment with storytelling. They bought long form for a typically short form platform. They gave permission to try things, use creators in different ways, see what works, what tone was right, then adapt content and strategies as we go. We even used what we learned in organic to inform the larger brand platform. The bottom-up approach is super unique and innovative.”
“TikTok inspires creativity and discovery, enabling our highly-engaged community to learn about new products and brands, hear authentic stories, and connect with creators they trust,” commented Kinney Edwards, head of Creative Lab at TikTok. “Journeys is experimenting with evolving formats on TikTok, putting in the work to creatively meet consumers from a range of backgrounds where they already are, while raising the bar for how brands can create entertaining content and be a part of cultural moments and trends.”
