For the Pixar TikTok account, our strategy is a combination of honoring Pixar Animation Studios’ iconic legacy while creating unexpected, relevant, and platform-native content for fans on social media. Over the course of 2024, we set out to build on our already strong brand POV by taking bold and exciting risks with timely content aimed at reaching new and younger audiences. It’s the best feeling for us when fans comment, “Omg the official Pixar posted this??”
The Pixar TikTok strategy is completely unique from the rest of Pixar’s social platform strategies. Our goal on this platform is to be plugged into how fans are using TikTok themselves and to stay up-to-date on trending content, both featuring Pixar IP as well as general trends. We prioritize experimentation and growth, just like the trailblazing animation we create and share with audiences. While we look back at past performance and analytics to base our strategy on, we are also always looking forward toward the next opportunity to try something new.
2024 was a year of experimentation and pushing boundaries on Pixar TikTok. It is a true joy to surprise fans with content that feels unexpected and fresh coming from a major studio like Pixar. We also always aim to humanize our brand and make content that feels relatable. Our most unexpected content series from 2024 that sits at the crossroads of honesty and surprise was our ‘Render Bloopers,’ which showcases imperfect animation renderings. The Halloween and Toy Story 4 episodes garnered over 5M views and a 10% engagement rate. Historically, entertainment brands rarely showcase something that is considered ‘imperfect,’ which is why it was such a win to create and post content like this. And even more exciting, these videos started a conversation within the community about how fun it is to see behind the curtain.
Another significant focus of the Pixar TikTok strategy this past year was being part of major cultural moments. Without a doubt, our biggest win of 2024 was creating “The Tortured Poets Department (Pixar’s Version)” - a series of Pixar images inspired by the track list from Taylor Swift’s new album. Doing something like this is typically challenging from a legal POV, but through Disney+’s connection to her and her team, we were able to route these assets directly and receive full approval. The post went live at the same time as the album release, and garnered huge fan engagement and press attention.
A major part of our TikTok strategy is centered on the needs of our fans, the trends they’re participating in, and the IP that they love and feel nostalgia for. This was key for us this past year in a few different ways. For the first time, we were able to ask users for permission to use their trending audio and create content with it. This set a new precedent and opened doors to creating even more platform-native content than ever before. Our first piece of content with this new opportunity featured a Gen Z fave, Cars, that garnered almost 3M views and over 300K engagements. It was the perfect marriage of nostalgic IP, trending audio, and platform native editing.
Over the course of 2024, our wins on Pixar TikTok included:
