With the popularity of #RushTok and plenty of young influencers taking to TikTok to share their sorority experience, brands also stepped in to engage with the Alabama sorority recruitment excitement. This weeklong TikTok phenomenon took over everyone’s FYP for the second year in a row with no show of slowing down; the #rushtok hashtag has more than 670 million views.
Why did brands interact with #RushTok? With the number of videos being created (and the high amount of views) for the #RushTok, #BamaRush and other related hashtags, there was plenty of room for brands to sponsor potential and current influencers and comment on videos to include themselves in the conversation. Some brands garnered lots of attention by stepping in on the Alabama Rush excitement.
How brands engaged with #RushTok
Local brands working directly with TikTok influencers
Local small companies like Lou & Company and the Pants Store had the unique ability to work directly with #RushTok influencers to share their clothing, jewelry or other ‘Bama gear. Because influencers could go directly in-store to share pieces they were buying for this year’s Rush Week, small boutiques like Lou and Company were getting just as much viewership as bigger brands like Kendra Scott and Shein that were also working with creators.
@shelby.rose4 @shoplouandco IS THE BEST! I am so thankful for the kindness they expressed during this stressful week! They are still accepting bid day packages!💖 #bamarush #bamarushtok #bamarushweek #bamarush2022
♬ Sweetest Pie - 𖤐 em 🌴🌺🐬
Bigger brands like Shein, Amazon and Windsor propelled sponsoring rush
With outfits and bags being some of the most important parts of #RushTok, there were hundreds of videos for bigger or non-local brands that worked with these student influencers on their outfits of the day. Kylan is an influencer who was sponsored by brands like Windsor, which not only helped her dress the part for the parties of the week but also gave Windsor a connection to her over 400K followers. Brands like Kendra Scott sent jewelry for the girls to wear and even partnered up with local brands to gain even more momentum on #RushTok this year.
@kylan_darnell #ad in love with @windsorstore so happy to be a brand partner #windstore #bamarush #bamarushtok
♬ original sound - Kylan Darnell
Brands commenting on #RushTok videos
Brands that weren’t working directly with #RushTok influencers still wanted to stay involved with the overall momentum of the week. Brands that you wouldn’t even think of when it comes to a sorority-based TikTok trend jumped into the comments to cheer everyone on. Some of those brands include major sports networks and teams like MLB, NFL and the Detroit Lions. Other brands like Sonic even tapped into the conversation by giving encouragement to their favorite influencers.
Whether it’s #RushTok or another TikTok Trend, brands can quickly jump into engaging with the trend that fits within their strategy, voice or interest. Interested in jumping on the latest trends with an influencer campaign? IZEA can help.
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