This case study shows how TikTok officially launched in Colombia by challenging the stereotype that it was just an app for dances and teens. By celebrating diversity, creativity, and authentic self-expression, TikTok positioned itself as a platform where anyone can belong, a space as unique and dynamic as Colombians themselves.

Client
TikTok

Year
2021 - 2022

Agency
Freelance for DPZ&T Brazil

My role
Concept ideation and copywriting. Developed the creative concept and wrote all campaign copy, from headlines to script lines. Led the concept presentation and collaborated closely with the DPZ&T team, an ad agency in São Paulo, Brazil, throughout the creative process.

TikTok

The Brief

  • Problem

    For its official launch in Colombia, TikTok faced a major perception challenge. Many people still saw it as an app only for dances and teenagers. The brand needed to change that narrative and introduce itself as a diverse, creative, and inclusive platform where anyone could belong.

  • Solution

    To break that myth and invite Colombians to entertain or be entertained on TikTok, the brand decided to showcase everything the platform has to offer, not just in terms of content, but also through the diversity of its creators: people of all ages, backgrounds, and identities who make TikTok a reflection of real life.

  • Idea

    TikTok is a singular place where millions of videos coexist and each one is unique, just like Colombians. Based on this insight, we created #DiferenteIgualQueTú (#DifferentJustLikeYou), a campaign celebrating diversity, inclusion, and self-expression through real creators and real content (not just dances), proving that being different is exactly what makes you belong.

  • Impact

    The campaign marked TikTok’s official debut in Colombia, generating millions of impressions and strong engagement. It successfully shifted brand perception, became a cultural reference for authenticity, and was later adapted for TikTok’s launch in Argentina. Following the campaign, TikTok became the most downloaded app in Colombia in 2022.

Film

For the film, TikTok joined forces with J Balvin, one of Colombia’s most internationally recognized artists, and used his newly released track (In Da Getto) as the official song for the campaign launch. Turning the release into a cultural moment that millions of fans shared organically across social media.

Billboard advertisement for TikTok featuring diverse individuals, some posing with props and others smiling in animated styles, with the TikTok logo and the slogan "diferente, igual que tú."
Bus stop shelter featuring a TikTok advertisement with a panda in a green sweater among colorful foam blocks, and the slogan 'nadie hace reir como tú. TikTok diferente, igual que tú.'
A billboard with a black background displays social media promotional content in Spanish. It features the TikTok logo and a photo of a woman with pink hair, wearing a straw hat, colorful hair clips, and makeup. The text says, "nadie es como tú" and "diferente, igual que tú," which translates to "no one is like you" and "different, just like you." The design includes teal, pink, and white accents.

For the copy, we took a strategic approach to challenge the idea that TikTok is only about dance videos. Each line was designed to highlight everything else users can find on the platform, showing that our differences are what make us unique.

No one plays like you.
Cooks like you. (Food content)
Rumbea like you. (Colombian slang for partying)
Teaches like you. (Tutorials)
Shines like you. (LGBTQ+ content)
Inspires like you. (Motivational content)
Says “awww” like you. (Cute content)
Lives like you.
No one is like you.

TikTok #DifferentJustLikeYou

A woman holding a small fluffy dog face to face, appearing to kiss it, with a black background and TikTok logo in the top left corner. Text overlay says "dice awwww como tú."
A young woman with light brown hair taking a bite of a large red velvet cake with pink icing and floral decorations on a white cake stand.
Three images of adventure sports: a scuba diver underwater, a person paragliding, and a group white water rafting on a river with lush green trees. Overlaid text in Spanish says 'vive como tú'.
A person wearing glasses holding a camera, with a microphone in front, and a computer monitor in the background. Overlaid text says "enseña como tú" in large letters.
Collage of four images showing people dancing, two boys walking or dancing in a park, and two young men shopping in a store, with text overlay in Spanish that says "rumbea como tú" and TikTok logos.
A woman wearing a helmet and sunglasses making a kissy face gesture outdoors, standing next to a bicycle with a billboard in the background.
A person standing outdoors with a backpack, helmet, and protective gear, possibly preparing for or engaging in an outdoor activity, with a cityscape in the background and Spanish text overlayed on the image.
Popular TikTok video on a phone screen showing three men posing with a bowl of spaghetti, with a text overlay in Spanish that says 'nadie cocina tan deli como tú' meaning 'nobody cooks so delicious as you'.
A close-up of a black sign with white text that reads #Difference, located at a street or outdoor area, with a basketball logo and a white frame overlay.
Collage of various TikTok or social media video clips featuring people in different settings and poses, including close-ups, women, men, and interiors.
A woman in bike gear with a helmet and glasses standing with a bicycle on a city street in front of a large glass building with digital billboards. There are pedestrians, some with umbrellas, in the background, and colorful murals on adjacent buildings amid cloudy skies.
Two young men in black shirts taking a selfie in front of a building with a large sign showing two people with guitars and colorful objects, with a building labeled 'Playland' and 'Oceana' in the background.

TikTok became the most downloaded app in Colombia in 2022 - 2023

A chart showing app and mobile game downloads ranking from January 2023 to December 2022. The left side lists the top mobile apps, including TikTok, Nequi Colombia, Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Shopee, Spotify, Telegram, and Kwai. The right side lists the top mobile games, including Free Fire, Stumble Guys, Subway Surfers, Roblox, Parchisi Star, Fifa Soccer, Piano Fire, Geometry Dash, Candy Crush Saga, and Race Master. The chart includes company names for each app and game, and labels indicating the source and ranking period.

Study made by wearesocial & Meltwater

but more than just a campaign, #DiferenteIgualQueTú evolved into a brand platform that later expanded to Argentina.

TikTok profile with the hashtag #diferenteigualquevos, featuring a logo and three video thumbnails including a person in a black shirt, a person with colorful hair, and a person with orange hair, with a text description in Spanish about celebrating differences and uniqueness.

Hashtag adapted for the Argentinian market.

TikTok logo with black background