Curated social content – in this new age of authenticity, does it still have a place?
A mega TikTok trend inspired by the film aesthetic of Wes Anderson reveals a prime opportunity for brands to connect with consumers in a very different way, We Are Social chief executive officer Suzie Shaw explains.
The ‘Wes Anderson effect’ – a style of video on TikTok in the aesthetic of the director’s movies – has played a huge part in the #wesanderson hashtag amassing more than 1.6 billion views and counting.
At face value, this is a curious anomaly. In the age of the authentic, when most TikToks focus on real-life content, it might seem unexpected to find exaggerated color palettes, front-on symmetry, and nostalgic imagery.
But while authentic content still predominates, it seems we’re also making space for curated content that puts aesthetics first, even among the everyday. The ‘Wes effect’ has just reminded us that the two aren’t mutually exclusive – and this creates an opportunity for brands.
The Wes Anderson TikTok trend was embraced by millions.
Is Lemon8 the answer?
The past few years have seen TikTok thrive, at least in part due to its deviation from the ‘picture perfect’ lifestyle depicted on Instagram.
The platform gained real momentum during the Covid lockdowns, when gorgeous aspirational travel imagery seemed out of sync with the reality of people’s lives, and instead we turned to influencers and creators who mirrored our own stuck-at-home ‘truth’.
If the pandemic was the great leveller, then the rise of Wes Anderson-inspired content shows that audiences are now open to re-embracing the designed and the curated. There’s a subculture still using Tumblr to scrapbook their ‘dream lives’, and TikTok’s owner, ByteDance, has itself moved this way with the launch of its new image platform, Lemon8.
Lemon8, which can be thought of as the love child of Pinterest and Instagram but with a TikTok-style feed, is interesting because it potentially appeals to Gen Z users who don’t have the entrenched Instagram culture of their older Millennial cousins. This audience may be ready for a fresh platform that allows them to tap into carefully curated content, and connect with kindred communities.
While it lacks the commerciality of Instagram (at least for now), Lemon8 can help people share their passions, and allow creators to foster communities in a similar way to the Meta-owned behemoth.
It’s too soon to say whether Lemon8 will be able to build and sustain a large-enough audience to truly compete with the established platforms. To do so will mean offering something different to Instagram and incentivizing quality creators to come on board. Plus, of course, cracking the model to monetize this content.
Hitting those passion points
But why is this return to highly stylised content happening, and what is the opportunity for brands?
Escapism is a key driver. Brands and the creators they recruit can build and participate in trends to make everyday life – such as commutes, long walks and exercise – feel extraordinary. Facilitating the opportunity to participate has given rise to this latest trend and indeed, TikTok in general. Humans are programmed to connect and trends like the Wes Effect enable everyday people to create iterative content that enables collective participation, in a Simon-says style way that is accessible, but ultimately connects them to the broader community and is creatively satisfying.
The other opportunity is to leverage passions. Scrolling through Instagram and Lemon8 can feel like flicking through a personally curated lifestyle magazine, with an unending inventory of ideas in areas such as fashion, beauty, and food. No effort or investment required.
Why there’s still room for curation
While authenticity may have become ingrained into the DNA of successful brand activations on social media – and rightly so – it’s time to recognise the balance is shifting.
While off-the-cuff moments (BeReal, anyone?) are still a vibe, the Wes Anderson trend shows us that users still care about aesthetics across social media platforms. It shows that relatability doesn’t have to come at the expense of polish, drama, and craft.
As a result, brands can balance both relatability and polish in their feeds to keep customers engaged.
This isn’t to say, of course, that every brand should immediately reshape its social campaigns in the style of Wes Anderson. A single piece of content, maybe – if it makes sense to be a little playful and quirky in the way his films are.
For brands looking to do more with curated content, there is still a role for Instagram, Pinterest and now Lemon8, depending on the category.
As always, it comes down to aligning with the interests and passions of their online communities. Some will want brands to be real (so to speak), while others may find value in a visit to the Grand Budapest Hotel.
Suzie Shaw is chief executive officer of We Are Social.
