An Out-of-the-Box TikTok Campaign That Took itsu’s Soup’ Dumplings Viral

In a crowded market of food brands competing for consideration on social media, itsu wished to do one thing completely different. For the launch of their Soup’Dumplings, they didn’t simply wish to be part of the dialog on TikTok—they wished to take it over.

To perform this, they partnered with Lasting Lemons, a inventive, female-owned agency identified for his or her genuine, platform-native campaigns that resonate deeply with Gen Z.

The aim was easy but bold: to make Soup’Dumplings the following massive TikTok sensation, driving mass consciousness, engagement, and actual gross sales within the UK market. What adopted was a masterclass in viral marketing that turned a frozen meals launch right into a sell-out phenomenon.

Right here’s how Lasting Lemons achieved it.

The Aim – Turning a Frozen Meals Launch right into a Viral Second

itsu’s Soup’Dumplings had been no odd product launch; they needed to break via the noise in a crowded house. The goal? 18-24-year-olds on TikTok, a demographic identified for its capability to make or break merchandise in a single day. The marketing campaign needed to do extra than simply generate buzz; it needed to drive actual gross sales and make Soup’Dumplings a subject that everybody was speaking about.

The important thing was understanding TikTok’s tradition and the way its customers interact with content material. As an alternative of counting on conventional advertising strategies or influencer endorsements, the main target was on creating one thing that felt natural, genuine, and fascinating—precisely what Gen Z gravitates towards.

The Downside – Standing Out in a Saturated Area

The problem wasn’t simply to get consideration—it was to remain related and genuine inside TikTok’s fast-moving, chaotic ecosystem. With so many merchandise and trends flooding the platform, how may itsu be sure that Soup’Dumplings weren’t simply one other passing fad?

Manufacturers typically battle with balancing authenticity and model messaging on TikTok, particularly when concentrating on youthful audiences. The issue was clear: to make a mark, itsu wanted extra than simply influencers pushing a product—they wanted TikTok creators who may converse to the viewers in their very own language.

The Technique – A Media Bomb of Culturally Fluent Content material

Lasting Lemons’ genius technique lay in a media bomb tactic: they fastidiously chosen a various group of creators from the meals, life-style, and popular culture areas and had them publish about Soup’Dumplings inside a 24-hour window.

This method created the phantasm of a large, cultural second taking place directly—a strong instrument for constructing momentum and engagement. As an alternative of utilizing advertisements, the marketing campaign was creator-led—every publish felt native to TikTok, making the Soup’Dumplings really feel like the following massive factor everybody was speaking about.

@beccaeatseverything AD | a incredible new product from @itsu that I merely can’t wait so that you can attempt! I hope you’ll get to check out my sauce recipe too! ☺️❤️ #itsu #itsusoupdumplings #soupdumplings #newfood ♬ Indie Pop Energy – FiniteMusicForge

Creativity was on the forefront: the marketing campaign leveraged trending codecs, genuine tone, and lo-fi aesthetics. The creators had been allowed the liberty to create content material that felt true to the platform’s model, from thirst entice edits to meme-driven skits. There have been no polished advertisements right here, simply actual content material that made viewers really feel like they had been a part of one thing massive.

@itsuofficial So sizzling they wanted their very own fan edit 🤭🤤 #itsu #itsufood #soupdumplings #dumplings #fanedit ♬ original sound – VickyKody

The Execution – Creators Lead, Tendencies Drive, and Adverts Amplify

The success of this marketing campaign was powered by TikTok’s native instruments. Lasting Lemons knew that to succeed on the platform, the marketing campaign needed to be trend-responsive. With TikTok’s unpredictable algorithms and viral nature, the technique wanted to be quick and adaptable.

The three-phase technique performed out as follows:

1. Construct Hype: Over-the-top bulletins and movies that grabbed consideration, like sudden Soup’Dumpling thirst traps, ensured that folks had been intrigued and excited.

2. Create Need: Mouthwatering prep and taste-test movies had been strategically timed to proceed the dialog, additional fueling the starvation and anticipation for the product.

3. Drive Discovery: To amplify the natural content material, Spark Adverts had been strategically used to spice up high-performing movies, making certain one of the best posts got extra attain. Paid media grew to become the supporting participant, pushing probably the most participating content material to the forefront.

TikTok’s remark sections additionally performed an enormous position within the marketing campaign’s success. As followers shared their very own ideas and experiences, their feedback straight impressed new content material. This community-driven strategy was a key a part of the marketing campaign’s authenticity.

@itsuofficial This IS what desires are manufactured from 😭🫶🥹 #itsu #itsufood #soupdumplings #dumplings ♬ BRENT MORGAN What Dreams Are Made Of – Brent Morgan

The Consequence – A Promote-Out Success

The marketing campaign’s efficiency spoke for itself:

• 850K natural views inside simply 24 hours

• A complete of 7.6 million views over 5 weeks

• A +52% improve in views, surpassing preliminary targets

• 435K likes and 38K saves on TikTok

• A 400% improve in Google search curiosity

• Document-breaking gross sales at main UK retailers, inflicting the Soup’Dumplings to promote out inside the first week

This wasn’t only a viral second—it was a measurable success that turned consciousness into motion.

Why This Marketing campaign Labored

The Soup’Dumplings marketing campaign succeeded due to Lasting Lemons’ deep understanding of TikTok’s tradition and its creator-driven strategy. As an alternative of forcing a refined message on Gen Z, Lasting Lemons leaned into the chaos and authenticity that makes TikTok so compelling.

By giving creators the liberty to inform the story in their very own manner, they ensured the marketing campaign felt real and fascinating slightly than like a model making an attempt to promote one thing. This strategy was key to resonating with the Gen Z viewers, preferring content material that feels private, unpolished, and aligned with the tendencies they already eat.

Platform fluency was key to the marketing campaign’s success. The inventive selections made for the marketing campaign weren’t simply stylish—they had been native to TikTok’s atmosphere. Lasting Lemons didn’t simply push a product; they embraced TikTok’s native aesthetic—memes, reactions, user-generated content, and lo-fi appeal.

These parts ensured the marketing campaign was natural, making it not solely relatable but additionally shareable. Whether or not it was via comment-driven content material or leveraging TikTok’s development dynamics, the marketing campaign sparked cultural dialog, engaged customers authentically, and drove virality in a manner that felt pure to the platform.

The marketing campaign’s success was so important that Lasting Lemons received the “Standout Use of TikTok” award on the UK Digital Excellence Awards. This recognition highlighted their capability to faucet into TikTok’s ecosystem and use the platform’s distinctive dynamics to the fullest, setting a brand new commonplace for creator-led campaigns that construct cultural relevance whereas delivering tangible outcomes for manufacturers.

Concerning the Creator

Author

Kalin Anastasov performs a pivotal position as an content material supervisor and editor at Influencer Advertising and marketing Hub. He expertly applies his website positioning and content material writing expertise to reinforce each bit, making certain it aligns with our tips and delivers unmatched high quality to our readers.