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As the Gen Z platform of the moment, TikTok has opened up a brand new advertising channel for brands. It’s an opportunity for creativity, where influencers do more than, “Hey guys, I’m going to tell about why I love [fill in the blank].” Champion, the brand behind probably at least one sweatshirt you already have in your house, is making the most of the platform with its new Reverse Weave Week campaign.
Backing up, “reverse weave” is Champion’s signature fabric technology. “We recognize that we have an icon,” said John Shumate, vp of global brand marketing at Champion, of the fabric. Essentially, reverse weave came about when Champion was providing apparel for football teams, and there was concern about the garments shrinking when washed en masse. By stitching fabric horizontally, the brand was able to prevent shrinking. “Not many people know about [Reverse Weave]. They have it, but they don’t know about it. We wanted to celebrate this and give it the recognition it deserves,” he said. The result: Reverse Weave Week, which kicked off on October 13 and ran through October 19. It serves to acknowledge the anniversary of the Reverse Weave patent, which dates back 69 years to October 14, 1952.
The brand hired Jalaiah Harmon, the Georgia-based 16-year-old TikTok star (2.9 million followers) known for being the true creator of the “Renegade” dance. The teen, who was also just announced as the subject of an upcoming docuseries, filmed a TikTok video for the campaign in which she performs the dance that made her internet-famous — in reverse. The sponsored post already has over 7 million views. Champion’s social media team has been actively replying to comments. This is Champion’s first big TikTok campaign, Shumate said. The brand has 51,000 followers on the platform.
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Founded in 1919, Champion is over 100-years-old. The goal for the week-long initiative was to strengthen the brand’s relevance in the market. “Jalaiah Harmon did a phenomenal job less than a year ago of creating a cultural movement on TikTok with the ‘Renegade’ dance, so we’ve got our icon with the Reverse Weave and an icon [in Harmon]. We wanted to bring these two together to celebrate both cultural phenomenons, and bring [the celebration] to life via TikTok and a full campaign.”
The campaign also included ads on Hulu, YouTube and Instagram, Shumate said. For her part, Harmon said, “I wanted to be involved with the Reverse campaign because I support almost anything in the dance world, and Champion is an iconic brand. This was a really fun project that we shot in Chicago at an old gym where the Chicago Bulls used to practice. So, yeah, that’s pretty cool!”
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The final piece of the campaign was a giveaway. People were asked to follow Champion on both TikTok and Instagram, to post themselves doing the reverse “Renegade” dance, and to tag both @champion and a friend in their post. Fifty-two winners, chosen at random, will receive a Reverse Weave Week hoodie. On the hoodie, the Champion logo is flipped.
“As a brand, you don’t want to have your logo in reverse all the time, so there was obviously a lot of discussions internally and some anxiety there,” Shumate said. “But it’s for this special time and for this giveaway only.”
Chatting with Saweetie about her nail polish collection for Sinful Colors
Saweetie (12.7 million followers on Instagram) has been busy: She has her own McDonald’s meal, a recently announced partnership with MAC and a brand new nail polish collection with Sinful Colors. We had a quick chat with Saweetie about that recent launch.
How did you get involved with Sinful Colors?
“Any brand that I work with is a brand that I truly believe in or use. I’ve been using Sinful Colors since high school. I remember that I used to paint one hand hot pink and one turquoise, and I always loved that it was hella affordable. It’s kind of full circle, now that I have my own collection with them.”
What was it like creating your own nail polish colors?
“I had the most fun picking the names. I have Baelien, Big Mamaz Ship, Icy MonStar and Lil Beast, and the Alien Side Chick nail stickers.”
Do you have any tips for wearing super long nails?
“I’ve been wearing long nails for so long. They’re just like an extension of my body, so I’m used to it.”
Where do you find inspiration?
“I have a Finsta, and on my Finsta, I follow everything that I love. I probably follow, like, 2,000 hair, makeup and fashion pages. I don’t use it to lurk; I use it as a mood board.”
Are you seeing any trends that you’re really into right now?
“I’m seeing a lot of heart-shaped braids. I think that’s really cool and unique. I think I’m gonna try that next.”
Shop the Saweetie x Sinful Colors Made on Mars collection
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Phenomenal & Live Tinted team up for a limited edition Diwali set
In advance of Diwali, which begins on November 4, Deepica Mutyala, founder of makeup brand Live Tinted, and Meena Harris, Vice President Kamala Harris’ niece and founder of media brand and e-comm shop Phenomenal, created a limited edition box. It is Phenomenal’s first beauty collaboration and features a “Phenomenally Brown” sweatshirt in Live Tinted’s marigold color, three of Live Tinted’s signature Huesticks, a pair of Live Tinted Rays Copper Eye Masks and a Diwali diya. The set is $90 and available on phenomenalwoman.us.
Megan Fox partners with Boohoo
Fox worked with it-girl stylist Maeve Reilly to create her first-ever co-designed fashion collection, which launched with Boohoo.com on October 19. The collection encompasses 40 styles, including on-brand sexy, cutout dresses, a zebra print coat and two-piece suits. Styles are offered in sizes 2-24, and prices range from $12-$120. “I feel like I’ve really come into my own over the past few years, especially when it comes to my personal style and this collection reflects exactly that,” Fox said in a press release, noting that “I’ve always wanted to have my own collection and boohoo really gave Maeve and I the freedom to express ourselves.” Shop the collection here.
ICYMI
An OG YouTuber gets the Madame Tussauds’ treatment
Nikkie Tutorials has her very own wax figure at Madame Tussauds Amsterdam. She posted a YouTube video taking fans through the extensive process.
Mikayla Nogueira crashes CTZN Cosmetics’ website
Near weekly, TikToker Mikayla Nogueira reminds the internet of her power by making a personally approved beauty product go viral and, in many cases, sell out. This week, it was CTZN Cosmetics’ complexion-matched nude lip duos, made up of a liner and a dual-ended matte lipstick-lipgloss combo. In her signature vernacular, Nogueira deemed them “fucking perfect” in her post.
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