June 20, 2024 – Cannes, France
At this year’s Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity, TikTok hosted a standout session in its Garden venue that demonstrated how platforms, brands, and creators are blending creativity with purpose—and generating tangible business results in the process.
The TikTok for Good Launchpad event brought together a compelling mix of storytellers, marketers, and advocates to explore how social impact and innovation can (and should) intersect. Moderated by Denny Handlin, Head of Global Business Marketing at TikTok AUNZ, the panel included Dylan Alcott AO, Loren Bradley (Finch), Kalpesh Patanker(Leo Burnett UAE), and Dan Paris (Dentsu Creative APAC).
Their guiding question? What if creativity could truly change the world—and also move the bottom line?
Launching With Purpose
TikTok’s For Good Launchpad was created to help brands tap into the platform’s storytelling power to drive social change. Through real-world case studies, the panel revealed just how effective this can be.
One such campaign was TBWA’s “Classify Consent” for Consent Labs, which redefined how consent is communicated by using TikTok content formats to start national policy conversations in Australia.
Another example, GiveWrap, went viral twice on TikTok, achieved a 300% year-over-year sales increase, and landed a listing on Amazon North America—proving that purpose-driven creativity can deliver global commercial success.
Inclusion as a Business Driver
Paralympian and advocate Dylan Alcott AO delivered a powerful message on accessibility, emphasizing that inclusion isn’t charity—it’s economic opportunity. His initiative, Shift 20, is aiming to boost disability representation in advertising from 1% to 20% in Australia.
“Representation isn’t just good for society—it’s good for business,” Alcott said, adding that TikTok allows people with disabilities to share authentic stories without being filtered through someone else’s lens.
His ultimate hope? That campaigns like Shift 20 become so normalized that they’re no longer needed.
Using AI to Speak Truth to Power
Dan Paris presented Dentsu’s Face of Courage campaign, created for the Foundation for Media Alternatives in the Philippines. Using AI-generated deepfakes, the campaign gave voice to survivors of domestic violence in a country where silence is often the norm.
Despite the risks, the campaign reached 36 million people with just four posts—a testament to the power of courageous creativity on TikTok.
Creativity for Culture and Change
From Loren Bradley’s The Reluctant Shanty (a TikTok sea shanty campaign telling refugee stories) to Kalpesh Patanker’s Makeup for the Pay Gap (a beauty-tutorial-based awareness campaign on wage inequality), the panel shared how brands are using TikTok-native formats to reach niche communities with culturally relevant, purpose-driven content.
These campaigns weren’t about hijacking trends—they were about joining conversations meaningfully and authentically.
The Power of Authenticity
Throughout the session, one truth emerged over and over: TikTok is most powerful when it's used with, not at, the community. From multilingual tools to hyper-targeted formats, the platform’s strength lies in its ability to empower storytellers at every level.
“When I lead with vulnerability,” said Alcott, “that’s when the content resonates. That’s when it goes viral.”
Key Takeaways: How Brands Can Do Good on TikTok
- Start early: Collaborate with TikTok from the beginning, not just at launch.
- Be real: Authenticity wins over polish.
- Engage communities: Speak their language—literally and culturally.
- Innovate with empathy: Use the platform’s tools for good, not gimmicks.
The TikTok for Good Launchpad at Cannes Lions 2024 proved that when creativity meets purpose, the result isn’t just feel-good marketing—it’s real impact, measurable results, and campaigns that resonate far beyond the feed.