Holiday giving is a beautiful thing, but with every brand vying for attention, requests for generosity can get lost in the clutter. TikTok set out to change that by offering a simple, native platform for users to give—no cash required. Instead, we asked for something uniquely TikTok: creativity.

I led the creative strategy, concept development, campaign and creative direction, and casting for TikTok’s Create for a Cause challenge. Users made or shared videos, and TikTok turned their creativity into impact by donating to three fan-favorite charities: Best Friends Animal Society, DoSomething.Org, and Oceana. To amplify the challenge, we enlisted an army of celebrities to inspire participation and drive new downloads, creating a movement that blended creativity and purpose.

The results, achieved in just five days, were extraordinary—$2 million raised for charity, 1.4 million videos created, 300K new TikTok users acquired, 21 million video views and 3 million video likes, a 1200% increase in daily active user participation, and a 6x video share rate.

Proving that generosity doesn’t always come from the wallet, TikTok’s Create for a Cause became one of the most effective social-first holiday giving campaigns in history—where creativity truly made a lasting impact for good.