11 TikTok Trends and Memes: Creative Lessons for Brands
Key takeaways
- Use these historical examples to study creative formats, rather than treating them as a ranking of current TikTok trends.
- Repeatable prompts, transitions, choreography, and cultural references give creators different ways to participate in a shared idea.
- Distinguish a platform feature such as Duet from an individual meme or challenge when planning content.
- Choose a format that fits your audience and campaign objective; familiarity alone does not establish business impact.
TikTok trends give creators a shared starting point: a prompt, a sound, a visual transformation, or a format they can adapt. For brands, the useful question is how that format invites participation and whether it fits the audience they want to reach.
This retrospective revisits examples from an article originally published in August 2024. It includes individual memes and challenges alongside broader formats such as Duets and AI effects; it is not a current popularity ranking.
11 TikTok Trends, Memes, and Formats
The examples below show different ways creators have adapted music, questions, editing techniques, and familiar cultural references. Compare their creative mechanics before deciding what to test in a new campaign.
1. “Yeehaw” Challenge
Lil Nas X took the internet by storm in 2018 with the release of his mega-hit record “Old Town Road”. The song became a global hit in large part because of TikTok, and it spawned arguably the most popular challenge on the platform at the time, the “Yeehaw Challenge”. The premise of this challenge is that someone turns themself into a cowboy or cowgirl by consuming a beverage labeled “Yeehaw juice.” This skit is performed to ‘Old Town Road’ and took TikTok by storm while the record was gaining global traction.
@roblox Okay we’re gonna bring back the #yeehaw challenge. 🤠 @lilnasx #robloxpresentslnx #lilnasxholiday #roblox #lilnasx #HolidayCountdown
2. #Prankwars
Pulling off the perfect prank can be difficult, but it has become an art form on TikTok. From pranking their parents, friends, and loved ones even to complete strangers, TikTok’ers have taken pranking to unprecedented heights. Prank Wars has transformed TikTok into the modern iteration of America’s Funniest Home Videos, and we are all here for it. Creators are not only pulling pranks to outsmart their friends for a few laughs, but they also compete against each other to see whose content can receive the most hearts.
@scott.boersen How many #ikea pencils did I put in her bag? #prankwars #foryou #tiktokaustralia #prank notfunny?
3. Roman Empire
The Roman Empire meme invited people to ask how often someone thought about ancient Rome and share the answer. Its repeatable question gave participants a common format while leaving room for different responses.
@leeleelance he got so defensive😭😭 once a week is insane
4. “Shoe change” challenge
The shoe-change challenge uses a timed movement and edit to reveal different footwear or outfits. It offers a visual example of how creators can repeat a transition while personalizing what appears on screen.
Check out these 12 sneaker influencers leaving a footprint in 2024.
@fayetopia a peek into my shoe collection #shoechallenge #shoechangechallenge #foryou #foryoupage #trending
5. Duets
TikTok is known for many things at this point. But one of the core elements of the platform that has helped elevate it into a new stratosphere of popularity is its Duets feature. Think of it like remixing a song. Users can take another person’s video and add to it. It’s like setting up a joke and giving another person the chance to deliver the punchline. For example, someone may post a video of them dancing to a song and then another TikTok user can then take that video and add themselves performing corresponding dance moves.
Here’s an example of two creators using the face overlay Duet style to create a funny video of an interaction at a stoplight.
@ailaughatmyownjokes #duet with @SmoothPapi I’m bored
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6. “Renegade” Dance Challenge
Jalaiah Harmon created the “Renegade” choreography set to K Camp’s “Lottery.” The example shows how a repeatable dance routine can invite participation while making credit to the original choreographer important.
@jalaiahharmon The Collab Y’all Have Been Waiting For 2 Goats In One Video🐐🔥🆙Dc : @jalaiah & @tdfw.shot 🚀 #renegade #shotxcrisis
7. The AI Effects Boom
As AI technology has advanced in recent years, so has the popularity of TikTok’s AI effects. What once was considered a novelty became a tool for creators looking to add a creative spark to their content. From playful filters that turn you into a painting to eerily accurate face swaps, users are constantly pushing the boundaries of what AI can do. In terms of virality, one of the most popular examples of this trend was the “AI Manga” filter, which transformed users into anime-style characters and exploded on TikTok in December 2022.
@davidparody1 thats a lobster claw
8. I’m Already Tracer Challenge
This historical challenge drew on a gaming-related music video. Back in January 2017, the Mashed YouTube channel uploaded an animated music video for a song by The Living Tombstone called “No Mercy”. The video contains a segment showing popular YouTubers Black Gryph0n and LittleJayneyCakes singing an argument over which characters to play in the game Overwatch. Hilarity ensued, and a video fad was created as TikTok’ers recorded themselves lip-syncing the song in videos like this one. Check out these 10 video game marketing tactics to level up your business.
@alicenyannya Maybe I’ll be Tracer? I’M ALREADY TRACER! �� DVA is back! #dvacosplay #dvaoverwatch #overwatchcosplay #overwatch #imalreadytracer #maybeillbetracer
9. Full House opening
In the case of this trend, the name in itself is somewhat self-explanatory. Some of us may be old enough *gasp* to remember the wholesome ’90s sitcom “Full House” starring Bob Saget and John Stamos. The theme song is considered classic in its own right and helped spawn this trend on TikTok. We’ll let the video explain the rest.
@jobtherapy Somebody @ the Olsen Twins #officelife #fullhousechallenge
10. DNA Test Challenge
The DNA Test meme used Lizzo’s “Truth Hurts” as the basis for personalized jokes. Creators adapted the format to reveal something about themselves, another person, or a pet.
@kaylacantey It is confirmed! #dnatest #100percentdog #dog #pet #dogsoftiktok #foryou
11. “The Haribo Challenge”
This one is more of a fan favorite than it is a trend, but we figured it was worth including. It took some meticulous planning and some creative video editing, but the final result is definitely a playful example of a TikTok meme. The video unfolds with a shot of a single gummy bear, ‘singing’ Adele’s hit “Someone Like You”, only to reveal a chorus of gummy bears joining in song.
@davidkasprak over 200 Haribos singing 😁 #haribochallenge #haribo #adele #concert
Compare the creative formats
| Format | Examples in this article | Participation mechanism | Planning question |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visual transformation | Yeehaw; shoe change | A recognizable before-and-after reveal | Can viewers understand the change quickly? |
| Repeatable prompt | Roman Empire; DNA Test | A question or structure others can personalize | Does the prompt invite a relevant response? |
| Choreography | Renegade | A routine creators can learn and perform | How will you acknowledge the original creator? |
| Collaborative response | Duets | A new performance alongside existing content | What does your contribution add? |
| Cultural reference | Full House; I’m Already Tracer | A recognizable entertainment reference | Will the intended audience understand it? |
Use Viral Nation’s social strategy services to connect your audience, creative approach, and campaign objective before choosing a trend.
Frequently asked questions
Are these the latest TikTok trends?
No. This article is a retrospective of examples discussed in a 2024 post. Use it to study creative formats, and check current activity before choosing a trend for a new campaign.
What can brands learn from older TikTok memes?
Older memes offer examples of repeatable prompts, visual transitions, choreography, and shared cultural references. Study how each format invites participation, then decide whether the idea fits your audience and brand.
Does joining a TikTok trend guarantee campaign success?
No. A recognizable format does not establish audience fit or business impact. Decide what your campaign should achieve and evaluate results against that objective.
Choose a format your audience can use
Start with the idea you want viewers to understand or respond to. Choose a format that gives your brand a relevant role, then plan what you will measure before producing the content.
Use the historical examples as creative references and check whether a format still makes sense for the campaign you are planning.
Explore Viral Nation’s TikTok marketing services for support with strategy, creative production, creator partnerships, and measurement.
