While social media burned, Tumblr brought the social back to social media
Overall Impact: The campaign reinforced and sustained DAU growth beyond the TikTok ban effect.
The social media landscape was imploding. TikTok faced a ban, X turned hostile, and Meta doubled down on "masculine energy." Perfect timing to remind everyone about Tumblr - the original home of internet culture and genuine connection.
We moved at internet speed, partnering with real Tumblr creators to craft an authentic campaign in just 10 days. Our message spread across social, digital, video, and out-of-home, celebrating the platform's diverse communities and proving what makes Tumblr different: actual humans sharing actual passions, no bots or rage bait required.
With just a $100k budget, our two-week campaign delivered sustained growth across every key metric. What started as a focused test in three markets quickly expanded, as our creative resonated far beyond the initial TikTok ban moment. Daily active users grew significantly, but more importantly, new users stuck around - with retention rates climbing steadily across all measured timeframes. The campaign's success prompted an immediate expansion into additional markets.
Test states saw an average DAU increase of +9.36%, significantly above the +3.1% control uplift.
Strongest Gains: DC (+18.5%, +15.4% over control) and RI (+19.9%, +16.8% over control) saw the highest uplift.
Retention Improvement: Users acquired during the campaign had higher return rates at every stage vs. pre-TikTok ban, (with Day 3 retention +1.2% higher).
“Most brands accept the industry playbook: outspend competitors and ignore the waste. We built something radically different - a precision-led engine that exposed every inefficient placement and eliminated accepted fraud. When you bring real transparency as the starting point, you don't just cut costs by 30% - you transform a seasonal brand into a year-round performer that can compete with anyone”
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