TV used to be the ad crown. But to Gen Z and Millennials, it's background noise today. By 2025, the younger US audience doesn't just like TikTokāthey expect brand content to be there to welcome them. Rather than full-length ads interrupting their shows, this generation craves bite-sized content that's integrated into their feed. And brands? They're keeping up fastāespecially those with a TikTok Growth Agency that knows how to drop engagement and conversions in real time.
The shift is no longer a trend. It's a new marketing law: if you're not promoting on TikTok, you're not seen by Gen Z and Millennials.
Ready to create TikTok ads that outdo normal TV commercials?
Partner with The Short Mediaāa TikTok Growth Agency helping businesses excel through viral, data-driven campaigns that produce real ROI.
Why Gen Z & Millennials React More Positively to TikTok Ads
TikTok's rise to becoming the go-to social media platform for the next generations is not so much about appearance or memes. It's about how natively produced content, community patterns, and short-form creativity all reimagine the ad experience.1. Authenticity & Relatability Build Brand Trust
Unlike glossy TV commercials, TikTok lives and breathes originality. Gen Z, in particular, is fast to pick up onāand dropāanything that comes across as too scripted or salesy. Effective TikTok advertisements tend to feel like:- Behind-the-scenes preview clips
- Customer reviews
- Creator tutorials or storytimes (not actor tutorials)
This format creates peer-to-peer authenticity that builds credibility faster than any of the older ads ever could.
2. Short-Form Video Suits Their Attention Span
Studies have shown that Gen Z's attention span is 8 secondsāand they won't bat an eye at scrolling by anything that doesn't immediately capture their attention. TikTok's format is deliberately designed to:- Quick storytelling
- Instant hooks
- Visually compelling edits
Advertisers using tiktok business ads are leaving the 30-second TV format behind and opting for 6ā15 second creatives that punch or deliver value in a flash.
3. Entertainment-First Ads Are Less Intrusive
Whereas TV ads break up your content, TikTok ads often are the content. Through formats like Spark Ads and Creator Marketplace partnerships, brands can position themselves squarely in:- Dance trends
- Comedy sketches
- Viral product reviews
This is the reason why marketing on TikTok is less sellingāand more participating in the entertainment experience of the user.
How Brands Can Engage Younger Audiences on TikTok
In order to win over Millennials and Gen Z, brands need to stop advertisingāand start creating. Here's how.1. Embrace Interactive Ad Formats
Gen Z prefers brands to talk to, not at them. TikTok has ad formats that involve the user as an active participant:- TopView or In-Feed poll ads
- Live Q&A sessions with artists
- Duet triggers that cause user-generated content
These formats induce two-way communication, which instills brand loyalty.
2. Work with Gen Z Influencers
Gen Z trusts creators more than traditional celebrities. Through partnerships with TikTok-native influencers, brands reap:- Integrated trust
- Indigenous storytelling
- Audience-based targeting
With a TikTok Growth Agency, brands are able to discover niche creators who are most resonantly connected with their target consumersāand co-create initiatives that feel native.
3. Use Humor, Trends & Virality
Humor is money on TikTok. From embracing popular sound, visual gags, or meta-branding, successful campaigns tend to rely on:- Meme culture
- In-group jokes of certain communities
- Rapid response to viral moments
This trend-based marketing strategy would never work on TVābut it's the magic ingredient for tiktok business commercials in 2025.
Creative Idea: Develop a trend-driven campaign like "#BrandMistakeConfessions" where influencers share laugh-out-loud mistakes with your productāthen rescue the day by showing how it is meant to be used. Humor + relatability + product value in one.
Case Study: A Beverage Brand That Switched from TV to TikTok & Came Out a Winner
Brand: WaveUp HydrationProduct: An effective sparkling water for college students
Challenge: Fading returns from expensive TV commercials and YouTube pre-rolls
The Strategy
WaveUp partnered with a TikTok Growth Agency on an experiment to test a game-changing flip: farewell old-school mediaāhello 100% TikTok-first marketing. They started:- A "Hydration Check" Challenge with a top sound and product placement
- Partnerships with campus lifestyle influencers
- Interactive Q&A Lives hosted by student athletes
All the material was optimized from the Creative Center insights of TikTok and A/B tested in formats like Spark Ads and carousel product demos.
The Findings
- 23M hashtag views in the first week
- 18% brand recall lift amongst Gen Z
- 4x ROAS versus their earlier TV commercials
- 70% of traffic to their website when it launched came from TikTok
This case study attests that TikTok marketing is not an optionāit's a differentiator. Ready to move your budget from TV to TikTok where it actually converts?
Hire The Short Media to develop a tailored plan supported by audience analysis and trend research.
Conclusion
For Gen Z and Millennials in the United States, TV commercials just don't cut it anymore. TikTok has it all:- Authenticity over polish
- Interaction vs. interruption
- Entertainment over static ads
And brands jumping on the bandwagon are seeing real benefitsāespecially if they partner with a TikTok Growth Agency that knows how to scale virality into conversions.
Whether you are launching a new product or trying to rebrand your image towards younger consumers, advertising on TikTok is the key to being relevant, exciting, and lucrative in 2025.