This weeks TikTok (er...Reel) that caught my eye came from the brand Billie. Check it out

​HERE - Billie x WhatIsNewYork

Here's why:

Raw > Polished

One of the biggest mistakes I see brands making? Overproduction.

They pull out the fancy rigs. Multiple angles. Soft filters. Studio mics. Noise canceling. The whole Hollywood treatment. But in today’s feed, polished often feels fake.

This Billie reel works because it feels impromptu — like it could’ve been shot on a friend’s iPhone and posted to their story. And that’s exactly the point.

Lo-fi > Hi-fi when it comes to trust and relatability. We talk about this in-depth on this week's episode of the Brandfathers, with Minted founder, Marcus Milione.

Collab Posting With Secondary Accounts

Smart brands aren’t just making good content, they’re making it spread. One of the best ways to do that? Repurpose your campaign through other voices.

Think:

• Have a meme account post your campaign because it's 'so funny'
  ​- Ex: Liquid Death x Influencers in the wild​
• Collab with a community page
  ​- This is what Billie did here with @whatisnewyork
• Get a creator to break down your campaign with insights or praise
  ​- This is what Slate Auto recently did with Oren​

Whether it’s memes, marketers, or niche communities, this tactic adds fuel to the fire and gets people talking. Your campaign doesn’t just hit once. It ripples.

Ad Within an Ad

Billie didn’t just buy a billboard. They bought content to amplify the billboard.

It’s a smart move. Tons of brands are spending on out-of-home: Billboards. Stadium signage. Wheatpaste posters. Subway takeovers.

But too often, that’s where the play stops. What did Billie do instead? They filmed people interacting and reacting in real-time, even if "staged."

Suddenly, it’s not just a physical ad, it’s a virtual one too. Even the most mundane behind-the-scenes stuff (setting it up, cleaning it, watching reactions, etc.) can become content.

So if you’re going to invest in OOH, why not get more mileage out of it?

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This is a new format, so let me know if you like (or dislike) this, and if any videos catch your eye, feel free to DM or email here.

Thanks,
Ashwinn

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