Written by She puts the ‘P’ in empathy and she’s a real G…you know who we’re talking about.
@pronkers vote R11?? #whysa #whydontwe ♬ original sound – priyanka?
Not wanting to let a good trend go to waste, we noticed that some brands here in Singapore jumped on the bandwagon to do TikToks of their own, inspired by the OG Priyanka video. Some were hits, some were misses, but here are five brands that put the ‘P’ in either ‘pretty good’ or ‘P’ in ‘wah piang’.
1. Carousell
@carousell ❗️ALERT❗️get your SA tee on Carousell so we can all vote for @pronkers ??♂️ #whysa #voteforpriyanka #jctok #fyp #carousell #carousellsg ♬ original sound – priyanka?
First off our list is local online marketplace app Carousell. Their video featured a Carousell staff member (or poor intern) grooving out to the original Priyanka rap, and subsequently holding up an SAJC PE shirt. The video also featured a background of the Carousell app, with various SAJC-related items that were up for sale on the platform.
The video was a very good spin-off from the original video and is a definite attention-grabber, while still achieving its marketing aspect. Given that Carousell’s many TikTok videos have been quite funny and on point, the latest TikTok the video was in line with their usual laidback and fun personality.
Plus, it was certainly well received by the TikTok community, having racked up over 130,000 views – well beyond the average views they get on their other videos!
Verdict: Pretty good
2. FastJobs
@fastjobs We put the P in Part time jobs near you! #fyp #tiktoksg #jobs #jobsearch #r11 #priyanka #sajc #jobsnearhome #FastJobs #jobforme ♬ original sound – priyanka?
Another brand that jumped on the Priyanka trend was local job platform FastJobs, which is a mobile online platform that connects employers with job seekers looking for non-executive and part-time jobs.
However, instead of having someone front the video like what Carousell did, the FastJobs team went a different route, with a demonstration of how the FastJobs mobile app works.
The video illustrated how users could simply search for jobs by keying in a postal code, and the app would showcase a list of nearby jobs available.
Of course, in the spirit of Priyanka and SAJC, the first example used was none other than SAJC’s postal code. Similar to Carousell, their Priyanka-inspired video performed significantly better than their other videos, garnering over 12,000 views as compared to their other videos which only averaged a couple-hundred views.
Verdict: We’ll put the ‘P’ in ‘okay, passable’. The video certainly did its part by marketing the brand and showing how easy the app was to use, and using the SAJC postal code ensured that it remained relevant to the ongoing trend.
3. SugarBellySG
@sugarbellysg shunbian vote for sugarbelly too!! We are R21 ? #voteforpriyanka #sgbrownies #sugarbellysg #sgbakes ♬ original sound – priyanka?
Adding to the Priyanka trend was local home-based artisanal bakery SugarBellySG. Using the original Priyanka rap as a sound overlay, the video showcased various closeup shots of the brand’s baked products as well as clips of them at work acking pastries and sprinkling powdered sugar.
The video also included a call for people to vote for Priyanka, highlighting the various things she did for the brand such as writing all of their calligraphy, doing saikang work and packing orders for them; all voluntarily.
Verdict: While the video did convey what the brand was all about, it lacked relatability and as creative as the others. We’ll give them a ‘P’ in ‘below par, but not that bad’.
4. New Recording 47
@newrecording47 Reply to @pronkers We love u! Here’s our tribute to you, council kween ?? #whysa #voteforpriyanka ♬ original sound – priyanka?
Moving away from company brands, we discovered a local five-member acapella group New Recording 47, who also joined in the Priyanka trend.
Instead of reusing the original Priyanka rap in their video, the group decided to do their own rendition of the rap as a tribute to the real G – in acapella, no less.
Of course, no Priyanka video would be without a shout out to the OG, and the group definitely did that by calling for people to vote for Priyanka.
Verdict: We have to put the ‘P’ in ‘impressive’ for this one. It’s always fun to see local musicians do covers of other songs, and hearing New Recording 47 accord the original rap that honour was a refreshing take from the many other videos that used the original rap. We have to also applaud their amazing talent.
5. Paya Lebar Quarter
Enter Paya Lebar Quarter (PLQ), who paid tribute to the original rap by coming up with their own rendition. Styled in almost the exact same way as the original TikTok – even the dance moves are quite similar – the video featured PLQ’s very own rap with a similar structure, but adapted it to fit their own brand by playing on the PLQ abbreviation to highlight ‘personality’, ‘lifestyle’ and ‘quality’.
The video went fairly viral, and attracted over 21,000 views on their Facebook page. Notably, this is also not the first time that the PLQ team has ridden on current social media trends, having done so previously in various instances like repurposing Shang Chi actor Simu Liu’s stock image to advertise the Shaw Theatre located in their mall, back when the stock images first surfaced.
Verdict: While some may cringe at PLQ’s rendition of the original video, it was nonetheless a fairly good attempt at injecting a fresh take into the existing trend. After all, it was perhaps the most in-line of all the spinoff videos, as it was styled in almost the exact same way as how the original Priyanka video was. This is how various TikTok challenges and dance moves grow viral, and PLQ’s attempt was definitely on point.
We also have to applaud them for being able to come up with their own original rap lyrics, and make it relevant for their branding of the mall.
Trendjacking the viral SAJC TikTok post
Every now and then, a viral post emerges from the content sea, beckoning other brands to follow suit. The original SAJC post might have been something created for the purpose of promoting an internal student council election, but it just proves that everyone has the potential to create something phenomenal. And if not, riding the trend in a creative manner is the next best way to get you noticed.
