Kevin MayerandTom StaggsCandle Mediahas struck a partnership withTikTok, with an initial focus onReese WitherspoonsHello Sunshineto uncover underrepresented independent authors and literary material from the #BookTok community.
Unveiled today atCannes Lions, TikTok said it will leverage Candle Medias storytelling capabilities across its business units to launch new and inspiring premium content and branded entertainment.
That will begin with the Candle-owned Hello Sunshine element of the partnership, as the pair mine TikTok for authors to support the development of premium film, TV and premium audio projects, thereby elevating and amplifying underrepresented storytellers and bringing their stories to life, Oscar-winner Witherspoon said.
Reese WitherspoonMichael Buckner/Variety via Getty Images
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Candle Media, which also ownsCocomelonmaker Moonbug Entertainment, digital publisher ATTN and Latin-focused Exile Content Studio, said it has 600 million followers across social platforms and will become a TikTok Pulse Premiere publisher.
TikTok continues to experience explosive growth, and has become a critical platform for storytelling and marketing, said Mayer and Staggs.
We are thrilled to work with the TikTok team to create compelling branded content, and for Hello Sunshine to shine a light on the thriving #BookTok community, which is home to a new generation of storytellers.
In 2020, former Disney exec Mayer briefly ran TikTok and was COO of Chinese parent Bytedance but he quit after just three months, with reports citing the impact of Donald Trump ordering Bytedance to sell its U.S. operations, which never came to fruition.
The Cannes Lions ad market is taking place in France this week, with talks from Kevin Hart, Jeffrey Katzenberg and Michael Johnson.
