Agency partnerships and supporting the creative community have always been top priorities for TikTok for Business. Therefore, when TikTok for Business METAP first launched the Rock the Tok challenge, the vision was clear: a challenge to the agency ecosystem, offering them an opportunity to further unleash their creative spirit through a region-wide competition on TikTok. Marketers, creatives, and advertisers from agencies across the Middle East, Turkey, and Pakistan answered the call and submitted some extraordinary campaigns which were celebrated and awarded.

Jovana Jovanovic, Regional Head of Creative Agency Partnerships at TikTok, shared, "It is a testament to the passion and ingenuity of the agency ecosystem of the region that we're seeing creatives, strategists and marketers embrace these kinds of challenges. At TikTok, our focus is dedicated to partnering with and uplifting the agencies in the region which are responsible for some of the most exciting and successful campaigns on TikTok."

Youssef Gaddallah, Head of Business Marketing and Creative Strategy for MENA Services, KSA, and North Africa at TikTok, echoed the sentiment: "TikTok is a platform that has always inspired creativity and brought joy to the community. It is clear that leading agencies and creatives in the region have tapped into the power of the platform and relish the challenge to create content that has a lasting impact."

Launched in July with an open invitation to creative, media, and social/digital agencies in MENA to participate, agencies were required to submit a best-in-class campaign that ran in the first half of 2022 on TikTok.

Submissions were received from all over the region including UAE, KSA, and Egypt. The number of entries from agencies in KSA and Egypt rose significantly, showing the immense growth of platform partnerships across the region. The winning agencies were awarded commemorative trophies and recognition by a jury of leading experts.

In fact, TikTok partnered with The Marketing Society and its regional Creative Council, made up of some of the most prominent and decorated creative leaders in the region, to put together the esteemed panel of judges. The jury also included various leaders from TikTok across different functions from marketing science to creative.

Two-time winners from FP7 / McCann Dubai, who secured the TikTokers Choice Award this year, were excited to share, "This is proof of our dedication to creating an agency culture – working in tandem with a platform partner like TikTok – to nourish our teams and deliver meaningful connections to our clients. It also goes without saying that having a great partner on the client side makes you go the extra mile to unleash your most creative expression for your brands."

Winners for the Best Organic Content category, from McCann Commonwealth, representing Chevrolet Arabia, shared, "In 2022, we at Commonwealth/McCann and Chevrolet agreed that we wanted to switch from being a brand that creates ads, to a brand that adds value through content. Automotive has always been a massive interest for so many people and the content its fans create is awesome. We're just following the trend. This award is a great indicator that creativity and authenticity are the keys to creating viral and effective content on TikTok."

Fellow competitors and victors for Innovative Use of the Platform from the agency Peace Cake, representing Netflix, also had a lot to celebrate. Randa Habib, Account Lead & Operations Manager for Peace Cake, said, "At Peace Cake, we live and breathe content – whether it be creating our own originals or taking a client brief and sprinkling in our own secret sauce to create excellent work together. Winning this award is definitely a great encouragement for us, our brilliant team, and our pioneering client. When all these elements come together, a space of collaboration and creativity is fostered with amazing results!"