You’ve probably heard a cynical film lover describe a movie as “one big ad.” Maybe it was Space Jam, a movie that began with two Nike ads featuring Michael Jordan and Bugs Bunny, or Mac and Me, an ET ripoff that features a scene set inside a McDonald’s and a cameo from Ronald McDonald himself.
But a popular TikTok series somehow pulls off being branded content without actually mentioning the brand.
It’s called “Roomies”
It’s got ~90k followers and each two-minute episode revolves around a young woman who has moved from Ohio to NYC. It’s produced in-house by Bilt, a payments company that offers a credit card where tenants receive points for paying rent.
As The Wall Street Journal notes, brands including jewelry company Alexis Bittar, Little Caesars, and Sephora have been spinning out episodic content for social media, but Bilt is unique in that it doesn’t feature its own product.
While “Roomies” often covers topics relevant to renters in a way Business Insider’s Amanda Hoover found “actually funny and relatable,” there’s not a single mention of or product placement for it.
So what’s the point?
Bill is a private company valued at $10B, so it has room to play around with how it markets itself. And — you've definitely heard other companies say this — it sees itself as not just a credit card company, but a lifestyle brand.
Members receive bonus points or freebies when dining in at restaurant partners in their neighborhoods, booking travel or fitness classes through Bilt’s app, or by playing “Rent Day” trivia games.
Zoe Oz, Bilt’s CMO, told Link in Bio that the series allows Bilt to reach its core demographic on the platform they prefer.
“When someone eventually needs what we offer, we want them to think of Bilt as a brand that truly gets their lifestyle and challenges. It's about being part of the cultural conversation, not interrupting it,” Oz said.
Also, the lack of product placements won’t last. Oz told WSJ that the series will eventually include corporate partners. For example, an episode could feature the roommates getting their complementary smoothies at Barry’s Bootcamp — a perk Bilt offers its members.