Ad of the month - Dove

Indonesia is TikTok territory. With total ad spend hitting US$6.97 billion in 2025 and influencer marketing surging 14.4% year-on-year, the platform's influence on local commerce is significant. 76% of Indonesians follow at least one influencer, and 68% buy based on their recommendations (sources: 1, 2).

The creator pull is undeniable, but brand-owned creative still serves a foundational purpose: establishing the emotional anchor and perceptions that creators and communities can then build upon.

This month, we put both approaches to the test, a creator-led spot, a fully brand-owned execution, and a hybrid of the two, to see which style actually moved the needle on Consideration. 

Here's what actually came out on top, and what each format does best.

The Winner: Dove Body scrub - Creator-led

Dove's ad from local creator @Vonsche_ was this month's standout. It succeeded by combining a creator's authentic, platform-native style with clear, focused product messaging. The content introduces the product early, then walks viewers through a before-and-after demonstration.

The ad’s strength lies in its ability to drive strong product appeal through a clear and credible message.

Where it stands apart from typical creator content is its focus. Rather than packing in features or personal context, the ad zeroes in on just two benefits: moisturization and dead skin cell removal. It earns its credibility by explaining simply how the scrub works - the "little beads" - and letting the application speak for itself. 

That focused delivery also paid off in attention: our behavioral metrics showed that both key benefits landed within the median time-in-view of 11 seconds, capturing the average consumer's window of attention for this content on TikTok.

When asked what they liked about the ad, people appreciated the clarity and product detail, pointing specifically to the visibly proven benefits.

What people are saying

“The explanation of the product's uses is very clear and immediately proven.” Penjelasan tentang kegunaan produknya sangat jelas dan sekaligus langsung pembuktian.

“The ad is quite easy to understand with explanations that are not long-winded and have a lot of drama.” Iklannya cukup mudah dimengerti dengan penjelasan yang tidak bertele tele dan banyak drama

Honorable mentions

Dove Body Wash - Branded content

A second Dove ad, this time produced by the brand, also delivered strong Purchase Consideration (+12%). Like the creator-led spot, it led with message clarity, directly communicating active ingredients and benefits across the body wash line. But where it differentiated itself compared to the creator-led approach was in its visuals: polished and evocative, they reinforced a premium, fresh perception of the product, elevating the feel of Dove's body wash benefits. This helped it achieve top performing Breakthrough scores when compared to all Beauty ads tested in Indonesia.

This highlights the unique strength of a clear, brand-owned voice: the ability to build a consistent, premium, aspirational brand perception that's often harder to achieve through native creator content.

“I like the visuals of this advertisement, it is very new and fresh” Saya suka visual dari iklan ini sangat baru dan fresh

Nivea “10/10 Glow moments” - Hybrid approach

Nivea’s "10/10 Glow Moments" ad takes a hybrid approach. It leads with the relatable feel of a creator video, but anchors the execution with a strong brand voice, closing with a product shot and clear brand messaging on the end card. Through its clear focus on the benefit of reducing dark spots and blemishes, and its memorable visualization of the simple message - 10/10 skin - the ad manages to achieve +6% lift in Purchase Consideration.

“I like the ad because it's simple and elegant, and it's pleasing to the eye. It's short but clear.” Saya Suka iklannya karena simple dan tampilan yang elegant dan enak di pandang. singkat tapi jelas.

However, this ad did lose some ground on credibility as its AI-generated imagery was seen as unnatural for some, undermining its authenticity.

The main takeaway

Creator-led and brand-owned content aren't at odds; they just play different roles in the campaign. Creators earn trust through relatable, focused demonstrations, while brands set the brand voice through high-quality execution. But regardless of the format, the defining rule of the feed remains the same across formats: direct, unambiguous messaging wins.