Thought the election campaign was boring? Maybe you’re just not on TikTok
- Written by: Susan Grantham, Lecturer in Communication, Griffith University
This year’s election campaign marked a turning point in Australian politics. TikTok has emerged not just as another tool, but as a main battleground[1].
Although it played a part in the 2022 election[2], this was the first time the two major parties and the Greens embraced short-form video as a serious campaign strategy.
These videos may seem silly or nonsensical, but for many Gen Z voters, they may have been the only political messages they encountered in the entire five-week campaign. Given the dominance of[3] Gen Z and Millennial voters, social media videos are increasingly important.
A blend of trends, podcasts and thirst traps
The Australian Labor Party’s[4] campaign leaned heavily into TikTok culture, crafting a multi-pronged strategy to reach younger voters where they scroll. This included meme engagement like this absurdist #italianbrainrot trend.
#brainrot[5] refers to deliberately absurd, low-effort videos that thrive on chaos and nonsensical repetition.
It’s an existing TikTok trend that started in early 2025 and is designed to capture attention in an oversaturated feed. In other words, don’t try to understand, just watch and enjoy.
Another standout is a now-viral video of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese edited with the stylistic flair typical of TikTok “thirst trap” content. The editing style and music choice are both characteristic of this sub-genre of video designed to make the subject appear attractive.
It walked a fine line between irony and sincerity: an intentional nod to the platform’s unique language and humour. While some lapped it up as clever, others question whether such tactics undermine the seriousness of politics.
Labor also heavily invested in podcasting[6], with Albanese appearing on youth-oriented shows with the likes of Abbie Chatfield and Ozzy Man. These long-form interviews were mostly promoted by the podcasters themselves, which was a clever use of their existing audiences. It contributed to a strategy that prioritised personality as much as policy.
Combined with a coordinated influencer outreach[7], including briefings with popular creators, Labor’s campaign showed a keen understanding of the algorithmic economy. Whether it was cringey or clever, it was undeniably calculated.
Trendsetters with turbulence
The Liberal Party[8] started its TikTok campaigning back in December 2024. These early videos, many AI-generated, saw remarkable traction. The highest-viewed video, an AI voice-change take on a scene from “The Grinch”, has been viewed 2.8 million times.
Then came “Tim Cheese”, a trending fictional character they used to blur the lines in political storytelling. A “bad guy”, Tim Cheese was used by the Liberals to highlight that the known bad guys aren’t always bad.
One standout video was the introduction of “Cheesy Albanese[9]”, which merged political satire with platform-native humour that resonated with the audience.
The Liberals also tapped into trending sounds and aesthetics such as #brainrot and #italianbrainrot. In fairness, they were the first to use it before the official campaign started.
But with any innovative campaign comes risk.
A notable misstep was the repurposing of influencer content, including that of Holly MacAlpine[10].
Topham Guerin, the strategy company behind the campaign, has a reputation[11] for provocative approaches that can come close to, but don’t actually break, the law. However, this use of content did wear thin for some followers, sparking early signs of disengagement.
The campaign’s second major stumble came on election day.
US-based TikTok creator Ray William Johnson, who has more than 18.5 million followers, called out the Liberals for blocking his account[12] when they clearly used his video and animation style.
Johnson said he had no issue with the mimicry, but the party’s pre-emptive blocking of him fuelled backlash. His response video, now seen more than 12 million times, ends with a blunt directive: “I hope everyone goes out and votes for the other guy.”
It was a viral moment that undid much of the earlier momentum, and demonstrates the high stakes of campaigning in the age of creator culture.
Despite a clever response video from the Liberals, it was overshadowed by the sheer scale of the backlash.
With these lows there was still highs, including a highly effective and trending video game[13] that saw players “Escape Albo”.
The Liberals were early trendsetters, creating boundary-pushing content for all users, even those without strong political views. They experimented with styles that went on to be mimicked, particularly with Labor’s #brainrot-inspired content.
Greens go from giant toothbrushes to DJ sets
In a bid to connect with the gaming community, Tasmanian Senator Nick McKim took to livestreaming sessions of the popular game Fortnite. Donning comfortable clothes and a headset, McKim engaged viewers with gaming lingo and humour, aiming to make politics more relatable to younger audiences.
These videos were a huge success, with this one being viewed 1.4 million times.
A central feature of the Greens social media campaign was the deployment of a giant toothbrush prop, symbolising the party’s commitment to integrating dental care into Medicare. It featured across various platforms and was a nice link to events[14] in Brisbane and Melbourne.
These events featured the support of big-name influencers and prompted spinoff videos launching Greens Leader Adam Bandt’s DJ career.
But despite the flashy props, influencer cameos and party vibes, the Greens’ campaign often felt more like a collection of stunts than a cohesive digital strategy: memorable in moments, but ultimately lacking impact.
Did it make any difference?
While many labelled the 2025 election dull[15], the TikTok campaign told a different story. It was unpredictable, occasionally “cringe”, but deeply entertaining.
It’s too soon to know if any of this shifted votes or even opinions. Party officials, campaign strategists and academics will all be watching closely to find out.
While social media is ubiquitous in our lives, using it to campaign is still relatively new in our political history. There are no best-practice guidelines or proven approaches. Of all this content thrown at the wall, it will be fascinating to see what sticks.
But to the millions of Australians on TikTok, politics has never looked or sounded quite like it did in 2025.
References
- ^ main battleground (journals.sagepub.com)
- ^ 2022 election (doi.org)
- ^ the dominance of (theconversation.com)
- ^ Australian Labor Party’s (www.tiktok.com)
- ^ #brainrot (www.nytimes.com)
- ^ invested in podcasting (theconversation.com)
- ^ influencer outreach (theconversation.com)
- ^ Liberal Party (www.tiktok.com)
- ^ Cheesy Albanese (www.tiktok.com)
- ^ including that of Holly MacAlpine (www.smh.com.au)
- ^ has a reputation (www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au)
- ^ blocking his account (www.news.com.au)
- ^ video game (www.instagram.com)
- ^ events (www.instagram.com)
- ^ dull (www.theguardian.com)
Authors: Susan Grantham, Lecturer in Communication, Griffith University
