One Day. One Pitch. One powerful idea for change

What happens when you bring together a bold charity brief, £100k in TikTok media, and two of the UK’s top creative agencies? One day. One pitch. One winning idea — and a campaign now in development.

At the first-ever SXSW London, TikTok launched Pitch For Purpose: a one-day creative sprint designed to generate standout ideas for the Finishing School Foundation — a charity helping underrepresented young people access careers in the creative industries.

The brief, titled “A Dose of Hope”, was revealed 24 hours ahead of the event. It challenged agencies to create TikTok-native content that would inspire donations and awareness, powered by Symphony, TikTok’s AI creative toolset.

A creative opportunity to channel empathy into action — with a tangible media budget to launch it.

The Brief: "A Dose of Hope"

The brief asked agencies to use TikTok to raise funds — and awareness — for a generation at risk of being left behind. It was grounded in real stats: nearly one in eight 18–24-year-olds in the UK are not in employment, education or training. But this wasn’t about pity. The tone was empowering, optimistic and action-oriented — inviting creative responses that felt native to TikTok, emotionally resonant, and above all, effective.

The campaign line: “Help them take the first step. We’ll do the rest.”

The Pitch

VCCP and Leo Burnett took on the challenge, responding with insight-led, purpose-driven ideas. The final pitches were delivered live to a panel of judges, including TikTok leaders, Creative Salon co-founder Sonoo Singh, and the Foundation’s founder, Ally Owen.

Leo Burnett creative team was declared the winner, with a concept that combined emotional clarity, platform fluency, and a cohesive creative system designed to scale.

“Both agencies provided incredible strategic thinking and inspiring creative,” said Ally Owen. “Leo Burnett's response demonstrated a simple, TikTok-first idea that could stretch across many formats with a consistent and clear asset. It feels beautifully cohesive, and we can see how it will resonate with our community and drive donations to create impact.”

Why Pitch For Purpose?

TikTok is increasingly a platform where culture and causes collide. Pitch For Purpose was built to show how fast, collaborative creativity — supported by AI and grounded in real-world need — can create tangible impact.

It also offered agencies a high-stakes, real-time opportunity to experiment with Symphony, demonstrating how new creative tools can enhance storytelling rather than replace it.

What’s Next?

The winning campaign is now being developed in partnership with Leo Burnett, TikTok, and the Finishing School Foundation, with launch set for the coming weeks.

Thank you to everyone who made it possible — especially the teams who showed how creativity, when driven by purpose, can be both culturally powerful and socially meaningful.

Sarah Cornish is the creative agency partnerships manager at Tiktok