Could a social platform that self-describes as “anti-social media, anti-influencer app” actually work? Turns out, yes.
With a large percentage of Gen Z wanting to move away from the pressure of looking perfect online, yet still wanting to connect with others, BeReal is the perfect antidote.
But going a step further, a larger question our agency wants to ask is: Can brands actually utilize a social platform that prides itself on being messy, mundane or “real”?
Also, yes.
First, what is BeReal?
The basic premise of the app is that once a day, randomly, you and everyone else on BeReal will receive a notification that you have two minutes to take one picture from both your front & self-facing camera. The goal is not to be in the most pristine lighting or have a perfectly curated outfit. As the app name would suggest, you are supposed to simply show what you’re doing at exactly that moment to demystify how exciting everyone’s lives are. If Instagram is planned perfection, then BeReal is unfiltered reality.
So How Can Brands Use Be Real?
Of course, there are loopholes to the app’s rules. Though you do have to take the photo natively within the app, the time constraint is a bit more lenient. You don’t have to snap a photo and post within that two minute time frame. In fact, you can post any time before the next BeReal notification goes off. This allows there to still be some level of curation.
This also allows brands to pre-plan and set up one BeReal photo a day. If you have a social producer on-set, your brand could really get creative. Your BeReal could bring awareness to a new product, give discount codes or go behind-the-scenes of a shoot.
List of Brand Accounts That Are Doing It
If you want to learn from some brands that are on BeReal, here’s a shortlist of our favorites and how they used the platform to further their brand.
- Paramount gave fans a behind-the-scenes look at the cast while shooting the latest Scream film
- Chipotle gave discounts to its first 100 followers
- PacSun showcased behind-the-scenes clothing line shoots
- E.l.f. Cosmetics gave codes for free products to its first 150 followers
The most successful brands on social media feel like real people pretending to be brands. And no platform allows a brand to really execute that quite like BeReal. With over 28 million downloads (and growing!) since its initial inception and even surpassing TikTok in downloads the last few months, BeReal is a platform that you don’t want to ignore.
