Every day, Americans spend an average of a movie's worth of time on TikTok. What if even a fraction of that time could be used to help end hunger? That’s the question we asked when we partnered with TikTok and Feeding America for Hunger Action Month.
At the Ad Council, our most powerful work happens when we team up with media partners who share our vision. Together, we’re not just running campaigns—we’re multiplying impact. Our recent partnership with TikTok for our “Ending Hunger” campaign, in partnership with Feeding America, is a clear example of how creativity, collaboration and platform-native storytelling can move people to action.
Hunger Action Month
Feeding America partners with a nationwide network of food banks, meal programs and more to build a nation where everyone has the food and support they need to thrive. The involvement of all Americans makes this possible. Each September, Feeding America’s Hunger Action Month brings people across the country together to raise awareness, provide nutritious food to neighbors facing hunger, and end hunger in our communities.
To authentically convey both the urgency of food insecurity and the empathy it requires, we turned to TikTok for its unmatched ability to foster meaningful online connections.
Meeting People Where They Scroll
TikTok isn’t just a platform—it’s a cultural engine. Building a strong campaign there doesn’t mean reinventing creative; it means tapping into creators who already cultivate vibrant communities. For Hunger Action Month, we partnered with creators whose authentic voices and audiences aligned with our mission, empowering them to extend solutions to food insecurity and inspire their communities to act.
Creators as Catalysts
Based on campaign insights, we identified seven creators across three trusted verticals: educators like Mrs. Miller and Mr. Shutes, faith leaders and food industry workers. Many had participated in food drives or other hunger-related initiatives, and some had lived experience with food insecurity themselves. This gave them the credibility to authentically share perspectives, like @dayandwhit’s, that are both personal and impassioned.
We provided a Hunger Action Month brief outlining the initiative’s call-to-action and resources, but left space for their unscripted voices. Instead of polished, ad-style content, they shared authentic stories in their own style—content that felt real, relatable and resonant.
“It takes many hands to make sure every person gets the food they need and Hunger Action Month is a critical moment for us to drive awareness and inspire the public to join the movement to end hunger,” said Monica Lopez Gonzalez, chief marketing and communications officer at Feeding America. “Through this innovative partnership with the Ad Council, TikTok and creators we shared powerful, real stories to millions. These authentic videos brought food insecurity to the forefront and made it clear that we all have a part to play in ensuring everyone has access to the food they need to thrive.”
The result? Messaging that spread widely and struck a chord. Within days, their organic posts had already sparked 100,000+ views and 5,000 engagements, proving that when creators believe in a cause, their audiences do too.
TikTok’s Amplification Power
Then came the multiplier effect. TikTok stepped in with ad credits to supercharge the campaign, ensuring our message reached far beyond organic audiences. The results spoke for themselves:
- 20 million people reached
- 750,000+ sessions driven to Feeding America’s website
- 42% of all site sessions during Hunger Action Month came directly from TikTok
That’s not just awareness—it’s action. Every click represented someone taking a step toward joining Feeding America in the movement to end hunger.
"The activation was a great example of TikTok-first storytelling at its best—authentic, creator-led content driving real impact,” said Khartoon Weiss, Vice President and General Manager, Global Business Solutions, TikTok. “We were proud to see the Ad Council and Feeding America use the platform’s strengths to rally communities around such an important cause."
Why It Matters
Hunger is a massive issue, with one in five children in the U.S. facing food insecurity. Partnerships like this prove that when creativity meets collaboration, change scales. TikTok’s support didn’t just amplify Hunger Action Month messaging—it sparked real impact and helped raise dollars critical to Feeding America’s mission of ending hunger.
Join the Movement
Every scroll, every share, every click has the power to create change. By meeting people where they are—on TikTok—we turned awareness into action during Hunger Action Month. But hunger doesn’t end when September does.
With an estimate of 47 million Americans experiencing food insecurity, the need is urgent and ongoing. Together, we can keep the momentum going: donate, volunteer and share the message to help ensure every family has access to the meals they need.
Photo by Vanessa Loring/Pexels