TikTok Shop Juneteenth Experience by emc3

In this series, Agency Correspondent Heather Nicholls takes you behind the scenes of some of the most compelling brand activations and events.

In the ninth edition we meet global brand experience agency emc3 , the agency behind Tik Tok Shop’s Juneteenth experience, celebrating Black-owned beauty businesses.

The brief: Tik Tok Shop, the e-commerce engine behind the world’s leading entertainment platform, teamed up with global brand experience agency emc3 to bring a powerful Juneteenth activation to life, spotlighting Black-owned beauty and haircare brands through a culturally resonant, purpose-led experience.

Set inside Alanta’s The Supermarket, the gallery-style event brought together Black creators, entrepreneurs and brand leaders for a day built around inspiration, education and connection.

Designed and executed in just under two weeks, the activation combined agility with intention, built to reflect TikTok Shop’s commitment to fostering meaningful community engagement through its platform.

emc3 handled everything from venue sourcing and experience design to production and on-site delivery, translating TikTok Shop’s conceptual vision into a space that felt elevated, welcoming, and rooted in culture.

The layout featured multiple storytelling zones, live demos, and product showcases, each designed to foster genuine interaction within a deliberately non-linear experience that encouraged guests to move at their own pace, engage with content that resonated with them, and connect with TikTok Shop experts on their own terms.

Daria Beliakova, account director, at emc3 said: “There’s huge potential in this approach. We’ve created a strong blueprint for how brands can engage communities with real purpose and impact and there’s plenty of opportunity to build on it in the future.”

TikTok Shop’s Juneteenth Experience also focused on DEIA and lasting community value. Many of the furniture and design elements used were donated after the event to a local Black-owned barbershop, ensuring the experience was giving back to the wider community in a tangible way.

Hosted as a private, invite-only activation with no external promotion, the event brought together a select group of content creators from within the Black community and drew a full turnout of 200 engaged guests.

Attendees explored a curated gallery from Black artists, celebrating Black hair culture and the feminine Black experience. Alongside this, a series of product display booths with museum-style exhibits that told the stories behind the products and their creators. Its success has already sparked conversations about future community-led activations.

One content creator who attended the event said: “That was one of the best events I’ve ever been to. It was so intentional. It was so thoughtful. It was really community-based.”

This event speaks to a growing trend in the events industry of the shift toward more intimate, community-driven experiences. Brands are moving away from large-scale, impersonal gatherings in favour of smaller, high-touch events that prioritise connection, authenticity, and meaningful interaction.

These formats allow for deeper engagement, stronger relationship-building, and more tailored storytelling, creating spaces where guests feel seen, heard, and genuinely part of a brand’s journey. It’s not about reaching the biggest audience; it’s about reaching the right one in a way that resonates.

Its success lay in its ability to bring a vibrant community together in a way that felt both intentional and empowering.

By spotlighting Black-owned beauty brands and creating space for open dialogue, education, and celebration, the activation fostered a sense of belonging that resonated deeply with attendees.

Beyond the immediate impact, the event also helped drive increased awareness of TikTok Shop as a platform for discovery and entrepreneurship in the Black community. TikTok Shop proved that when executed with purpose, events can spark connection, shift perception, and open new pathways for growth.

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