• Turner Classic Movies is cultivating TikTok followers to stand out in the crowded TV landscape.
• The cable network promotes movies like Marilyn Monroe's "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" with viral video clips.
• TCM's most popular TikTok post features Judy Garland in "A Star is Born" and has 8.8 million views.

When executives at Turner Classic Movies wanted to promote its Oct. 7 airing of "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes," they used a marketing tool that would have been unthinkable just two years ago, not to mention in 1953 when the Marilyn Monroe classic first debuted.

In a TikTok post that's been viewed more than 5 million times, the brand clipped an iconic scene, in which showgirl Lorelei Lee (Monroe) admits she wants to marry her nerdy suitor because of his father's money.

"Honesty is the best policy," reads the caption, alongside a comment with details about how to watch the film. 

Likes and comments cascaded in. "Ok just got it recorded on DRV. Super excited," posted one fan. 

Honesty is the best policy. 😉 ##oldhollywood ##fashion ##marilynmonroe

In the peak TV era, when it seems like a new streamer launches every few months with the requisite slate of prestige programming, it's not easy for a basic cable network to stand out, especially one whose brand rests on decades-old films. 

TCM, which is owned by WarnerMedia, isn't waiting for a new generation of classic film enthusiasts to discover its programming. It's meeting that audience where they are. 

"TikTok is a perfect place for us to be because we can bring the joy of that classic film experience, with actors that people know and love, in a way that allows them to connect with these icons today," said Tricia Melton, a WarnerMedia CMO whose portfolio includes TCM. Promoting a film on the platform, she added, "takes it out from behind the glass and makes it part of the conversation." 

TCM — which has been undergoing a rebrand, with a refreshed logo and new tagline, "Where Then Meets Now" — launched its TikTok in October 2020, putting 24-year-old former intern Caroline Wigmore at the account's helm.

"I came into the job as a classic film fan," said Wigmore, who is part of a team of three. Together they've grown the account to 364,000 followers and 8.8 million total likes for posts that often tie clips from TCM's film library to current TikTok trends.

In June, for instance, as the "hot girl summer" meme was taking off, TCM posted a video of Natalie Wood in "Sex and the Single Girl" where she dances around the house saying, "And I shall insist on the right to have as many love affairs as I please." It has more than 3 million views. 

Hot Girl Summer started here. 🔥 ##classic ##movie ##style ##vintage ##fashion ##hotgirlsummer🧚🏽‍♂️ ##iconic ##hollywood ##look ##aesthetic ##vibe ##mood ##fypシ

Wigmore said she enjoys finding ways to "bridge the gap" between pop culture phenomena and iconic movie moments. "Every time I see a beauty trend I'm like, 'I can think of a film that addresses that from 60 years ago.'" 

When TCM uploaded a clip from "Singin' in the Rain," Wigmore was surprised by the rush of comments from fans of mid-2000s Disney Channel series "The Suite Life of Zack & Cody" who'd been unaware that an episode titled "Lip Syncin' in the Rain" was inspired by MGM's 1952 Gene Kelly musical. 

Though TCM's following on TikTok is smaller than other media brands — Netflix has 17.9 million fans on the platform and Lionsgate has more than 2 million — it boasts a good hit rate. The most-viewed post is an April clip of Judy Garland in "A Star is Born," with 8.8 million views. 

POV: Your face is just dandy. ⭐️ ##classic ##actingchallenge ##beauty ##oldhollywood ##vintage ##aesthetic ##makeup ##fashion ##style ##movie ##filmtok ##star ##fy

Other popular posts feature Ginger Rogers in "Top Hat" (2 million views) and Louis Armstrong in "High Society" (2 million). Videos of such icons as Audrey Hepburn and Grace Kelly tend to perform well. 

"They have figured out a way to translate their voice to our platform in a way that's resonating with users," said Catherine Halaby, entertainment partnerships lead at TikTok, adding that TCM taps into a thirst for nostalgia-laced content. 

Wigmore first generates ideas from the cable network's schedule. Once she has a concept, she can access the full TCM library to find the right clip. Melton added that the company "actively encourages" the TikTok team to mine its assets.

Wigmore runs with this creative license; she'll often set a classic clip to music or give it a punchy, on-trend caption. 

"It's a pretty good life," she said.

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