Tube Girl is Taking Over
Sabrina Bahsoon has completely blown up on TikTok with her #tubegirl videos, where she films herself in 0.5x vibing out on her commute, wind blowing in her hair, paying no attention to her fellow passengers on London's crowded underground.
She quickly gained over 500k followers on TikTok, and she’s already been adopted by the fashion industry as the new it girl (working with brands like BOSS at Milan Fashion Week, and I'm sure we'll see her this week in Paris too).
Her confidence, cool factor, and general good vibes make her videos almost infectious: you just can’t stop watching them, and thousands of people have jumped on the trend by filming their own 0.5x videos on public transport.
The #tubegirl phenomenon has become the climactic moment where millennials are finally clueing in to the Gen Z style of filming in 0.5x mode.
💡 Tip: All you have to do is choose 0.5x mode on your front camera (NOT the selfie camera), turn it around, raise your arm high up in the air, and film yourself. Here’s a tutorial.
One of the biggest reasons #tubegirl is taking over (the hashtag has over 550 million views on TikTok) is because of the sheer confidence required to execute the tube girl trend while strangers judge you for filming yourself, and viewers are rewarding people who have the guts to try it with a lot of likes.
Small Business Case Study:
The #tubegirleffect (over 100 million views) is also helping small businesses increase their reach. I’m obsessed with how Days Brewing jumped on the trend super early and created their own “Tube Beer” spinoff, starting with this video that has over 13 MILLION VIEWS.
Takeaway: if you’re going viral, lean in and keep posting. Days Brewing did a great job of riding their viral wave and keeping people engaged so the algorithm will bring them back to see the final result (even if they’re not following them). This is a really effective strategy to hold on to your virality for longer while building hype for your future posts!
How to Channel Your Inner Tube Girl:
If you want to try this trend while it’s hot and absolutely slay your engagement rate this week, here’s some tips:
Practice your camera moves before you film in public to boost your confidence and the end result.
Wear wireless earphones and film in the TikTok or Reels app so you can stay on beat with the music (you can use this TikTok audio or “Greedy” by Tate McRae).
Film on a train or public transit for the full effect. Bonus points if you can integrate wind (or a wind machine? lol).
If you run a business account, think of a fun way to integrate your products or the setting into what your brand is all about!
If you want to try this trend, run, don’t walk, to your nearest train so you can catch this viral moment before it leaves the station. 🏃♀️💨