Welcome back to this week’s TEAM LEWIS Social Round-Up. Instagram has finally landed on iPad (cue the sea of oversized tablets at concerts), Facebook is trying to make pokes cool again, and TikTok is handing creators a shiny new Shop toolkit. Plus: IG is growing faster than Facebook in Europe, Meta has shared its holiday AI playbook, and you can now get a Crocs phone case.
Let’s get into it 👇
Latest News
👆 Facebook Tries to Make Pokes Happen (Again)
Get ready to start poking people again. Meta is reviving its early-2000s nudge, adding poke counts, streak-style icons, and a profile-level poke button. After small tweaks boosted pokes 13x earlier this year, Facebook is betting Gen Z will treat it like streaks and bring the poke back into fashion. It’s light-hearted fun, but also a clear sign Meta is chasing stickier engagement loops. Will they bring back the ability to throw a sheep at someone, though? 👉 Read more on TechCrunch
📈 Instagram Growing 10x Faster Than Facebook in the EU
Meta’s latest DSA reporting shows that Instagram has 281.8M monthly users in the EU, finally overtaking Facebook’s 263.6M. Since March, Instagram has grown 6.17% versus Facebook’s 0.65%. The numbers confirm a massive generational shift; Instagram is the place younger Europeans are gravitating to, while Facebook edges into legacy territory. 👉 See the data
📱 Instagram Finally Launches iPad App
After years of requests, Instagram has delivered a dedicated iPad app, optimised for bigger screens and opening directly into Reels. Custom layouts make multitasking easier, and a new Following tab rounds it out. The focus on Reels shows exactly where Meta sees growth, vertical video above everything else. 👉 See more
🎄 Meta’s Holiday AI Playbook
Meta wants advertisers to go “all in” with AI this holiday. Advantage+ campaigns, generative AI creative, and omnichannel targeting are the key areas of focus. Case studies show serious ROAS lifts when combining automation with creator-led Reels. For brands, it’s less about guessing audiences and more about feeding the system diverse assets to optimise. 👉 Read Meta’s guide
🛍️ TikTok Shop: Creator Toolkit Update
TikTok Shop has rolled out a whole load of new support features designed to keep creators compliant while helping them boost sales: Creator Pilot Program (for smaller accounts), Creator Health Ratings, violation snapshots, and a Promotion Performance Score. By turning compliance into a game of points and badges, TikTok is making it easier (and more motivating) for creators to grow responsibly. 👉 Learn more
🎤 Ed Sheeran x TikTok: Exclusive LIVE Show
Love Ed Sheeran, Love TikTok. Well, you’re in for a treat. TikTok will be streaming Ed Sheeran’s Play album launch live from New York on September 13. What can Ed fans expect? They’ll be able to unlock digital rewards, stunning profile frames, and even secret videos through in-app challenges. Beyond the fandom hype, it’s a great example of pairing music launches with platform-native engagement mechanics. 👉 Read TikTok’s announcement
🔧 Quick Tip of the Week
Planning your Q4 campaigns? If not, you should be, this time why not create multiple Reels variants. Meta’s own playbook shows that diverse creative hooks fuel Advantage+ and AI optimisation more than audience tweaks. In short: more videos, more variety, better results.
✨ Campaigns We Love ✨
🎞️ John Lewis, Ode to British Life
To mark 100 years since its “Never Knowingly Undersold” promise. John Lewis has created a slow-motion love letter to everyday Britain. It’s emotional, it features Mike Skinner from the Streets, and it’s distinctly British. 👉 Watch the ad
🧱 Crocs x SLBS, The Phone Case
Crocs has teamed up with SLBS to turn its iconic clog into a smartphone case, Jibbitz and all. Ridiculous? Absolutely. Memorable? Without question. 👉 See it here
🗓️ Mark Your Calendars
Opportunities to celebrate this week
- Wednesday September 10 – World Suicide Prevention Day 🫂
- Thursday September 11 – RUOK Day ❓
- Friday September 12 – Stand Up To Cancer Day 🎗️
- Saturday September 13 – Positive Thinking Day 😊
- Sunday September 14 – National Rosa Tequila Day 🍹
- Monday September 15 – International Dot Day 🔵
- Tuesday September 16 – World Barber Day 💈
- Wednesday September 17 – International Country Music Day 🎶
And next…
- Thursday September 18 – World Bamboo Day 🎋
- Friday September 19 – Talk Like a Pirate Day 🏴☠️
- Saturday September 20 – Batman Day 🦇
- Sunday September 21 – World Gratitude Day 🙏
- Monday September 22 – Hobbit Day 🧙♂️
- Tuesday September 23 – International Day of Sign Languages 🤟
- Wednesday September 24 – International Age Diversity Day 👵
That’s a wrap!
Go test Meta’s holiday AI tips, maybe poke a colleague (digitally only, please), and watch out for iPads blocking your view at the next gig, maybe we’ll spot a few at Ed Sheeran’s Launch Party.
Same time next week? Bye 👋
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