The Suspect Challenge Trend has been taking over TikTok since November and is likely to continue to soar as we move into December.

Originally a spinoff of the "We're X, of Course We Y" meme from late 2023, the trend has engulfed everyone on social media from famous actors to professional athletes and leading influencers.

With over 46,000 tagged posts on TikTok, the Suspect Challenge is one of the most talked-about trends of late 2024. Whether you're a content creator for fun, an aspiring influencer, or managing a business account, here is what you need to know to take advantage of the trend.

Table of Contents

• What is The Suspect Challenge?
• Suspect Challenge Ideas: Couples
• Suspect Challenge Ideas: Family and Friends
• Businesses, Social Media Managers, and Influencers

What is The Suspect Challenge?

The “Suspect Challenge” is a creative trend that has recently surged in popularity on platforms like TikTok and Instagram. Known for its creative delivery, the challenge typically features two or more people. The person filming provides a joking description of the other as if giving a police broadcast, while the "suspect" dramatically flees from the camera, then reacting to what the first person said.

The most successful “Suspect Challenge” videos tend to fall into one of two categories:

1. Awkward or Revealing Details: These videos share personal or exaggeratedly embarrassing "facts" about the suspect, sparking humorous reactions from both the suspect and viewers.
2. Relatable Descriptions: These highlight quirks or habits that resonate with a broader audience. Viewers often engage within the comments, defending the suspect's traits that they also identify with.

Regardless of the approach, the key to creating an engaging video is to keep the tone lighthearted and fun. A mix of strategies often works best to connect with a wider audience, so don’t be afraid to mix up your approach.

Suspect Challenge Ideas: Couples

The content of your video will depend on your audience and your environment. For instance, jokes that work with your significant other might not land the same way when filming with coworkers for a business account.

Filming with your significant other is the perfect chance to make use of shared knowledge the audience doesn’t have. Tap into the “awkward” or “revealing” category by highlighting funny, exaggerated quirks or behaviors your partner might rather keep private.

Similar to the Pitch Perfect Challenge, the key to success lies in the reaction. Whether they get defensive, turn the tables with a witty comeback, or break down laughing, their reaction is a unique feature of your video. This emotion is what makes the video both relatable and memorable for your audience.

Ideas for Couples

Funny Habits

"Suspect caught eating fries off their partner’s plate even after saying they're not hungry."

Playful Arguments

"Suspect accused of leaving all the cupboard doors open after midnight snack raids."

Inside Jokes

"Suspect always makes us late because they can’t pick an outfit."

Romantic Gestures

"Suspect caught buying flowers for their partner just because."

Anniversary Shenanigans

"Suspect spotted forgetting the anniversary but saving the day with chocolates."

Chores Drama

"Suspect claims they did the dishes but left the forks in the sink."

Pet Love Triangle

"Suspect spotted stealing all the cuddles from the dog."

TV Show Betrayal

"Suspect binged our favorite show without me."

Cooking Fails

"Suspect tried to make dinner and almost set the kitchen on fire."

Shared Hobbies

"Suspect caught practicing their dance moves for date night."

Suspect Challenge Ideas: Family and Friends

When creating a Suspect Challenge with friends and family such as siblings, focus on relatable humor to engage your audience. The person acting as the police broadcaster should highlight specific habits or quirks the suspect has — especially ones likely to spark debate.

For instance, you could call out traits like “constant backseat driving” or “always showing up late.” The goal is to describe behaviors that viewers might see in themselves or their friends, encouraging them to join the conversation in the comments.

As always, the suspect’s reaction is just as important as the dialogue. A defensive or over-the-top response can help encourage viewers to jump in with their own opinions in the comments. For the best results, the police broadcaster should stay committed to their position, keeping the playful conflict alive throughout the video.

Friends and Family Ideas

Inside Jokes

"Suspect keeps quoting that one meme and it’s getting out of hand."

Prank Wars

"Suspect replaced my toothpaste with mayo."

Food Shenanigans

"Suspect always eats the last slice of pizza without asking."

Late Night Adventures

"Suspect convinced me to go out at midnight for tacos again."

Travel Misadventures

"Suspect always forgets their passport but insists on being the trip planner."

Group Chat Chaos

"Suspect sends memes instead of answering serious questions."

Game Night Drama

"Suspect flips the Monopoly board when they lose."

Wardrobe Borrowing

"Suspect caught wearing my hoodie without asking — again."

Shared Fandoms

"Suspect can’t stop talking about their latest conspiracy theory for our favorite show."

Party Antics

"Suspect turned up to the party with confetti cannons and no warning."

Businesses, Social Media Managers, and Influencers

For those looking to capitalize on the Suspect Challenge from a more professional perspective, there are four key considerations you should take into account before creating a video that attempts to capitalize on any social media trend.

1. Encourage Genuine Reactions: While writing a script may provide some solid structure, let actors or employees respond naturally to what’s said. Genuine laughter or surprise can make the video feel authentic and relatable. Even if every take isn’t perfect, Kapwing’s Smart Cut feature can trim out unwanted pauses or silences using AI, instantly adding a professional polish to your content.
2. Produce Professional Content: Since this might be someone’s first interaction with your business, ensure your video leaves a good impression. Add subtitles for clarity, use high-quality visuals, and go the extra mile while editing to maintain a professional appearance.
3. Highlight Your Persona: Leverage your personal brand by tailoring the "suspect" description to quirks or traits that your audience already associates with you.
4. Involve Your Community: Increase engagement by referencing common habits or jokes that are relatable within your niche. Encourage your followers to share their own experiences in the comments. This will drive interactions and increase the shareability of your content.

When it comes to ideas, your primary goal is to get creative. There are over 175,00 combined posts under hashtags such as #suspect and #suspectchallenge, so it's going to be difficult to think of something unique.

Luckily this is where Kapwing's video editor comes into play.

Ideas for Professionals

Behind-the-Scenes Perspective

Show off your company culture or industry-specific quirks. Highlight relatable yet unique elements, like inside jokes about office routines, common customer interactions, or funny workplace habits. This approach humanizes your brand while engaging your audience. Some examples include:

"Suspect takes the stairs to be healthy but gets food delivered three times a week."

"Suspect asks if anybody wants coffee as an excuse to get one for himself."

"Suspect is closer with his clients than he is with his relatives."

"Suspect books appointments four weeks in advance but forgets about them until the day before."

"Suspect genuinely cares about the customer's day when he asks how they're doing."

"Suspect always prepares for meetings with clients by giving himself the same motivational speech."

If you're low on time or can’t leave the office, Kapwing's automatic background remover tool lets you 'green screen' your set to any location you'd like. This approach could add even more humor, such as transporting an office worker to a Dungeons and Dragons screenplay background because they were caught playing it during work hours.

Simply upload your video to Kapwing, select "remove background" under "effects" in the right-hand panel and your suspect will be running with a white background. Now you can upload any image or video to set at a new background.

Another option to add relevance to the trend is changing the background to a work email, Slack conversation, or Zoom recording — whatever helps add relevance to the suspect line being delivered. For example:

"Suspect says he'll get back to you on Monday but always responds over the weekend."

Add Brand Logos and Custom Colors

Maintaining consistent marketing materials across all platforms is crucial for any business, but it often comes with challenges.

You can use Kapwing to help simplify the process, creating a Brand Kit to help ensure a consistent color scheme and imagery across all content. Below is an example that you could replicate using Kapwing, adding a logo to the Suspect Challenge".

Spotlight Product or Service Features

Consider framing your product as the "suspect." For instance, a bakery could say, "Suspect spotted stealing hearts with chocolate croissants" while showcasing the product.

Kapwing's Split Screen tool could help film a unique version of the trend by allowing you to place images or videos side by side, such as the 'suspect' and the product.

Run a Contest

Encourage your audience to participate in the challenge, offering prizes for the funniest or most creative submissions under a new hashtag for your audience to follow. This could be particularly powerful for influencers, who could ask their audience to generate "suspect challenge" content that pokes humor at them.

Use the Suspect Challenge for Recruitment

If you've recently hired a new employee, the challenge could be a fun way to announce the recruitment to your audience, such as: "Suspect just aced his interview and will be joining the team on Monday,"

Adding text or custom-made stickers and emojis could significantly enhance this idea, such as a 'Warning' sticker placed across the top.

Highlight Real-life Customer Experiences

Aim to turn common customer quirks into a challenge reveals. A travel agency could joke, “Suspect binge-watching travel vlogs instead of packing,” while featuring dramatic getaway clips.

Customer Reviews

Pair screenshots of customer reviews with a fun "suspect" scenario to help playfully broadcast your brand's quality: "Suspect couldn’t stop raving about our product—5 stars!"

Celebrate Milestones or Achievements

Frame a team or company milestone as the challenge to announce recent achievements under the disguise of a TikTok trend: “Suspect caught celebrating 1,000 sales with too much cake,”