Teen Founder's TikTok Edits Boost Hollywood Trailers

Film studios are currently grappling with the reality that the odds of a user sitting through a two-minute trailer while scrolling are abysmal. The traditional marketing format is losing its potency in an environment dominated by quick cuts and instant gratification. As Amid Mohamed explains, "When you see a trailer nowadays, it just fades into the background because most people are just scrolling."

This shift in consumer behavior has forced studios to seek new methods to break through the noise. Viral Cartel Inc. has emerged as a go-to tool for this purpose. The company helps generate hype by speaking the language of the demographic: edits. These are not merely clips, but carefully assembled montages of films, TV shows, or other media, paired with trending audio to create something that feels organic rather than intrusive.

The effectiveness of this strategy is rooted in the popularity of the platform itself. A 2024 survey by Pew Research Center found that TikTok is the second most popular app for teenagers, ranking just behind YouTube. By meeting audiences where they are with content that feels native, studios can achieve better results than with traditional advertising.

Founded when Mohamed was just 16, Viral Cartel Inc. has quickly become a significant player in entertainment marketing. The company's methodology relies on the power of organic engagement. Because many edits are based on popular intellectual property (IP), fans naturally share and interact with them, translating to millions of views and likes. Mohamed notes that edits have evolved beyond simple amplification; they are now "part of the process that makes a trailer blow up."

The success of this strategy is best illustrated by the company's work on "Sonic the Hedgehog 3." A flashy edit created under the Viral Cartel banner hit TikTok in January. By December, the video had achieved:

• 68.9 million views
• 7.8 million likes
• 1.3 million saves

This performance caught the attention of the Clio Entertainment Awards, which recognize top marketing in the industry. The "Sonic" edit was shortlisted this year, validating the commercial viability of Mohamed's model. The company has also executed campaigns for other major releases, including "F1." This trend indicates a broader industry shift, with major studios like Lionsgate already hiring TikTok creators to design platform-specific content.

Amid Mohamed’s path to founding Viral Cartel Inc. was not linear. Living with his family in Sweden, he initially aspired to become a professional basketball player. At age 14, he began posting videos of himself shooting hoops on TikTok. To make his content stand out, he learned video editing and studied the mechanics of viral content.

Mohamed realized that differentiation was key. He noted that seeing someone "hooping outside in the snow" naturally sparks curiosity and sharing. This experimentation led him to discover that companies were willing to pay creators to promote songs in their videos. Intrigued by the business of virality, he secured freelance marketing work to gain insights into the industry.

"I noticed I was pretty good at making movies go viral through edits," Mohamed said. After this realization, he moved directly into starting his agency. However, breaking into the film industry as a teenager presented hurdles. Studios were hesitant to trust a 16-year-old with valuable IP. To overcome this, Mohamed built a portfolio by creating film edits for free, establishing the credibility needed to secure paid work.

Once Viral Cartel began gaining traction, Mohamed focused on scaling operations through a network of talent. He identified a tiered structure in the industry: "A studio hires a big agency, and then that agency hires the gunpowder — the guys who actually make things trend." Mohamed positions his company as the essential link that connects studios with these trendsetters.

Today, Viral Cartel has amassed a network of over 2,000 creators. Mohamed scouts potential talent on social media, often reaching out via direct messages. These creators are paid on a commission basis. "I pay them commission after I see they posted deliverables," Mohamed explained. This performance-based model allows the company to handle high-volume campaigns. He typically accepts projects that pay around five figures, with a recent social media campaign fetching $20,000.

Looking to the future, Mohamed is expanding his reach by building an editing community through Loopgate, an international competition he developed. Described by Mohamed as "editing as a sport," Loopgate encourages creators to make edits based on specific themes, such as "Kill Bill." Winners are chosen by the community on Discord and receive the Viral Award. With Viral Cartel Inc. only a year old, Mohamed sees significant potential for growth in this space.