life on film: 537M views turned into a viral photo app
537M views. 58M likes. 2M saves.
all from under 60 short videos.
tt@lifeonfilm.27 and ig@lifeonfilm.27 were launched at the end of 2023.
the format: – hand out disposable cameras to strangers – collect them after a trip or party – compile the analog photos into aesthetic montages
and every video uses the exact same hook:
→ “Giving disposable cameras to strangers”
a viral disposable camera format goes digital – but will the app catch up?
why it works:
– super shareable concept
– real people, raw emotion, no talking
– low production, but high authenticity
– same structure repeated every time
and the engagement? – 28M views / 4.9M likes / 5.8K comments / 319K bookmarks on a single post – 42M views on their top-performing Reel
interestingly, viral hits vary between TikTok and Reels, even with identical video formats.
then came the app:
a few months ago, he launched the Life On Film app – a video/photo editor to replicate the same visual aesthetic.
→ downloads currently at 10K/month.
he soft-plugs it in comments, replying to “what camera is that?” with download links.
smart — but not aggressive enough.
what’s missing:
the app lacks strong presence inside the viral videos. → no clear call to action → no UGC strategy to amplify the conversion bridge → no post structure that introduces the app as part of the concept
what to do next (and what you can steal):
📱 if you run a visual or nostalgia-based app: → build direct CTAs into comments AND on-video overlays → stitch content from app users (“what my version of life on film looks like”) → give away branded film kits to creators and tie to app content
📸 if you’re growing from audience → app: → don’t wait to connect content to product → test content-first product dev, but build the loop early → use replies, saves, bookmarks as signals for where to insert the CTA
life on film has the reach. the format works. the next unlock = connecting it clearly to the app.
and when that happens, 10K/month downloads could become 100K overnight.
