TikTok has become the campaign platform of choice for governments across the globe and Queensland is no exception as its political combatants try to reach a new audience of voters.
And the social media platform may hold more sway than just entertaining viewers, with an expert suggesting it could have the power to change votes.
Both Labor and the Liberal National Party are taking advantage of popular trends and posting on social media to try and sway votes before the October 26 Queensland state election.
Premier Steven Miles is known for making sandwiches, occasionally featuring his daughter Bridie, while explaining election commitments.
He even used "that's very demure, very mindful" - a viral catchphrase to poke fun at stereotypical ideas of femininity - in a Queensland Parliament ministerial statement and later posted it on the platform.
Meanwhile, Opposition Leader David Crisafulli has a more serious tone with each video spruiking his policies.
He also has posted videos featuring his love of his Italian heritage by cooking pasta or interacting with commenters.
Social media expert Dr Susan Grantham said the political TikTok phenomenon is occurring across the globe.
"2024 is the TikTok election year," the Griffith University researcher told AAP.
"We have seen the UK use it. We saw France use it. We saw Mexico use it. Now we're seeing Queensland use it, and we're seeing federal Australia use it in the lead-up to next year."
The premier said his strategy was to meet voters where they were consuming content.
"Leaders have a responsibility to communicate with people where they are, and many members of the community watch the TV news, that's why I hold press conferences," Mr Miles said.
"Many members of the community use social media, and that's why I post on Instagram."
It is not the first time social media has been a key part of a campaign in Australia, with the federal Labor Party using the platforms during the 2022 election to take aim at the opposition.
Similarly, in the lead up to the 2024 Queensland election, both the premier and opposition leader have thrown political barbs at each other on social media.
Dr Grantham agrees this behaviour amounts to negative campaigning and has been part and parcel of election campaigns for decades.
But social media is changing the playing field.
"With social media, (politicians) can post this stuff to a much wider audience," she said.
In the 1980s and 1990s, election campaigning was on mainly conducted on TV, radio and in newspapers targeted to a specific audience.
"Now we've got this open slather approach, where you can say what you want on a platform that's going to go out to many, and particularly TikTok because it's algorithmically driven," Dr Grantham said.
"You're not just speaking to the people who follow you.
"You're not just speaking to those who already want to see what you have to say.
"You're speaking to everybody."
Some of the negative campaigning has come under fire in recent months for going a step too far.
The Labor Party was recently criticised for a video posted on an authorised premier "fanpage" showing Mr Crisafulli sitting on a couch to record a podcast with the caption "wouldn't trust JD Vance or Crisafulli to sit on my couch".
The video compared the opposition leader to Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance, referencing false online allegations that the US politician had once had sex with a couch.
It also highlighted comments like "as if you're gonna trust a man that can't even sit on a couch properly".
Ms Grantham said the video veered toward a personal attack as opposed to traditional negative campaigning that attacked policies.
But the LNP is not exempt from criticism after the party came under fire for an artificial intelligence-generated video of the premier dancing with the caption "POV (point of view): my rent is up $60 a week, my power bill is up 20 per cent, but the premier made a sandwich on TikTok".
Mr Miles claimed it was a "dangerous turning point for democracy", warning Queenslanders were being put in a position of not knowing what was real and what was a deepfake.
There's little doubt they are entertaining but political social media videos may be influencing voters more often than people realise.
"There is no data yet to show how these videos are actually influencing voter outcome," Dr Grantham said.
"But I can see from the studies that I'm doing on the way politicians and political parties are using TikTok ... a correlation between success on the platform and success at the polls."
There are around three million voters in Queensland, and more than a quarter are aged 18 to 34.
And that is the audience politicians are keen to engage ahead of the election, which - according to the opinion polls - the LNP is on track to win.
