The Trend: “Turn the Lights Offs”

If your feed has suddenly become a dimly lit club full of people silently vibing through chaos… you’ve met the Jon Hamm “Turn the Lights Off” trend.

A short clip from Your Friends & Neighbours featuring Jon Hamm has taken over TikTok. In the video, Hamm is quietly swaying with his eyes closed in a low-lit club setting while a remix of “Turn the Lights Off” plays. The moment is being repurposed as the perfect visual for mentally checking out, that instant when life gets stressful, awkward, or just too much, and your brain decides to disappear for a second.

What the trend looks like

Creators typically start with a relatable setup:

• A stressful situation at work

• An awkward conversation

• A customer request that makes no sense

• A family moment that’s spiralling

Then it cuts to the Jon Hamm clip, showing the “escape” moment, eyes closed, music on, lights low, reality temporarily muted.

Why it’s blowing up

This trend works because it’s:

• Instantly relatable (everyone has an “I’m not dealing with this” moment)

• Low effort, high impact (one caption + the clip = done)

• Flexible across niches (business, parenting, dating, fitness, customer service… it all fits)

It’s basically the modern version of saying: “I’m just going to pretend I didn’t hear that.”

How businesses can use it (without being cringe)

This is a great trend for brands because it’s built on a universal feeling. The key is to keep it light and specific.

1) Show the “behind the scenes” reality

Use it to highlight the moments your audience experiences but doesn’t always say out loud.

Examples:

• “When the client says ‘Can we just make it go viral?’”

• “When you realise you’ve been on mute for 3 minutes.”

• “When you open your inbox and it’s Monday.”

2) Use it to educate (quickly)

Start with the problem, cut to the vibe clip, then add a simple takeaway in the caption.

Example:

• “When you realise your website has no clear call-to-action… (Turn the Lights Off) Fix: Add one primary button above the fold.”

3) Use it for product/service pain points

If you sell something that removes stress, this trend is basically made for you.

Example:

• “When you remember you’ve got automated reporting now.”

Best practices for posting

• Keep the on-screen text short (one sentence max)

• Make the setup hyper-specific to your niche

• Use the audio: “Turn the Lights Off”

• Don’t over-explain, let the clip do the work

Quick caption ideas you can steal

• “Me mentally leaving the meeting when someone says ‘quick question…’”

• “When you check your analytics and realise you’ve been tracking the wrong thing.”

• “When the customer says ‘I don’t have a budget’ but wants everything.”

• “When you remember you still haven’t posted this week.”

• “When you see your competitor doing the exact thing you recommended 6 months ago.”

Final thought

Trends like this are valuable because they let you connect with your audience through humour and shared experience. If you can tie it back to a real pain point (and a simple solution you offer), you’ll get engagement and relevance.

Audio: Turn the Lights Off

See this trend on TikTok here: [Add link]