So, Vine might be coming back. Yes, that Vine. The app that made six seconds feel like a lifetime and launched a thousand memes, viral dance moves, and the careers of people who are now millionaires.
If you’re feeling déjà vu, you’re not alone. Because, well, TikTok is right there, and it’s already doing what Vine did — just longer, louder, and with more questionable life hacks.
Quick history: Vine’s rise, fall, and legacy
Let’s rewind for a sec. Twitter (now known as X) bought Vine before it even launched in 2012, dropping $30 million on the idea that people would want to make and watch six-second looping videos. They were right, for a while.
By 2015, Vine had about 200 million users, mostly teens and meme-lovers, and was a breeding ground for pop culture moments that still haunt group chats today. King Kylie was literally born there in my opinion and I will die on that hill.
But then Instagram, Snapchat, and eventually TikTok showed up with more features, longer videos, and, crucially, ways for creators to get paid. Vine just couldn’t keep up, and Twitter pulled the plug in 2016.
So is Vine coming back?
This week at Mumbrella360, Rob Mayhew — adland’s resident social media satirist — dropped the bomb that Vine is “coming back”.
No, there’s no official press release, no dramatic trailer, not even a cryptic countdown clock. But Elon Musk, who now owns X, has been hinting at it for years. Earlier this year he responded to an X user that he was “looking into” bringing Vine back.
The tech billionaire even ran a poll on X in 2022 that saw nearly 70 per cent of respondents say, “Yeah, bring Vine back”.
If Musk’s recent history is anything to go by, he might just do it. He’s already revived suspended accounts and made major company (and probably nationwide) decisions based on what people vote for in his Twitter polls.
Why bring Vine back now?
Look, I’m not going to lie, this a really random comeback. TikTok is the reigning king of short-form video, with clips up to 10 minutes long and an algorithm that knows you better than yourself. So why would anyone want to bring back an app that only lets you post six-second videos?
According to Mayhew, it’s about nostalgia, community, and maybe a bit of chaos. Gen Z, apparently, are craving more authentic, tight-knit online spaces — something Vine did well before everything got a bit too polished (and sponsored).
“It’s very rare to have that ‘Tiktok thing’ where it just becomes a huge part of what everyone does,” Mayhew said.
Plus, there’s a sense that brands and agencies are desperate to catch the next big thing before it blows up. Mayhew reckons they should already be planning how to use Vine 2.0 to make ads that don’t feel like ads, and to actually shape the culture rather than just jump on the bandwagon after it’s left the station. That’s if Vine even comes back, of course.
Vine’s possible comeback is a mix of nostalgia, FOMO, and a dash of Elon Musk unpredictability. Will it actually happen? Maybe. Will it dethrone TikTok? Highly unlikely. But if it does return, expect brands, creators, and anyone with a half-decent meme game to jump on board — at least for six seconds.
Now, if you’ll excuse me I’m going to go watch my comfort Vine compilations for the 252781st time.
Lead image: Vine
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