Melbourne’s Sea Life Aquarium has seen a surge in popularity, thanks to a 'chonky' baby penguin named Pesto. The aquarium's TikTok account has become one of the fastest-growing Australian accounts for September and October, with its following expanding to over 100,000 in the past month alone. This growth is largely attributed to the internet's love affair with Pesto, as media attention around the adorable penguin grew exponentially.

"The past month or so has really seen some interesting creators coming to the fore," said Lucy Ronald, Fabulate’s Head of Strategy and Talent. "I don’t think anyone is surprised that Pesto the ‘chonky’ baby penguin is at the top of the list given how the internet fell in love with him and media attention around him grew as he did."

However, Pesto isn't the only one making waves in the social media world. 9News journalist Chris Kohler has also built a strong following on TikTok and Instagram. His approach of breaking down complex business issues into simple, accessible content has resonated with viewers, consistently pulling hundreds of thousands of views, and even reaching into the millions for some videos.

"Chris Kohler, on the other hand, is really interesting. He is a mainstream media journalist who has built a strong following on both TikTok and Instagram. Many of his videos break down complex business issues in simple, accessible ways and are consistently pulling hundreds of thousands of views, if not millions, for some of the videos," Ronald noted.

Another fast-growing account belongs to YouTuber Stanley Chen, known for his audacious stunts, including opening a fake '5-star' ramen restaurant. His main video has been viewed 1.4 million times, while a YouTube short of the stunt has garnered 19 million views.

“Chen is becoming known for his stunts, be it his ‘5-star’ Ramen restaurant, deliberately pitching a pyramid scheme to financial advisors or selling fake $1000 luxury water; his videos are very much built for the YouTube platform,” said Ronald.