Influencer Marketing Examples: Campaigns and Why They Worked

The best way to plan a creator campaign is to study ones that already ran. The eight examples below are real campaigns or lasting creator programs, each described only as its public source describes it. For each one there is a link to the source, a link to the brand's page on sup.co where you can see creator posts about the brand, and a short note on what made the idea work.

A famous campaign does not prove that the same idea will sell for you. The notes on why each one worked describe the idea, not results the sources do not state. Judge your own campaign by its own numbers.

Before the examples, one distinction matters. A sponsored post buys access to a creator's audience. Commissioned content gives the brand footage it may be able to use in ads, depending on the contract. These are different formats with different rights and costs.

1. Dunkin' and Charli D'Amelio: a customer's own order on the menu

Charli D'Amelio already posted TikTok clips of herself drinking Dunkin' before any deal. In September 2020, Dunkin' put her usual order on its menu as "The Charli": cold brew with whole milk and three pumps of caramel swirl, sold nationwide and through the app. Around the launch, Dunkin' ran an Instagram contest for fans to win a virtual hangout with her, let her take over its social channels for the month, and made an original song for fans to dance to on TikTok. See creator posts about Dunkin' on sup.co.

Why it worked. The partnership started from something the creator already did in public, so it did not read as a bought endorsement. The drink gave fans a way to take part by ordering it, and the contest and the takeover gave them a reason to post.

What a smaller brand can copy. Look for creators who already use and mention your product. A named product, a bundle or a discount code built around their habit is easier to promote than a script.

2. Duolingo: a mascot that behaves like a creator

Duolingo's TikTok account launched in February 2021, and its owl mascot, Duo, became a regular character that October. Digiday reported that a small social team films the posts, riffs on trending audio and memes about the brand, replies to comments in character, and posts only when it has an original idea. The account has also worked with TikTok creators, including Rod Thill (@Rod). Duolingo told Digiday that more users said they found the app through TikTok, based on its "How did you hear about us" survey. See creator posts about Duolingo on sup.co.

Why it worked. The brand made content in the platform's own style instead of running ads that looked like ads. A recurring character gave viewers something to recognise, and the creator collaborations fit inside that running joke.

What a smaller brand can copy. Pick one recurring character or customer problem and let creators build sketches around it. Give them a tone guide, not a script.

3. Fenty Beauty: a house for TikTok creators

In March 2020, at the launch of a new mascara, Fenty Beauty opened the Fenty Beauty House in Los Angeles for five TikTok beauty creators. They got a shared space and a fully stocked "makeup pantry" of Fenty products to create looks. Rihanna said she wanted "to create a platform for the next wave of content creators." See creator posts about Fenty Beauty on sup.co.

Why it worked. The brand gave creators product and a place to make content, then let them make it. Five different creators showed the products on different faces and in different styles, which a single brand video cannot do.

What a smaller brand can copy. You do not need a house. A one-day content session with a few local creators and your full range gives them the same freedom on a small budget.

4. Dove: #DetoxYourFeed and a cause that fits the brand

In April 2022 the Dove Self-Esteem Project launched #DetoxYourFeed, with a short film called Toxic Influence about the beauty advice teenage girls see on social media. Gabrielle Union and Zaya Wade fronted it. Dove's global vice president said the brand wanted to help teens "unfollow content that makes them feel bad about themselves." Dove keeps the campaign on its own site. See creator posts about Dove on sup.co.

Why it worked. The cause matched what Dove had said about beauty for years, so the campaign did not look borrowed. The people fronting it had a personal reason to speak.

What a smaller brand can copy. Choose a cause only if your brand already acts on it. Ask creators to speak about it in their own words, and never make payment depend on how much personal detail they share.

5. Gymshark66: a challenge that turns customers into posters

Gymshark runs Gymshark66, a free 66-day challenge. People pick three daily habits in training, health or mindset and tick them off for 66 days. Posting is optional, except for people who enter the athlete competition, in which Gymshark looks for one new Gymshark Athlete who shares their journey. See creator posts about Gymshark on sup.co.

Why it worked. The challenge gives people a reason to post about the brand without a fee. The prize is a place on Gymshark's own creator roster, which matters to the people most likely to post.

What a smaller brand can copy. Run a short challenge with a clear daily action and a prize your audience wants, such as a paid creator deal or product for a year.

6. Liquid Death and MrBeast: a collab product with a creator's own brand

In August 2026 Liquid Death launched a Peanut Butter Cup sparkling water with MrBeast, sold in a bundle with his Feastables Peanut Butter Cups. In the campaign, made by Liquid Death's in-house team, MrBeast parodies his own YouTube persona by claiming he bought the world's most dangerous biker bar. It ran mainly on social media in the US. See creator posts about Liquid Death on sup.co.

Why it worked. The joke used the creator's own well-known style and the brand's tone at the same time. A shared product gave both audiences something to buy, not only something to watch.

What a smaller brand can copy. A limited product made with a creator gives them a stake in its success. Keep the run small and the product central to the joke.

7. Celsius: creators of every size, plus events

Marketing Brew reported in September 2023 that Celsius signed Jake Paul to an endorsement deal that covers his fight gear and branded content on his YouTube show and podcast, and hosted a celebrity pickleball tournament at David Dobrik's home. Celsius said it works with influencers at every level, from micro to macro. Its head of marketing said, "It can't just all be about social media." See creator posts about Celsius on sup.co.

Why it worked. A few big names gave the brand reach, while many smaller creators kept it present in everyday fitness content. The event gave creators something to film that an ad could not.

What a smaller brand can copy. Mix one or two larger creators with a group of smaller ones, and give them a shared moment such as a local event to attend and film.

8. HelloFresh: codes and links for every creator

HelloFresh runs an ambassador program for US creators on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. Each accepted creator gets a dashboard, a unique link and a code, and earns commission on qualifying purchases. HelloFresh says creators can use their own style within its brand guidelines, and may be offered more campaigns based on performance. See creator posts about HelloFresh on sup.co.

Why it worked. Every creator's sales can be counted, so the brand can pay for results and give more work to the creators whose audiences buy. This guide to using promo codes for influencer campaign tracking explains how to set codes up.

What a smaller brand can copy. Give every creator their own code from day one, even on a gifted post. A redeemed code shows an attributed purchase. It does not prove the customer would otherwise have bought nothing, so judge profit after fees, discounts and delivery.

The examples at a glance

Six lessons a smaller brand can copy

The examples above use different formats. Here is one lesson for each of the six formats most influencer marketing campaigns use:

• Gifting: Send product to creators who already use products like yours, as Dunkin' did with a known fan. Say clearly whether a post is expected.
• Paid posts: Pay for a post that fits the creator's own style, as Duolingo and MrBeast's parody did. Agree the deliverable, the dates and the approval steps in writing.
• UGC: Ask for content that answers one customer question, such as how a shade looks on different skin. Agree how you may use the footage before production. These examples of brands using creator content show more.
• Ambassadors: Give every ambassador a code and a reason to stay, as HelloFresh does. These brand ambassador program examples cover the structure, and an invitation to join the beauty creator program shows how one brand recruits creators.
• Partnership ads: Run the best creator posts as ads through the creator's account. Agree the access and how long it lasts before you spend.
• Events: Give creators something to film, as Celsius and Fenty Beauty did. Confirm access, filming permissions and what content you expect.

For visual concepts, bulk visual ideas for social campaigns can help, but the creator's footage should show the real product.

Measure each format on its own terms. Track purchases and the cost to win each customer where you can. An EMV calculator can compare estimated media value across posts, but that estimate does not replace sales figures.

Build disclosure into every brief. The ASA's influencer guidance recommends a prominent Ad label at the start of the post and explains that free products count as payment.

To find more ideas, browse the library of creator posts by brand and look at how each brand's creators present the product. To have a creator campaign run for your brand, start a creator campaign with Sup.