Key takeaways
- Influencer marketing succeeds across formats: hashtags, takeovers, longform video, sponsored posts and cause campaigns.
- Match influencer and brand interests for authentic promotions (e.g., Fiji Water with Danielle Bernstein or Naked Juice with health/beauty influencers).
- Measure campaigns with clear KPIs: likes, views, user-generated posts, revenue, meals donated and memberships.
- Scale either by recruiting many influencers (Daniel Wellington) or partnering with top creators (Audible, DJ Khaled) depending on goals.
- Creative activations drive attention: a 45‑minute branded “yule log” (Lagavulin), Snapchat takeovers (Stride) and hashtag features (#DWpickoftheday).
- Cause‑driven influencer work can lift brand perception and measurable impact (Walmart’s #FightHunger pledged meals and donated over 1 billion).
Introduction
Influencers are largely trusted by their followers on social media, and marketing professionals are taking note.
According to data from Social Sprout, 74 percent of shoppers use social media to make a purchasing decision.
With these influencers having millions of loyal followers, it’s easy to see why marketing professionals are allocating significant resources for this type of marketing.
Keep reading this guide to learn more about being a digital influencer and discover some of the best influencer marketing examples to date.
1. Microsoft: Make What’s Next
Microsoft was determined to influence the next generation of women in technology by promoting their “make what’s next” campaign.
The campaign was started to encourage young women to follow their dreams and pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and math. It was released on International Women’s day and celebrated women in certain professions.
Microsoft joined forces with National Geographic to feature images of highly influential female wildlife photographers and scientists. The campaign was a huge success bringing in more than 3.5 million likes in just one day.
The campaign successfully utilized influencer marketing. And it also managed to put the spotlight on an issue of fewer women in the tech field than men. According to Microsoft, only 7 percent of patents are held by women.
2. Fiji Water: BodyWoreWhat
Fiji Water is known for its superior water, but to get that title, it takes hard work.
One way Fiji accomplished this was by partnering up with Danielle Bernstein and trainer Eric Johnson. Eric Johnson is a celebrity trainer, and Danielle Bernstein, who is the founder of We Wore What, a fashion brand.
The team linked up to create Body Wore What, which is an offshoot of her brand that features workout videos. Danielle would then create posts about Fiji water and reminded her followers about the importance of staying hydrated.
Both Fiji water and Danielle’s brand benefitted from this partnership because they have similar interests. The promotion didn’t seem forced and was well received by their followers.
3. Lagavulin: Yule Log
Lagavulin is a single malt scotch whiskey that is owned by parent company Diageo.
The company created a “yule log” video featuring Nick Offerman, who plays the unique character of Ron Swanson on the TV show Parks and Rec. The video consists of Nick Offerman sitting next to a crackling fireplace and occasionally sipping his Lagavulin whiskey for 45 minutes without saying anything.
The video was an instant hit, and fans of the show Parks and Rec immediately loved the ad.
4. Walmart: #FightHunger
Walmart was in need of an appearance makeover when the digital era hit. Many people associated Walmart with just low prices and not much else until they started their fight hunger campaign.
The campaign was launched to increase brand perception and give back to the community. The company pledged it would donate ten meals for every user that showed support and tagged the campaign.
Walmart also worked with influencers from various creative niches. People like chef Carla Hall helped create awareness around the campaign and delivered results.
The campaign turned out to be a huge success. Donating over 1 billion meals to people in need and engaging thousands, if not millions, of users in the process.
5. American Express: #AmexPlatinum
American Express took a different path to its #AmexPlatinum campaign and is considered one of the best paid media examples to date.
Knowing that marketing its credit cards on social media could spell trouble for the company. Amex decided to take a different approach to influencer marketing.
The credit card company spoke with influencers who were promoting a life of luxury and riches. These influencers would then tag #AmexPlatinum to their posts, giving their followers the idea that they were living this lifestyle by using the Amex credit card.
6. Stride Gum: Mad Intense Gum
Stride gum managed to harness the influencing power of DJ Khaled on Snapchat, who reportedly averages around 3 million views per post.
Stride gum allowed DJ Khalid to “takeover” their Snapchat and promote the Mad Intense Gum campaign. The hip hop producer took control of the account for 24 hours and gave its followers a day to remember.
The collaboration was an instant hit with fans, gathering views from all over the world.
DJ Khaled’s promotions are so successful on the photo-sharing app that Coca Cola’s Senior vice president of content said, “he’s the king of Snapchat.”
7. Naked Juice: Sponsored on Instagram
Naked Juice also took the route of using social media influencers on Instagram to leverage their product.
The campaign was simple yet effective. The goal was to increase awareness around the brand and promote their product.
Naked Juice accomplished this by strategically teaming up with influencers in the health, beauty, and fashion niches. Bloggers like Kate La Vie would post pictures of her daily essentials or other ideas and would feature a Naked juice in the post.
8. Daniel Wellington: #DWpickoftheday
The Swedish watchmaker, Daniel Wellington, created quite the buzz on social media. Becoming what many consider the perfect influencer marketing example.
Daniel Wellington accomplished this through ingenious partnerships and promotions. The Swedish watchmaker recruited thousands of influencers on social media to promote their products. Giving them a unique coupon code to provide followers.
They also developed the hashtag #DanielWellington for influencers to tag and promote the products. The best post would then be featured on Daniel Wellingtons’ official Instagram account with the hashtag #DWpickoftheday.
The campaign was a huge success, generating over 800K Instagram posts and increasing revenue by 1.2 million.
9. Audible: Youtube Stars
Audible is an Amazon company that sells audiobooks and audio stories. The company wanted to increase sign-ups for their membership program, so they partnered with and sponsored some of the top youtube stars.
They partnered with many of the Forbes highest-paid YouTubers at the time, including PewDiePie and Rhett & Link and many others.
The YouTubers would then feature Audible in the videos, talking about the product, and explaining why they use it. The campaign was widely considered a success, driving memberships and creating brand awareness for the company.
Influencer Marketing Examples: Will You be Next?
You can see through these nine influencer marketing examples how successful a well planned and throughout campaign can be with the right partnerships. With some help from some of the top digital influencers, you too, can take your business to the next level.
For more informative articles on digital marketing and helpful tips for your business, check out the rest of our blog!
FAQ
Sponsored Instagram posts (Naked Juice), hashtag-driven user-generated content (Daniel Wellington’s #DWpickoftheday), Snapchat account takeovers (Stride with DJ Khaled), longform branded video (Lagavulin’s 45‑minute yule log), celebrity sponsorships in videos (Audible with top YouTubers), lifestyle tagging to imply product use (American Express’s #AmexPlatinum), influencer co‑created content and fitness videos (Fiji Water with Danielle Bernstein and Eric Johnson) and cause campaigns with influencer partners (Walmart’s #FightHunger).
Daniel Wellington recruited thousands of influencers, gave each unique coupon codes and encouraged posts with a branded hashtag (#DanielWellington / #DWpickoftheday). The brand featured the best posts on its official Instagram. That approach generated over 800,000 Instagram posts and increased revenue by 1.2 million.
Walmart worked with influencers from various niches (for example, chef Carla Hall) to raise awareness. The campaign pledged to donate ten meals for every user who showed support and tagged the campaign. The initiative donated over 1 billion meals and engaged thousands, if not millions, of users.
The partnership aligned interests: Danielle Bernstein’s Body Wore What fitness content and celebrity trainer Eric Johnson produced workout videos where hydration fitted naturally. Danielle’s posts about Fiji Water reinforced hydration in an authentic, well‑received way rather than feeling forced.
Because direct social advertising of credit cards could be problematic, American Express worked with influencers who promoted a luxury lifestyle and had them tag #AmexPlatinum. That indirect approach associated the card with a life of luxury without traditional product‑forward social ads.
The examples used engagement and outcome metrics: likes (Microsoft’s campaign received more than 3.5 million likes in one day), views (DJ Khaled reportedly averages around 3 million views per Snapchat post), user‑generated posts (Daniel Wellington generated over 800,000 Instagram posts), revenue lift (Daniel Wellington increased revenue by 1.2 million), meals donated (Walmart donated over 1 billion meals) and memberships/sign‑ups (Audible drove memberships via sponsored YouTube placements).
Choose influencers whose content and audience naturally align with the product (Fiji Water with fitness content or Naked Juice with health/beauty/fashion bloggers). Let influencers integrate the product organically into their usual posts or formats (e.g., daily‑essentials photos, workout videos or takeovers) rather than forcing overt ads. Authenticity is a large factor in positive reception.
Notable creative activations included a 45‑minute silent yule log video starring Nick Offerman for Lagavulin, a 24‑hour Snapchat takeover by DJ Khaled for Stride Gum, hashtag‑driven features and coupon codes for Daniel Wellington, sponsored YouTube integrations for Audible and a social tagging pledge tied to meal donations for Walmart’s #FightHunger. Each activation matched the brand’s tone and audience.
