Instagram has emerged as the ultimate hub for visual content marketing. It’s a true haven for media, boasting over 600 million active users who share close to 100 million photos and videos with their connections every single day (for more insights, explore these Instagram demographics). With features like Instagram Stories, Instagram Live, Carousels, and more, the platform is constantly unveiling new avenues for users to explore content creation. For businesses, keeping pace with these trends and tools can be a challenge. However, sometimes all it takes is a dose of inspiration from a few good ideas. Fortunately, I’ve compiled 15 of the most effective Instagram marketing campaigns from 2017, showcasing examples from renowned brands such as Airbnb, Amazon, Nintendo, and more. Let’s delve in!
1. Adidas Originals
Adidas solidified its standing as a prominent figure in the hip-hop fashion scene with its recent Instagram campaign. Utilizing the hashtag #ORIGINALis, Adidas collaborated with influential figures like Snoop Dogg, Desiigner, and Stormzy to highlight and promote their Originals collection. While Adidas offers distinct product lines for various sports like football and basketball, the video below demonstrates how they’ve positioned their Originals brand as a symbol of hip-hop culture.
The campaign’s brilliance lies in its use of influencer marketing to resonate with a broad audience within Adidas’ target demographic. Collaborating with influential personalities in the hip-hop realm enhances Adidas’ credibility, and the videos created for this campaign are both captivating and engaging. Free download: Elevate your marketing game with our free comprehensive online advertising playbook.
2. John Mayer
John Mayer leveraged Instagram extensively to promote his latest EP collection, The Search for Everything. While his team implemented numerous campaigns on the visual marketing platform, one that stood out was John Mayer’s use of Instagram Live to enhance engagement with his followers and promote the album’s tracks.
John utilized the Live platform for various purposes, including performing songs from his new releases for fans, addressing questions, and sharing anecdotes about his songwriting process. Employing Instagram Live for marketing makes your business more approachable – it’s a feature that enables direct interaction with followers, fostering brand building.
3. Ryu
Vancouver-based athletic apparel retailer Ryu executed a marketing campaign on their Instagram account called “#WhatsInYourBag” to promote their products through a giveaway. This campaign’s appeal stems from several factors. Firstly, the giveaway aspect is fantastic – contests are consistently effective in engaging target audiences and generating brand awareness (if you’re seeking a contest app, consider Wishpond).
Furthermore, while the brand utilized promotional posts on their Instagram profile to highlight the giveaway, they also promoted it extensively through Instagram Stories. This is a valuable strategy for amplifying marketing campaigns, given that Stories appear prominently at the top of users’ feeds. Promoting via Stories keeps campaigns at the forefront of followers’ minds and maximizes reach.
4. Airbnb
Airbnb took to Instagram to express their unwavering support for inclusivity and diversity. Although not explicitly stated, the timing of this campaign, centered around the hashtag #WeAccept, clearly conveyed Airbnb’s stance on recent political events, solidifying their identity as a globally recognized brand that champions acceptance.
While political statements in marketing can be a gamble, Airbnb effectively capitalized on this trending topic to take a stand on a significant issue while bolstering positive consumer perceptions of their brand. Aligning marketing campaigns with current events – be it the Super Bowl, the Grammys, or an approaching holiday – enhances content relevance and engagement for your Instagram audience.
5. DJI
Drone industry frontrunner DJI consistently delivers exceptional content on their Instagram profile – and their latest marketing endeavors are no exception. Recently, they partnered with several Instagram filmmakers to promote their newest drone offering, the Phantom 4 Pro. This demonstrates not only a masterful utilization of user-generated content but also of Instagram video.
Since Instagram extended the maximum video length from 15 seconds to 1 minute, the potential for video marketing has expanded significantly. DJI showcases the capabilities of its flagship product through videos shared on their profile – the featured example depicts the drone soaring above stunning landscapes. Employing creative video marketing to showcase your products is one of the most effective ways to engage your target market on Instagram, highlighting the strength of this campaign.
6. Amazon
Amazon launched an Instagram marketing campaign to express gratitude to its users and fans for ranking them #1 in corporate reputation. The ecommerce giant shared a straightforward image showcasing their top-ranking reputation alongside a caption informing customers about a new discount offered in celebration of this achievement.
This campaign’s success stems primarily from the discount offering. Translating Instagram engagement into sales can be challenging, but providing followers with discount codes or linking to promotional pricing pages is a highly effective approach. Additionally, Amazon’s gesture of thanking their customers is commendable – it’s something many brands overlook. This fosters appreciation among fans and followers, strengthening their connection to the brand.
7. Orangetheory
Popular fitness center Orangetheory strategically utilizes Instagram as a primary online marketing platform, and for good reason – their visually striking branding translates into eye-catching and captivating media posts. While Orangetheory explores various visual media marketing strategies on their Instagram profile, their user testimonials stand out as some of their most compelling content campaigns.
This not only reveals a more “human” aspect of your business but also enhances your business’s and product’s credibility for potential customers following you on social media. Testimonials establish social proof – a psychological “nudge” that demonstrates to your target audience that individuals similar to them use and enjoy your product. Orangetheory excels at highlighting their users and authentically sharing their stories.
8. Daniel Wellington
Renowned watchmaker Daniel Wellington collaborated with YouTube music sensation Joseph Vincent to promote their watches to the singer-songwriter’s fanbase. The image below depicts Joseph Vincent showcasing both men’s and women’s Daniel Wellington watches in an authentic-looking Instagram photo.
The caption reveals that he has tagged the brand and provided a discount code for his followers to use when purchasing their own Daniel Wellington watch. This is particularly effective as it can incentivize purchases that followers might not have otherwise made. Partnered marketing is exceptional for bridging the gap to specific segments within your target market, resulting in more relatable marketing initiatives from influential social media figures.
9. Lokai
The Lokai bracelet has gained global recognition thanks to the brand’s inspiring message of positivity, dedication to exploration, and commitment to supporting various causes. Lokai’s extensive fanbase has enabled them to cultivate a social media marketing plan centered around user-generated content to promote their products. A glance at Lokai’s Instagram feed reveals a tapestry of stunning images from around the world, most captured by their fans. This results in a captivating feed that remains entirely product-focused – a noteworthy feat. User-generated content offers numerous benefits. First, it provides a more genuine approach to product promotion; these are real images from real individuals worldwide. Additionally, it allows you to populate your content calendar with minimal effort. Finally, it’s a fantastic avenue for connecting with users, demonstrating that you’re in tune with the content your fanbase is sharing about you.
10. Cellucor
Popular fitness supplement brand Cellucor launched a giveaway campaign to promote the “on-the-go” version of their sought-after C4 pre-workout drink mix. This giveaway post possesses all the elements of success. First, it features a captivating and humorous video showcasing the prize and mentioning the giveaway.
Moreover, the caption reiterates the giveaway (for those who may not view the video) and clearly outlines the entry process for this social promotion. Asking users to follow, like, and tag three friends to enter is a smart move. This boosts their follower count and, more importantly, increases post engagement, enhancing its visibility on potential customers’ Explore feeds.
11. Nintendo
Video game giant Nintendo utilized Instagram to generate excitement for the launch of their latest console, the Nintendo Switch. Instagram serves as an ideal platform for building pre-launch buzz due to the shareability of its content, facilitating rapid word-of-mouth marketing for exciting new products.
This particular post is a prime example of an effective product preview. The image itself reveals just enough to pique viewers’ interest without giving too much away. The presence of two individuals using different controller colors highlights the Switch’s collaborative features and diverse product options. Lastly, the caption clearly states the time remaining until the product launch. It’s mysterious, intriguing, and engaging.
12. ASOS
ASOS’ Instagram strategy is distinctive. Instead of simply partnering with influencers for sponsored posts, ASOS takes it a step further by establishing “sponsored accounts” for their influencers, such as @asos_ashley and @asos_megan. These accounts are managed by the influencers (who also maintain their own established accounts) but differ slightly by primarily featuring ASOS apparel.
This strategy is intriguing because it leverages an influencer’s existing following and directs them to new accounts featuring content tailored to a specific brand. This form of influencer marketing significantly expands ASOS’ reach through its influencer collaborations.
13. Disney
Disney, a brand requiring no introduction, remains a household name but continues to embrace Instagram marketing best practices to promote its latest offerings. In this campaign, Disney enlisted actor Luke Evans to promote the upcoming Beauty and the Beast film through an Instagram takeover. Evans shared images throughout the day, capturing his experiences at the film’s world premiere with Disney’s vast Instagram following.
Hosting influencer takeovers is a tried-and-true Instagram strategy that consistently delivers results. It draws the influencer’s audience to your account and expands your reach to new segments within your target market. The posts offer your followers a welcome change from your regular content and tend to garner higher engagement based solely on their subject matter. Consider reaching out to influencers within your target market for your next takeover!
14. Forever21
Forever21 has mastered the art of Instagram marketing. Beyond their impressive blend of original and user-generated content, Forever21 excels at leveraging Instagram for sales. They achieve this by utilizing a monetization platform called Like2buy, which enables them to convert engagement and interactions on the platform into sales. As depicted in the image below, Like2buy connects Forever21’s photos, linking each item to its respective store page.
Forever 21 strategically includes a call to action in each photo caption (“Shop link in bio”) to ensure that every follower knows where to find the featured items. Implementing a monetization platform offers the simplest and most efficient way to drive sales from Instagram – a valuable tool for any ecommerce business.
15. Shake Shack
East Coast burger chain Shake Shack capitalized on Instagram’s new Carousel post format to chronicle the opening of their Downtown Detroit location. While this campaign didn’t achieve massive reach, it’s commendable that the chain swiftly adopted a new Instagram feature as part of their marketing strategy. Additionally, Shake Shack’s use of mixed media, combining high-resolution photos with candid phone videos to document the new location’s launch, is noteworthy.
Carousel posts are effective because they accommodate multiple pieces of media, making them the ideal format for storytelling. While this could be achieved through Instagram Stories, a Carousel post provides a sense of permanence, leaving a lasting impression on your timeline.
Wrapping it up
There you have it – 15 of the most impactful Instagram marketing campaigns of 2017 thus far! Hopefully, these examples have sparked inspiration for your own business’s Instagram marketing endeavors. For further Instagram insights, explore this post on Instagram SEO. Best of luck with your Instagram marketing!