Quick answer
Some of the best social media campaign examples from 2025 are IKEA Canada's late-night "u up?" Instagram DMs, Coca-Cola's relaunch of Share a Coke for Gen Z, e.l.f.'s TikTok telenovela, Hellmann's "When Sally Met Hellmann's" and Humane Canada's adoption campaign riffing on Sabrina Carpenter's album cover. The common thread: each borrowed a format people already use on social, such as a DM, a meme or a soap opera, instead of forcing a traditional ad into the feed.
10 social media campaigns that ran in 2025
Every campaign below ran in 2025 and is documented by the brand or trade press.
1. Snapchat: "Find Your Favorites on Snapchat" (January)
On January 15, 2025, as the possible US TikTok ban dominated the news, Snap launched a creator-driven campaign featuring Loren Gray, Savannah Demers, Matt Friend, Avani Gregg and Harry Jowsey, encouraging audiences to find and follow their favorite creators on Snapchat.
Lesson: Speed matters. Snap turned platform uncertainty into a creator-led message within days.
2. IKEA Canada: "u up?" (February)
IKEA Canada and agency Rethink sent Instagram DMs reading simply "u up?" to hundreds of people scrolling late at night (between 10 PM and 5 AM), the people most likely to need a better mattress. Replies unlocked a mattress discount, minimalist billboards repeated the line, and influencers extended the reach. The idea won Gold Lions in both Social & Creator and Direct at Cannes Lions 2025.
Lesson: Context is the creative. The right message at the right hour, in the channel people are already using, can beat a big production budget.
3. Hellmann's: "When Sally Met Hellmann's" (February)
Hellmann's and VML brought Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal back to Katz's Deli for a Super Bowl LIX spot. The social rollout started before game day with a teaser, an extended YouTube cut, a Meg Ryan Instagram post and cable-knit sweaters sent to creators such as Alix Earle.
Lesson: A TV moment performs better on social when creators and talent seed it days before it airs.
4. Poppi: influencer vending machines (February)
Ahead of its Super Bowl ad, Poppi sent branded vending machines to a group of influencers. On TikTok and X, many viewers called the gifts tone-deaf, and rival Olipop mocked the stunt. Poppi's founder responded on TikTok, disputed the reported cost and said the machines would go to events and fan nominations.
Lesson: Influencer gifting is public. Ask how a gift looks to everyday customers, not just to the creators who receive it, and be ready to respond fast.
5. e.l.f. Cosmetics: "Descubre e.l.f.ecto" (February to March)
To support its entry into Sephora Mexico, e.l.f. and 72andSunny produced a two-episode telenovela-style series for TikTok and Instagram, built around products such as Glossy Lip Stain and Camo Liquid Blush, with out-of-home ads in Mexico City, Monterrey and Guadalajara.
Lesson: Local entertainment formats make product demos feel native. Episodic content gives viewers a reason to come back.
6. Liquid Death: "Kegs for Pregs" (March)
Liquid Death sponsored Kylie Kelce's podcast and cast her in a spot where pregnant women celebrate with a keg of water. The brand sold limited-edition 5L kegs of still mountain water for $20, and they sold out on its website.
Lesson: Pair a creator's real-life moment with a product drop, and limited availability turns a joke into demand.
7. Coca-Cola: Share a Coke returns (March onward)
Coca-Cola relaunched Share a Coke in March 2025 with a phased rollout to more than 120 countries, aimed at Gen Z. Personalized packs led to a digital hub through on-pack QR codes, where a "Memory Maker" let fans create shareable videos, and influencer partnerships carried it on social.
Lesson: Give people a personal reason to post. Personalization plus an easy creation tool turns customers into the media channel.
8. Astronomer: Gwyneth Paltrow as "temporary spokesperson" (July)
After a Coldplay concert kiss-cam clip involving its executives went viral, data company Astronomer posted an Instagram video on July 25 in which Gwyneth Paltrow said she had been hired "on a very temporary basis" to speak for the company's employees. She then pivoted to what Astronomer actually does.
Lesson: When the internet already finds a crisis funny, self-aware humor plus a pivot to the product can reclaim the conversation.
9. Jet2: "Nothing beats a Jet2 holiday" (summer)
TikTok users paired chaotic holiday clips with the Jess Glynne song and voiceover from Jet2's ads. Marketing Week reported the trend reached more than 80 billion views across 11.8 million posts, and TikTok named the track its global Song of the Summer. Jet2 chose not to join the meme. YouGov data cited by Marketing Week showed awareness and ad awareness rising, while perceived quality scores fell.
Lesson: A distinctive sound and tagline can travel far beyond paid media, and sometimes the audience should own the joke.
10. Humane Canada: "Man's True Best Friend" (August)
When Sabrina Carpenter released her album Man's Best Friend, Humane Canada and Toronto Humane Society recreated its cover style with adoptable dogs on social and billboards. Carpenter shared it with her followers, and within two weeks most of the featured dogs had been adopted.
Lesson: Reactive work tied to a cultural moment can drive real-world action when the call to action is simple.
What innovative 2025 campaigns have in common
- Native formats: DMs, memes, soap operas and podcast tie-ins, not banner-style ads.
- Creators as distribution: Snapchat, Hellmann's, Liquid Death and Coca-Cola all used creators or talent to carry the message.
- Cultural timing: Astronomer, Humane Canada and Snapchat moved within days of a news moment.
- Participation: Share a Coke and the Jet2 trend let people make their own version.
How to apply these lessons to your brand
- Start with a behavior, not a format. Where is your customer, at what moment, doing what? IKEA's insight was "people who can't sleep scroll".
- Build for creators from day one. Leave room for each creator's voice and plan usage rights early. Our guide to Meta partnership ads covers how to run creator posts as paid media.
- Prepare a reactive lane with pre-approved tone and fast sign-off.
- Stress-test gifting and stunts. Ask how it looks to a skeptical customer scrolling past.
- Measure brand health too. Jet2 shows reach and sentiment can diverge.
More frameworks: our viral marketing best practices.
If you want creator-led content for paid social without a big agency retainer, MediaNug's self-service platform NugVerse matches brands with vetted real creators and delivers raw or edited videos ready for Ads Manager, starting at $650 per video with no subscription.
Frequently asked questions
What are examples of innovative marketing campaigns from 2025?
IKEA Canada's "u up?" DMs, e.l.f.'s TikTok telenovela, Coca-Cola's Share a Coke relaunch, Liquid Death's "Kegs for Pregs" and Humane Canada's "Man's True Best Friend" are strong 2025 examples.
Which large brands ran innovative social media engagement campaigns in 2025?
Coca-Cola, IKEA, Hellmann's, Snapchat and e.l.f. all ran social-first campaigns in 2025 built on creators, personalization or native platform formats.
What made 2025 social media campaigns successful?
The strongest ones used native formats, worked with creators, moved quickly on cultural moments and gave audiences something to share or remix.
How can I use customer stories in social media posts?
Let real customers or creators tell the story in their own words, show the product in use, and get permission plus usage rights before turning posts into ads.
Sources
- Snap Newsroom, "Find Your Favorites on Snapchat", Jan 15, 2025
- DesignRush News, "IKEA Canada and Rethink Target Late-Night Scrollers with 'u up?' Campaign", Feb 20, 2025
- Strategy, "Cannes Lions 2025: IKEA slid into DMs, and then walked away with two Gold Lions", June 2025
- Marketing Brew, "Hellmann's When Harry Met Sally Super Bowl ad", Feb 7, 2025
- Campaign US, "The new cola wars: Olipop and Poppi fight over consumers and attention during the Super Bowl", Feb 10, 2025
- Daily Dot, "Poppi soda vending machine", Feb 11, 2025
- Social Media Today, "e.l.f. Cosmetics launches telenovela series on TikTok and Instagram", Mar 4, 2025
- BevNET, "Kylie Kelce Stars in Liquid Death's 'Kegs for Pregs'", Mar 20, 2025
- The Coca-Cola Company, "Iconic 'Share a Coke' is Back for a New Generation", Mar 26, 2025
- ABC13, "Gwyneth Paltrow's latest role is 'very temporary' Astronomer spokesperson", Jul 26, 2025
- Veterinary Practice News Canada, "Viral Humane Canada campaign sparks surge in adoptions nationwide", Sep 16, 2025
- Marketing Week, "Did Jet2's unplanned TikTok virality have a positive impact on the brand?", Nov 19, 2025
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