12 Instagram campaigns to inspire your brand in 2025

With over 2 billion monthly active users, Instagram delivers a unique opportunity to celebrate the personality of your brand, find your “image” and keep your company in the minds of your customers every day.

The only problem? There’s a huge difference between posting a picture and creating a viable Instagram marketing campaign. The good news is that sometimes, all it takes to revitalize your Instagram campaigns, is a little inspiration.

Learn from these twelve highly-successful Instagram campaigns to get your creative side going.

1. Blank Street Coffee: Spring 2025 matcha campaign

Capitalizing on the growing popularity of matcha, Blank Street Coffee launched a campaign for its new spring beverages, including a Strawberry Shortcake Matcha. The campaign utilized a nostalgic, Y2K-inspired aesthetic in its Reels, featuring elements like Tamagotchis and a retro soundtrack. They also hosted in-person brand activations, like giving away slices of strawberry shortcake in major cities to create a tangible and shareable experience.

2. e.l.f. Cosmetics & Chipotle: “Eyes. Chips. Face.”

This unexpected collaboration between a beauty brand and a fast-casual restaurant was a viral sensation. Building on the shared acronym, they launched a limited-edition makeup collection inspired by Chipotle’s ingredients. The campaign featured a hilarious music video with drag queens and Instagram influencers, creating a unique and memorable moment that drove significant buzz and sales for both brands.

3. McDonald’s: ‘As featured in’ meal

Tapping into the power of nostalgia and pop culture, McDonald’s created the “As Featured In” meal, which included menu items that have famously appeared in movies and TV shows over the years. The campaign was a global effort, with custom packaging that included a list of the iconic film and television moments. The interactive element of sharing their “As Featured In” meal on social media drove massive user-generated content and engagement.

4. Flipper’ roller boogie palace & Dr. Dre: The opening of Flipper’s in London

To celebrate the opening of its London location, the iconic Los Angeles roller rink partnered with Dr. Dre for a star-studded launch party. The Instagram campaign featured a mix of high-production value videos, celebrity endorsements and user-generated content from the opening events. This created an exclusive and exciting vibe, successfully launching the brand in a new market.

5. Dove: #FreeThePits

Continuing its legacy of promoting body positivity, Dove’s #FreeThePits campaign encouraged women to embrace their underarms, whether shaved, unshaven or somewhere in between. The campaign featured a diverse range of real women in its ads and social media content, challenging traditional beauty standards. It resonated deeply with audiences for its empowering and inclusive message.

6. Jacquemus: “Le Chouchou” Campaign with Gigi Hadid

The French fashion house is known for its surreal and visually stunning Instagram campaigns. For their “Le Chouchou” collection, they featured supermodel Gigi Hadid in a series of striking and dreamlike images. The campaign’s artistic and high-fashion aesthetic generated significant attention and solidified the brand’s reputation for creativity and luxury.

7. Liquid Death: “Recycled Plastic” Parody

Known for its edgy and humorous marketing, Liquid Death, a canned water company, created a parody campaign “announcing” they would be switching to plastic bottles. The video, which mimicked sincere corporate announcements, was a satirical take on greenwashing and reinforced their brand identity centered on sustainability and “death to plastic.” The campaign was highly effective in engaging their audience and generating conversation.

8. Tinder: “It starts with a swipe”

To shift its perception from a casual hookup app to a platform for meaningful connections, Tinder launched the “It Starts with a Swipe” campaign. It featured real-life couples who met on the app, sharing their unique love stories. This authentic and heartwarming approach helped to rebrand Tinder and appeal to a generation seeking genuine relationships.

9. Olipop: “Soda is dead”

This digestive health-focused soda brand took a bold approach with its “Soda is Dead” campaign. They used vintage-style, slightly spooky creative to position their product as a healthier and more modern alternative to traditional sugary sodas. The unique and slightly mysterious aesthetic captured attention and effectively communicated their brand’s core message.

10. Gymshark: “Every rep”

Fitness apparel giant Gymshark is known for its strong community-driven marketing. Their “Every Rep” campaign featured a diverse group of athletes and fitness enthusiasts, showcasing their dedication and hard work. The campaign’s focus on authenticity and the fitness journey, rather than just the end result, resonated with their target audience and reinforced their brand’s motivational ethos.

11. Crocs x various artists and brands

Crocs has mastered the art of the collaboration. Their ongoing series of partnerships with a diverse range of artists, celebrities, and brands—from Bad Bunny to SZA to KFC—continuously generates buzz and keeps the brand culturally relevant. Each collaboration is a unique event, driving excitement and sell-out demand.

12. Garnier: “Dull to bright”

For its Vitamin C Brightening Serum, Garnier launched a clever campaign called “Dull to Bright.” The brand sent a group of fitness and wellness influencers on a multi-day running journey from a town named Dull in Scotland to Brighton on the English coast. The campaign brilliantly connected the product’s “dull to bright” promise with a real-world, engaging journey, generating significant authentic content and brand awareness.

Evolve Your Instagram Campaigns With These Inspirations

Sometimes, all it takes is a little social media muse to help get you back on track with your Instagram campaigns. Whether you want new ways to get customers involved through user-generated content or by discovering a way to showcase your next product, there’s always something to learn from other campaigns.

We hope the examples above will help to motivate you toward marketing success. If you’re ready to level up your Instagram marketing campaigns try a 30-day trial of Sprout Social today.