Inspirational Social Media Marketing Examples

Every day, an estimated 5.04 billion people use social media. Social media has arguably never been more important than it is right now for marketers seeking to attract new customers, expand their market, and grow followers. By looking at social media marketing examples from other top brands teams can hone their social media strategy and learn what works well and why!

Social media marketing offers brands the opportunity to connect with global audiences, build a memorable brand, increase sales, and drive website traffic. 

But it takes a lot more than just posting content to social media to be successful. Brands need a winning engagement strategy to stand out, including unique creative, relevant targeting, and effective advertising.

That's where we can help. We've gathered examples of great posts from brands that can inspire your social media strategy.

For more social media marketing examples and advice on how to run a social media program, download our Social Media Playbook and read the Ultimate Guide to Social Media Marketing.

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The Best Social Media Marketing Examples 2025

• Airbnb: Polly Pocket Collab

• Dove: New Year’s Un-Resolution

• Asics: Take a #DeskBreak

• Cheetos: Use Your Other Hand Contest

• Starbucks: To Be a Partner Campaign

• Maurices: Maurices for Good

• Poppi: Eye-Spy a New Flavor

• Wicked: Wicked Movie Singalong Screenings

• Wrapping Up: Inspiring Social Media Marketing Examples for 2025

Airbnb: Polly Pocket Collab

Why It Works: Airbnb and Mattel partnered to tap into a growing penchant for 90s nostalgia. The ad reflects a life-sized model of a real Polly Pocket toy, demonstrating that it’s never too late for childhood dreams to come true.

Airbnb has become synonymous for unique lodging, with options ranging from themed rooms and houses to treehouses and train cabooses. A recent Airbnb collab with Mattel takes experiential travel to a new level with a life-sized Polly Pocket.

The brand teases the new house with a close-up of a matching Polly Pocket toy from 1994, then slowly zooming out to show a full-sized model that will soon be ready for reservations.

The collaboration comes at a perfect time, as Millennials (those whose childhoods spanned from the late 80s into the 90s) are attracted to nostalgic content from that era. Millennials make up a core part of the audience on Instagram and Facebook, as well as the biggest slice of Airbnb customers.

Dove: New Year’s Un-Resolution

Why It Works: Dove takes body positivity seriously and uses the new year as a perfect time to reinforce its brand image. The campaign offers a reminder that New Year’s resolutions can — and should — include more than just weight loss goals.

resolutions can mean more than changing how you look. With weight loss being one of the most popular resolutions, Dove uses this opportunity to highlight a different side of the story — that most resolutions are driven by dissatisfaction with appearance.

The company flips the script by promoting an un-resolution. The video in this campaign follows a young woman’s journey as she embraces all that life has to offer, from baking yummy treats to prioritizing self-care.

The campaign sends a positive message that you can live a healthy lifestyle without sacrificing a “year of your life” and being a slave to unrealistic weight loss hacks.

As a marketer, B2B, or B2C brand, the ultimate goal is to grow an audience of loyal followers and micro-influencers around the world that can swing into action whenever called upon. Perhaps no brand is a better example of that than Dove.

Are you interested in more Dove campaigns? Learn how Dove raises the bar with its #ArmsUp campaign.

Asics: Take a #DeskBreak

Why It Works: With many workers having to return to the office in recent years, sitting for long periods of time is back on the menu. Asics uses its social media campaign to remind its customers to move their bodies — and it’s not unprofessional to take a break from your desk.

Desk jobs offer few opportunities for movement throughout the day, but sneaker brand Asics aims to change this. It combines humor with practicality in its Desk Break campaign to remind users to move their bodies, even if it’s just for 15 minutes at a time.

This educational campaign is simple yet powerful. With many office workers not getting enough exercise because of the nature of their jobs, Asics reminds us it’s acceptable and helpful to get up and move around every once in a while. 

A desk break is better than nothing, and the brand encourages others to share how they’re incorporating desk breaks into their days.

TIP: Take a look at some more Instagram examples to inspire you.

Cheetos: Use Your Other Hand Contest

Why It Works: The brand gracefully acknowledges the ages-old problem its customers experience — getting their fingers dirty while eating their favorite Cheetos snack. This campaign encourages its customers to embrace the challenge and get used to doing things with their other hand while offering a chance to win branded swag.

If you’ve ever eaten Cheetos, you already know you’re going to get your fingers dirty. That’s why most customers try to keep one clean hand (because the other is coated in cheesy dust). 

Cheetos is well aware of the challenge and uses it to their advantage on social media. It teamed up with Corkcicle to create some Cheetos-branded tumblers for a few lucky winners. To snag one, users could take a video of wrapping a gift with their non-dominant hand (aka their non-Cheetos-covered hand). 

“The Other Hand” has made appearances in other social media challenges too, like building a snowman, decorating a gingerbread house, or writing.

Starbucks: To Be a Partner Campaign

Why It Works: Starbucks uses the #ToBeAPartner hashtag to encourage employees from all of its stores to show how they’re giving back to communities. It amassed a heap of employee-generated content (EGC) and visibility on social media.

Starbucks turns its store employees into micro-influencers with its To Be A Partner campaign. A brand known for social activism, Starbucks uses its popularity to show how its stores are helping local communities. 

The main post on Instagram features vignettes of Starbucks employees engaging with the community in events, from food drives to art installations. It cements the brand’s identity as a community player that offers so much more than coffee and pastries.

UGC is a cost-effective and persuasive source of content that brands will need to help build trust, increase revenue, and encourage stronger relationships with customers.

Maurices: Maurices for Good

Why It Works: Lots of big brands contribute to good causes. Maurices goes the extra mile by shining a light on the types of causes they donate to, helping to reinforce its values and image.

Clothing company Maurices took to social media to announce how it gives back to communities. It offers a breakdown of its contributions to various causes, including women’s mental health, local charities, disaster relief, and victims of human trafficking and domestic violence.

The post was a simple yet powerful statement about the brand’s values. It also demonstrates the company’s commitment to providing more than just clothing and accessories; it’s a champion for women and provides support in the form of money, clothing donations, and volunteer hours.

Poppi: Eye-Spy a New Flavor

Why It Works: Poppi’s eye-catching and colorful posts reflect its bubbly personality. It draws on this inspiration to promote its new flavor while “stopping the scroll” and keeping its users engaged.

Poppi has turned the soda industry on its head by touting safer, cleaner ingredients in its products. It also knows how to have a little fun with its social media posts, leaning toward bright colors and eye-catching artwork that encourages users to stop and stare awhile. 

While all of the brand’s posts stand out, its “Eye Spy” post stands out a little more. Poppi crafted a colorful collage to tease a new soda flavor. This unique approach not only plays to the brand’s bright image, but it also encourages its audience to savor the post. Users can comb through the fine details and try to figure out what new flavor the brand is cooking up next.

Wicked: Wicked Movie Singalong Screenings

Why It Works: A movie with a cult following even before it was released in theaters demonstrates it’s listening to its audience members. The brand responded with singalong screenings to satisfy its musically gifted fans and those who prefer to just watch the film.

Before it was a major motion picture, Wicked delighted musical theater fans of all ages. Its songs have won numerous awards, and many movie-goers already knew the words to its hits before they stepped foot in the theater. 

Unfortunately for some viewers, this also meant many fans of the show were singing along in theaters. They weren’t shy about venting their frustrations on social media, either.

The solution, of course, was to offer exclusive singalong screenings. Viewers can choose how to engage with the film — with their ears only or with their own voices. It’s a prime example of social listening done right.

Wrapping Up: Inspiring Social Media Marketing Examples for 2025

In many ways, social media is a ubiquitous landscape for marketing. So when a brand can push through that with a truly unique, attention grabbing, and lively campaign, then it's a job well done for brand awareness and authentic engagement.

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