Here’s What You Missed.
Social media's a fast-paced world, right? Last month was packed with all sorts of cool stuff you might've missed out on. We've rounded up inspiring brands, standout strategies, and some killer tips to amp up your social game.
Ready to dive into what went down?
Let's catch you up.
Influencers are always looking to diversify their offerings to maximize earnings, and Jake Paul is no exception. Most recently, he’s co-founded W, a rising name in personal care.
In launching the brand, he created an immersive campaign with high-school themes, but that was far from the most attention-grabbing element. Check out the PR package he sent to his best influencer friends, including popular musician, Lil Yachty.
5 things we can learn from W’s influencer activation 👇
💡 Craft a Cohesive Strategy: Aim to unify campaign elements—W featured Paul in front of the same yellow lockers later mirrored by their PR package.
💡 Leverage Authentic Partnerships: Not all of us possess personal connections to music moguls, but on a smaller scale, brands can still harness established relationships by seeding product and associating with key influencers prior to campaign launch.
💡 Create Captivating Experiences: Instead of your run-of-the-mill unboxing, Paul wanted to create something impossible not to share. So, he embeds an AI-generated video of each influencer into their package. Personalization meets innovation.
💡 Inject Humor: Everyone loves a laugh. The AI video was packed with funny historical moments, enhanced by influencers' ad-libs and commentary.
💡 Native Content Wins: Audiences engage more with content tailored to their platform—Lil Yachty's TikTok alone garnered nearly 500k likes and 16k shares. Remember, restrictive content briefs are not always the answer.
W started strong, and we’re confident they’ll keep raising the bar. Until then, onto the next.
The Paris Olympics may be over, but this content piece is still making waves over on LinkedIn. The image, showing 8x gold medalist Simone Biles mid-routine mimicking the Mercedes-Benz logo, was created by London-based Creative Art Director Zed Anwar as a mock design.
It went viral after being shared on X by Mike Sharman, CCO at Retroviral, who mistook it for an official Mercedes ad—it's that good. The post has since racked up over 100 million views.
✓ Creativity: It was a simple, yet unique, example of reactive marketing that left other creatives wishing they’d done it first.
✓ Timing: It hit the internet just as Simone Biles was dominating headlines at the Paris Olympics, becoming the first American woman to win two Olympic all-around and vault titles.
✓ Relevance: Both brands are icons of mobility, making the connection seamless.
We’re firmly sat on the "brilliant" side of the debate. Our only critique? A punchy line of copy would have tied the concept together just perfectly.
In the past 5 years, faceless YouTube channels have seen a 9,000% surge in search interest, reflecting a major trend towards content that emphasizes material > creator. This trend continued to grow in August/September, highlighting ongoing interest in anonymous creators.
🫂 Wait— what happened to personal connections? While user-driven content and personal branding remain crucial, the evolution of AI lends new opportunities to brands without a recognizable ‘face.’
By focusing on engaging content and meaningful storytelling, these brands can nurture authentic connections and brand reputation just as effectively.
Keen to learn more? Check out this video by Make Money Matt, featuring tried-and-tested methods for emerging faceless creators or brands.
To bring this conversation full circle, social moves fast. And success relies on a strategic blend of experimentation, innovation, and timing. Staying engaged with ongoing trials lets you leverage data-driven insights and seize opportunities as they arise.
On the off chance you’re taking an 18-hour social media break (@selenagomez would know), do yourself a favor and just make sure someone else is on the job.
Until next time.
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Head of Communications, 1DS Collective
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