It’s a Bird, it’s a Plane, it’s a Super Campaign

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If brands put people first, there would be more authenticity and trust, engagement and persuasion, and true diversity and inclusion.

In this month’s newsletter we’re casting off the shackles of generic social media campaigns and taking a deep dive into two case studies that illustrate the benefits of engaging local creators to highlight their favorite brands, entertainment, and dining locations – and revealing how building relationships between brands and fictional worlds can inspire creative content that supersedes the norm.

Social media: it’s a cluttered space. Ask any doom scroller and they’ll tell you that often it all looks the same, creating a mesmerizing – but not particularly impactful – miasma of visual mush. So the question is: how can we rise above to build partnerships, recruit creators, and create exciting campaigns that supersede traditional still and video content?

Let’s examine two case studies, both partnerships between People First and White Castle, the renowned burger destination.

In July, People First teamed with White Castle and Lionsgate Films to contextualize White Castle sliders within a celebration of the new film Borderlands. Participating creators were tasked with sharing how eating White Castle Sliders from either a local White Castle restaurant or a retail location empowered them with the energy to face off against Borderlands iconic characters. The campaign simultaneously spotlighted White Castle’s exclusive products and generated buzz around the Borderlands film release, seamlessly wedding White Castle’s brand identity and offerings with personal stories inspired by a fictional narrative experience.

The campaign culminated with a total of 13 creator posts reaching 1.5 million people and boasting an engagement rate of 5.13%, more than twice the industry average. Creator posts set inside of an actual White Castle restaurant achieved the highest engagement rates, and Tik-Tok content towered above other platforms, with posts being viewed by a total of 620,270 people and achieving an engagement rate of 5.21%. Overall, engagement focused primarily on mentions of White Castle and its sliders, achieving an increased visibility goal for the brand.

Some of the most robust content featured creators cosplaying, wearing masks, or otherwise adopting the identity or behavior of characters in the Borderlands film – this style of posting filled followers’ feeds with creative and playful depictions of a fictional world inside of which creators could share their enthusiasm for White Castle sliders. The unique nature of these postings proved memorable and incredibly popular with followers, many of whom expressed an enthusiasm for or an interest in buying the product.

In June, we continued our partnership with White Castle to build on their brand identity and product recognition by celebrating the 20th anniversary of the release of the cult classic film Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle. Creators were invited to put themselves in Harold & Kumar’s shoes and go on a journey to satisfy their own epic craving for the famous burgers.

The campaign culminated with a total of 9 creator posts reaching 212,000 people and boasting an engagement rate of 4.34%, once again more than twice the industry average. In this campaign, Instagram reel content led the way, with posts being viewed by a total of 27,279 people and achieving an engagement rate of 6.54%.

Several creators created bespoke t-shirts to pledge their allegiance to Harold, Kumar, and White Castle, resulting in several comments asking how followers could acquire their own shirts, and the campaign was especially and enthusiastically embraced by the gamer community, which has long sustained a robust relationship to White Castle sliders. Many followers noted that the sliders are “a perfect snack for gamers.”

The campaign also revealed an interesting generational variance, with older followers primarily expressing nostalgia for the film and younger followers expressing enthusiasm to see the film and try the sliders for the first time. These responses illustrate the creative campaign’s success in both reinforcing existing and developing new brand relationships using similar types of unique, personal, and relatable content.

The campaign culminated with a total of 9 creator posts reaching 212,000 people and boasting an engagement rate of 4.34%, once again more than twice the industry average. In this campaign, Instagram reel content led the way, with posts being viewed by a total of 27,279 people and achieving an engagement rate of 6.54%.

When taken together, these two campaigns reinforce People First’s central philosophy: local creators with personal relationships to a brand and to their communities – and who can speak honestly about their unique experiences – generate the most engagement. We see, too, the value of couching a campaign in a fictional universe, like Borderlands or Harold & Kumar, which frees and encourages creators and their followers to supersede traditional campaign styles and aesthetics, attracting more eyes and engagements in cluttered social media feeds.

In the end, honesty, authenticity, site-specificity, and most importantly creativity matter. Harness these core tenets and you’re on your way to a super campaign.

The campaign also revealed an interesting generational variance, with older followers primarily expressing nostalgia for the film and younger followers expressing enthusiasm to see the film and try the sliders for the first time. These responses illustrate the creative campaign’s success in both reinforcing existing and developing new brand relationships using similar types of unique, personal, and relatable content.

That’s the power of putting people first in your marketing.