social media

15 Successful Hashtag Campaign Examples To Inspire In 2024

Dakshit Mathur
dakshit

18 minute read

Dakshit Mathur
dakshit

April 30, 2024

Hashtags have evolved beyond mere sorting tools; they’ve become a conduit for people to share their thoughts, discover intriguing content, and participate in online dialogues. 

Imagine this: someone searches for #bakingtips and stumbles upon your excellent recipe post. That’s the power of hashtags!

Brands have recognized the popularity and power of hashtags and have begun incorporating them into their campaigns, offering a unique opportunity to connect with their audience on a more personal level. 

These campaigns can be a game-changer for brands, helping them reach broader audiences, generate excitement, and spread their message on noble causes. 

If you’re a brand considering running a hashtag campaign, you’re at the right place! 

This blog will help you learn and get inspired by some of the most successful hashtag campaign examples that achieved more than pre-set goals. 

So, let’s get started and dive right into clearing our basics: What is a hashtag campaign?

What Are The Hashtag Campaigns?

A hashtag campaign is a catchy phrase used on social media to get people talking about a brand. Brands create the phrase, add the hashtag symbol, and encourage people to use it in their posts. 

They often use this word in their posts along with a hashtag symbol and ask their followers to join in! This inclusive approach allows anyone to participate by using the same hashtag about the brand in their social media feeds. 

The more people engage, the more the brand’s visibility increases, creating a ripple effect that spreads the word about the brand far and wide!

Top 15 Unique & Successful Hashtag Campaign Examples

Here are successful examples of hashtag campaigns:

1. Coca-Cola

Coca-Cola’s goal was to return to the market again, so the company ditched its logo and put people’s names on its bottles and cans. 

It even included nicknames and titles like “Bestie”! This innovative approach was part of the #ShareACoke campaign, showcasing the brand’s creativity and ability to think outside the box.

People loved this hashtag campaign! As the campaign spread, people started finding their names or searching for family and friends.

Everyone started snapping pics with their named bottles and posting them online. This whole thing was a massive win for Coca-Cola. It got people talking and even helped sell more drinks.

2. Calvin Klein

The following hashtag campaign example is of Calvin Klein, who wanted to show off its new underwear line excellently. So, they launched a social media campaign called #MyCalvins. 

This campaign encouraged people to take selfies in their Calvin Klein underwear and share them online with the hashtag.

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One of the most engaging aspects of the # MyCalvins campaign was that Calvin Klein featured user-generated content on their official social media pages, giving regular people a chance to be seen by millions! 

This was a big deal because it allowed regular people to be seen by millions. Even though the campaign was launched for a specific underwear collection, the hashtag #MyCalvins is still popular today, showing how much people liked the idea.

3. Disney

This hashtag campaign example is one for Disney’s charity. They ran a social media campaign with the Make-A-Wish Foundation. 

People posted photos of themselves wearing Mickey Mouse ears (or any kind of ears!) using the hashtag #ShareYourEars. For each photo shared, Disney donated $5 to Make-A-Wish. It was a fun way to raise money for a great cause!

The campaign was a big hit, raising $2 million! Even though it’s over, people still use the hashtag to show their Disney spirit.

4. L’Oréal Paris

L’Oréal Paris hit the jackpot with their hashtag campaign, #WorthSaying. They encouraged women to speak up about important issues using the hashtag. 

This campaign came at a time when women’s voices were gaining momentum, making it the perfect moment to spark conversation. As a brand, you can take these Successful Hashtag Campaign Examples and get inspired to start your own for a provocative topic.

#WorthSaying empowered women to speak their minds, and the movement gained so much attention that even celebrities like Jennifer Lopez and Blake Lively joined in. 

The # WorthSaying campaign by L’Oréal Paris demonstrated how brands can leverage hashtag campaigns to support social causes, connecting with their audience on a deeper level.

5. Lay’s

Lay’s wanted a super tasty new chip flavor, so they ran a contest on Facebook in the US. It asked its consumer to join in and suggest their flavor idea with the hashtag #DoUsAFlavor!

To make things even more exciting, the winner could get $1 million or a share of the winning flavor’s sales – that’s a lot of chips! Lay’s then picked the top 3 ideas and let everyone vote for their favorite.

This contest was a huge hit! More people visited Lay’s Facebook page than ever, and Lay’s sales went way up. Plus, they have tons of cool flavor ideas – almost 4 million! It was a win-win for Lay’s and all the chip lovers.

6. Audi

#WantAnR8 started with a superfan. She wanted an Audi R8, so much so that she kept tweeting at Audi using the hashtag #WantAnR8. 

Audi didn’t respond for a while, but Joanna kept doing it. Finally, Audi surprised Joanna by showing up at her house and giving her a free ride in an R8!

This turned into a massive campaign!  The following year, Audi used #WantAnR8 for a contest where they gave free rides in R8s to 8 lucky winners.  Because of all the excitement, the number of people following Audi online doubled, and many more interacted with them on social media.

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The campaign also generated a ton of buzz online, with millions of people seeing Audi’s posts and tons of videos being made by fans about why they love the R8.

7. Always

Another hashtag campaign example is run to spread a message in the market. The Always #LikeAGirl campaign tackled the negative stereotype hidden in the phrase “like a girl.” They created hilarious videos featuring adults and kids.  

The videos showed the silly difference between how grown-ups imagine girls doing things and how they do them.  

These videos spread like wildfire online and even aired during the Super Bowl, reaching a massive audience.

The brand Always aimed to challenge society’s ideas about girls and show the world that “like a girl” can mean strong, determined, and fantastic! It was a powerful message to boost girls’ confidence and stop people from using “like a girl” as an insult.

8. Adidas

As inspiring, these hashtag campaign examples are also potent tools for spreading the word about your product launch, event, or anything else you want to get noticed. Fans can search the hashtag to find the latest news and updates.

Take Adidas, for example. They used this hashtag campaign example and started #ORIGINALis to launch their Originals line. 

The campaign was so successful, generating so much buzz, that Adidas had to create a separate social media account just for this product line! This shows the incredible reach hashtags can have.

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9. Domino’s

Domino’s wanted to sell more pizzas at lunch and get people talking about them online, so they created a fun Twitter campaign. They said, “Tweet #LetsDoLunch and get a discount on your lunch pizza!” This was a super easy way to save money, so many people joined.

The hashtag became popular on Twitter, and everyone tweeted about Domino’s and their delicious pizzas. 

Ultimately, Domino’s sold more pizzas, and people were happy with their discounts. Domino’s got a lot of attention online!

10. Apple

Apple started the hashtag #ShotoniPhone to show people how excellent iPhone photos can be. People take amazing pictures on their iPhones and share them with this hashtag, which makes others want to take great pictures with their iPhones, too!

Over 26 million photos have been shared with this hashtag! People sharing their photos made the campaign more fun and exciting.

11. Dove

Dove is famous for its hashtag campaigns, which fight for absolute beauty standards. You might remember #InMyOwnSkin and #SpeakBeautiful. 

In 2021, they made a short video showing how editing selfies can hurt girls’ confidence on social media. The video ended with a message for parents to talk to their daughters about this. It was a big hit, getting many likes on YouTube and sparking conversations on Instagram, too!

Why was it so powerful? It mattered and discussed a thought-provoking topic that brought about change! It discussed a real problem that many people face today.

12. Airbnb

Airbnb was criticized in 2016 for not treating everyone fairly. To address this, they started the #WeAccept campaign. 

This campaign meant that Airbnb welcomes everyone, no matter their background or beliefs. They don’t care about your race, religion, who you love, or where you’re from.

#WeAccept launched during a big football game (the Super Bowl) and quickly became popular. People loved the idea of everyone being accepted. 

The campaign video got millions of views online, and most people on social media liked it. To show their severity, Airbnb even donated money to help build homes for people who needed them.

13. MeToo

Enough with the branded hashtag campaign examples; let’s look at this marketing campaign example that people started as a society. The hashtag #MeToo has recently become a big thing on Twitter. It showed how many women have been mistreated and unsafe at work. 

Actress Alyssa Milano started it to get people talking about how common this abuse is. The hashtag quickly became super popular and became a massive social media movement. 

Almost 100,000 Twitter users shared the hashtag and their own stories of abuse. This all helped raise awareness and start a fight against the horrible problem of women being mistreated.

14. Adidas

Adidas knew people liked things made for them, so they created the #HereToCreate campaign. During a marathon, Adidas surprised all 30,000 runners with personalized videos showcasing their race highlights.  

These runners loved their videos and shared them online with the hashtag, making Adidas look awesome. Since the runners’ followers were sports fans, they were the kind of people Adidas wanted to reach.

It didn’t stop there, though. Famous athletes like Lionel Messi jumped in, sharing inspiring stories with the hashtag, which spread the word even faster. 

Ultimately, the #HereToCreate campaign used personalization and social media to connect with athletes and score a whole new team of fans for Adidas.

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15.Kellogg’s

Kellogg’s created a winning social media campaign called #GreatStarts. It cleverly connected the idea of breakfast, often seen as the most important meal of the day, with the excitement of the Olympics. 

They launched the campaign 100 days before the games, encouraging people to share their morning routines using the #GreatStarts hashtag. 

There was even a contest to win a trip to the Rio Olympics to sweeten the deal! This campaign was a huge hit, generating a lot of buzz and even attracting celebrity participation. 

It’s a great example of how Kellogg’s leveraged a popular sentiment and a significant event to create a catchy and engaging social media experience.

Choose The Right Hashtags For Your Marketing Campaign

Choosing a hashtag that works best for your hashtag campaign example can be challenging, but don’t worry; we can help you achieve goals like brand awareness and building a solid brand image. Here’s a more straightforward way to choose a hashtag for your social media post:

1. Short & Sweet:

Keep it short and easy to remember. People are more likely to use hashtags they can quickly type. Make sure you recheck and then click the share button to avoid typos.

2. Unique Twist:

Make it unique! To stand out, add your brand name or a catchy phrase. Note that people like getting into exciting marketing campaigns, so always keep a twist or surprise for your participants. 

3. Spy On Competitors:

See what hashtags similar accounts are using. This can give you some ideas. Checking and keeping track of what your competitors are doing, which hashtag they used, and how it performed for them is a trick that can help you get valuable insights for your hashtag campaign.

4. Stay On-Trend:

Use hashtags about what’s popular right now. This will help more people see your post. But be careful; following others might only sometimes be profitable. Remember that analyzing your brand’s trend and results comes before simply following it.

5. Target Your Audience:

Use more than just the most popular hashtags. Use ones specific to your industry or topic. This will help you reach people interested in what you have to say.

But as easy as it might seem, there are some pitfalls you must avoid. Below, we have mentioned some of the most common mistakes to avoid while Running a Hashtag Campaign.

Mistakes To Avoid While Running A Hashtag Campaign

Hashtag campaigns can be a powerful tool to boost engagement and reach on social media, but navigating them can be tricky.  

You should be aware of the following when incorporating any hashtag campaign examples. Keep reading to learn more.

1. Crafting Tailored Hashtags For Every Platform

Hashtags aren’t one-size-fits-all! One hashtag that might trend on Twitter might disappear on other social media channels like Instagram. 

To avoid this, research and tailor your hashtag selection to each platform you’re using.

2. Hashtag Planning For Campaign Success

Planning is one crucial step in creating a successful hashtag campaign. Don’t just throw some hashtags together and hope for the best.

 Take the time to brainstorm relevant hashtags that accurately reflect your campaign’s goals and target audience. Planning a hashtag campaign builds anticipation for your product launch by sparking social media buzz.

3. Organic Reach

While paid promotion can give your hashtag campaigns a jumpstart, organic reach is what will ultimately sustain it. 

Focus on creating compelling content that resonates with your audience and encourages them to share it using your hashtags.

4. Keep It Short And Simple

Remember, keep your hashtags short, catchy, and easy to understand. A long, complicated hashtag will likely be ignored or misspelled. 

Typos can also derail your campaign, so double-check your spelling before hitting the post.

5. Be Social On Your Socials

Don’t be a one-way street on social media! Engaging with your fans and followers can help you ensure the success of your hashtag campaigns.

Respond to comments and questions to engage with your audience. This interaction will help build a community around your hashtag and keep people interested.

6. Set Achievable Goals

Be realistic about your goals and what your campaign can achieve. Only make promises you can keep, as this will protect your credibility. 

When choosing influencers to partner with, focus on their expertise and relevance to your brand rather than just their follower count.  

Remember: Collaborating with the right influencer can spread your brand message and reach a larger potential audience.

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Benefits Of Running A Hashtag Campaign

Hashtags, those little labels on social media, are a powerful tool for businesses. They help people find interesting content, and businesses can leverage them to get their posts seen by more people. 

This section will discuss some of the top Benefits of the Hashtag Campaign.

1. Know Your Customers Better:

These hashtag campaign examples show what people think about your brand. You’ll see how many people join in, who they are, and what they say. This helps you understand your customers better. Hashtag campaigns are a great way to know what people want and start working on it.

2. Build A Strong Brand Image:

People who participate share their positive experiences and the causes they care about. This creates a good image of your brand and makes people want to connect with you. You can use a social wall display at trade show booths and showcase hashtag feed to help you increase brand visibility and establish a strong brand image.

3. Get People Talking:

Hashtag campaigns encourage people to chat about your brand online. They might share stories, pictures, or videos of how they use your products, which increases interest in your brand.

4. Free Content:

People create content (pictures, videos, etc.) for your campaign for free! This content shows others why your brand is excellent. Don’t forget people trust brands that share their customer’s content: visuals and reviews. This user-generated content can help your brand build trust among others.

5. Reach More People:

Hashtags help new people find your brand. Imagine a hashtag like #ShoeLover. People searching for shoes might see your posts if you sell shoes and use this hashtag! Display a live hashtag feed at events and on your website to keep people updated. 

Overall, hashtag campaigns are a powerful tool for connecting with more people, building a solid brand image, and ultimately selling more of your products or services.

Start Your Hashtag Campaign Today!

As we conclude this blog, you know everything there is to know about marketing campaigns. This blog has discussed some successful hashtag campaign examples, how to benefit from your plan, and what to avoid. 

As a marketer, you already know the impact of running a hashtag campaign. It can help you achieve your goals of increased brand visibility, boosted audience engagement, and broader reach. 

What’s the wait for? Pick an example of your hashtag campaign from which you get inspiration, and start your marketing campaign to reap the benefits.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What Is A Hashtag Campaign?

A hashtag campaign is a marketing strategy that can help you increase your brand awareness, spread your message, and get your followers more involved. As a brand, you can use a relatable hashtag for your campaign and encourage people to participate and use it. Showcasing hashtag feeds as one of the compelling event activation ideas.

How Do I Choose A Hashtag For My Campaign?

An easy way to find good hashtags is to think like your audience. Pick relevant hashtags for your marketing campaign, then stalk your competitors. Analyze which hashtags act like magnets for likes and comments. Build your list with a mix of popular and targeted hashtags to engage followers.

How To Implement A Successful Hashtag Campaign?

Launching a hashtag campaign can boost your social media presence. 
1. Determine which social media platform your target audience uses the most. 
2. Then, set a clear goal for your campaign and make it easy for people to join by keeping the steps to participate simple. 
3. Finally, pick the right platform based on your goals: Twitter for conversations and discussions or Instagram for photo-centric campaigns. 

You can even use your hashtag across multiple platforms to reach a wider audience.

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