As 2025 kicked off, marketers faced a volatile landscape: economic shifts, a potential TikTok ban, and a consumer base craving authenticity amid digital overload. Yet, some brands hit the ground running, launching campaigns that set the tone for the year. Socially Powerful’s January 16, 2025, article, “The 2025 Marketing Campaigns That Have Already Won The Year,” spotlighted three early standouts—Brooke Shields’ Commence, Bumble’s collaboration with Amelia Dimoldenberg, and Doritos’ “Crash the Super Bowl” revival. These campaigns, rooted in authenticity and strategic influencer partnerships, prove that bold, genuine storytelling is the key to winning in 2025. Let’s unpack their success and what they signal for the year ahead.
The 2025 Marketing Arena
The opening months of 2025 brought challenges that tested marketers’ agility. New tariffs squeezed budgets, social media platforms faced uncertainty, and consumers demanded brands that felt real and relatable. Against this backdrop, the campaigns highlighted by Socially Powerful leveraged authentic voices, targeted platforms, and interactive formats to cut through the noise. By aligning with cultural moments and consumer values, these brands didn’t just launch campaigns—they sparked conversations.
Brooke Shields’ Commence: Authentic Hair Care for Women Over 40
Brooke Shields’ hair-care brand, Commence, made waves with a campaign targeting women over 40, a demographic often overlooked in beauty marketing. Launched with a robust paid media strategy across Meta and Google, Commence leaned into Shields’ personal story as a 59-year-old icon navigating aging with confidence. The campaign’s messaging was refreshingly honest, focusing on hair health and self-empowerment rather than unrealistic beauty standards.
By using Shields’ authentic voice and pairing it with targeted digital ads, Commence connected with its audience on a personal level, driving engagement through relatable content like tutorials and testimonials. The campaign’s success highlights a 2025 trend: brands that speak directly to underserved audiences with genuine narratives can build loyalty fast. Commence’s strategic use of Meta and Google also underscores the enduring power of paid media when paired with a compelling story.
Bumble’s Satirical Swing with Amelia Dimoldenberg
Bumble, the dating app known for empowering women, tapped British comedian Amelia Dimoldenberg for a campaign that resonated with Gen Z’s love for humor and authenticity. Known for her satirical YouTube series Chicken Shop Date, Dimoldenberg brought her deadpan wit to a series of social media clips offering quirky dating tips. These bite-sized videos, shared across platforms like Instagram and X, captured the playful, self-aware tone that Gen Z craves.
The campaign’s genius lay in its alignment with Bumble’s brand ethos—empowering users to make the first move—while letting Dimoldenberg’s unique humor shine. The clips went viral, racking up views and shares as fans embraced the lighthearted take on modern dating. Bumble’s success shows that influencer partnerships, when rooted in shared values and cultural relevance, can turn a campaign into a cultural moment.
Doritos’ “Crash the Super Bowl” Revival: Fan-Powered Creativity
Doritos brought back its iconic “Crash the Super Bowl” campaign, inviting fans to create and submit their own ads for a chance to air during the 2025 Super Bowl. The revival tapped into nostalgia for the original campaign while harnessing 2025’s appetite for user-generated content (UGC). Thousands of entries poured in, ranging from quirky skits to bold visual experiments, showcasing the creativity of Doritos’ fanbase.
The campaign culminated in a prime Super Bowl spot, amplifying the winning ad’s reach and sparking social media buzz across X and other platforms. By empowering fans to tell the brand’s story, Doritos not only generated massive engagement but also reinforced its image as a fun, approachable brand. The revival’s success proves that UGC remains a powerful tool in 2025, especially when tied to high-profile cultural events like the Super Bowl.
Why These Campaigns Won
Socially Powerful’s article identifies two core ingredients for 2025’s early successes: authenticity and influencer partnerships. Commence thrived by centering a real, relatable figure in Brooke Shields, speaking directly to an underserved audience. Bumble’s collaboration with Amelia Dimoldenberg leveraged her authentic comedic voice to connect with a younger demographic. Doritos empowered its fans, making them co-creators in a high-stakes campaign. Other common threads include:
- Platform Precision: Each brand chose platforms that matched their audience—Meta and Google for Commence’s targeted ads, social media for Bumble’s viral clips, and a mix of digital and broadcast for Doritos.
- Cultural Alignment: From dating culture to aging gracefully to Super Bowl hype, these campaigns tapped into moments that mattered to their audiences.
- Interactive Engagement: Doritos’ UGC model and Bumble’s shareable clips invited consumers to participate, not just watch.
Lessons for Marketers in 2025
These campaigns offer a roadmap for success in a chaotic year. First, authenticity isn’t optional—it’s essential. Consumers reward brands that feel genuine, whether through a founder’s story or a fan-driven ad. Second, influencer partnerships work best when the collaborator’s voice aligns with the brand’s, as seen with Dimoldenberg and Bumble. Third, interactive formats like UGC can amplify reach and build community, as Doritos demonstrated. Finally, strategic platform choices—whether paid media or organic social—ensure messages hit the right audience at the right time.
What’s Next?
As 2025 progresses, marketers must stay nimble, especially with ongoing uncertainties like the TikTok ban. The early wins from Commence, Bumble, and Doritos suggest that brands that prioritize authenticity, lean into cultural moments, and empower their audiences will lead the pack. Platforms like X, where real-time conversations thrive, offer a pulse on what consumers want next—making them a critical tool for refining strategies.
For more on 2025’s game-changing campaigns, read Socially Powerful’s original article or track the latest marketing trends on X. What’s your favorite campaign of the year so far?
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