Top 10 successful brand ambassador partnerships
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Brand ambassador partnerships are a powerful digital marketing tool that you can utilise to increase reach, boost audience engagement and ultimately generate more sales.
A brand ambassador is someone who represents, advertises and promotes a brand, whilst also holding and supporting the brand’s values. When you choose the ‘right’ brand ambassador that aligns with your brand identity, shares a similar target audience and holds significant influence, you can achieve brand growth, increased sales and so much more. In this blog, I have detailed the importance of brand ambassadors and broken down 10 of the most successful brand ambassador partnerships.
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Why are brand ambassador partnerships important?
Brand ambassadors help form a connection between a brand and its target audience. Brand ambassador partnerships are important because they increase the likelihood your audience will resonate with your brand; the more your audience resonates and engages with your brand, the more likely they are to purchase from you.
It is important to remember that people trust people; brand ambassadors can help increase brand trust and credibility by humanising a brand and sharing genuine brand-related experiences.
Although we often think of brand ambassadors as ‘famous’ people, not all brand ambassadors are Olympic athletes, award-winning singers or Hollywood actors, brand ambassadors can be unpaid fans of a brand who choose to promote the brand in their content. Brand ambassadors can also be company employees; especially in the B2B industry.
Having an influential figure represent your brand is an effective way to make your brand stand out in a crowded market. Brand ambassadors not only grab the immediate attention of the user but they can also maintain user attention, which is crucial in building customer loyalty and engagement. Those with large followings themselves also help increase brand awareness by spreading the word to their fans.
Let’s explore some of the most successful brand ambassador partnerships and why they worked so well.
Top 10 successful brand ambassador partnerships
1. Gary Lineker as a brand ambassador for ‘Walkers’
Walkers struck gold when they partnered with football legend Gary Lineker back in the 1990s. The brand’s family-friendly, playful identity was mirrored in Linkekar’s charismatic, relatable and entertaining persona. Since becoming Walker’s brand ambassador, he has appeared in over 150 advertisements and success followed due to his genuine love for the product shining through the promotions.
By partnering with one of the most well-known and loved England football players, Walkers were able to significantly increase their visibility and credibility within the industry.
Although it’s been over 20 years since the partnership was formed, Walkers and Gary Lineker are still closely intertwined in the minds of consumers; that’s a sign of a very successful brand ambassador partnership.
Walkers Crisps - Welcome Home (1995, UK)2. Molly Mae as a brand ambassador for ‘Pretty Little Thing’
Shortly after rising to fame on ITV’s Love Island in 2019, reality star Molly Mae signed a £500,000 deal to become a Pretty Little Thing brand ambassador. As both Molly Mae and Pretty Little Thing share a similar target audience, she was a smart choice for the fashion company. Molly also held a strong (and ever-growing) social media presence, so she was an effective brand ambassador for increasing awareness and generating sales; many of her collections sold out within 24 hours.
The partnership strengthened when she was announced as Pretty Little Thing’s ‘Creative Director’ two years later. By keeping Molly Mae as a pivotal brand ambassador, Pretty Little Thing was able to utilise her influence consistently and stand out from competitors.
Although the partnership has now come to an end, Molly Mae’s legacy at Pretty Little Thing can’t be forgotten.
Image source
3. George Clooney as brand ambassador for ‘Nespresso’
Who knew Coffee and Hollywood could work so well together? Well, Nespresso did.
Since 2006, A-lister George Clooney has been Nespresso’s brand ambassador and the partnership has seen significant success. As both Clooney’s and Nespresso’s identities are aligned, e.g. they both represent sophistication, class and elegance, the partnership makes sense to consumers and further illustrates the premium nature of the product.
Nestle have been criticised for their environmental record, so by employing George Clooney, an influential figure known for his commitment to environmental sustainability, the brand can showcase its improvements and counter any criticisms. This goes to show a brand ambassador goes beyond just spreading awareness.
As a global icon, Clooney can resonate with audiences across the globe, which is useful for the coffee brand that is sold all over the world. By maintaining a strong brand ambassador, Nespresso has fostered a strong brand identity in return, helping the brand to stand out and stick in consumers’ minds.
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4. Jennifer Aniston as brand ambassador for ‘Aveeno’
Actress Jennifer Aniston has been associated with the Aveeno brand since 2013, when she became an official spokesperson for them. Aniston not only promoted the benefits of the brand in adverts but also shared real-life experiences of using Aveeno as a teen. By promoting the brand in magazines and interviews, Aniston is increasing brand awareness, credibility and trust.
Given the media’s focus on Aniston’s natural beauty and appearance throughout her career, it makes sense that Aveeno would choose her to represent their skincare line that uses natural ingredients to improve consumer’s skin. This is another example of how brand identity and ambassador identity need to match up and align to make sense to the audience and achieve success. Aveeno even told Us Weekly ‘Jennifer’s holistic approach to life and her natural beauty are a perfect match for Aveeno’.
Get the benefits of a spa facial, while you sleep.5. Francis Bourgeois as brand ambassador for ‘The North Face X Gucci’ collaboration
You likely watched Francis Bourgeois spotting trains during lockdown – at least most of the world did anyway. He became a TikTok star almost overnight and two of the biggest fashion brands saw this opportunity and took it. They employed Bourgeois as a brand ambassador for ‘The North Face X Gucci’ collaboration in 2022.
At first, it might seem confusing why major fashion brands would choose a trainspotting TikTok star to represent their brand, but it was a really clever move from The North Face and Gucci. Bourgeois was in peak popularity within Gen Z and as Gen Z is becoming the generation with the largest spending power, it was a smart decision to increase engagement and awareness of the collaboration.
By striking whilst the iron was hot, The North Face and Gucci were able to leverage the popularity of Bourgeois to support their campaign goals.
@gucci All aboard! 🚂 @Francis Bourgeois for TheNorthFacexGucci. @Highsnobiety @thenorthface #AlessandroMichele
6. Serena Williams as a brand ambassador for ‘Nike’
At the age of 21, Serena Williams had already become a household name and one of the biggest sports fashion brands quickly snapped her up and the multi-million dollar partnership was formed.
As a brand ambassador, Williams not only promoted Nike products whilst playing in some of the biggest tennis games but her outfits became iconic. Not only that but she featured in several Nike campaigns that focused on female empowerment within the sports industry.
By choosing a strong influential female who is associated with success and feminism, Nike was able to maintain a long-lasting partnership with Williams and use her influence to promote the brand.
Nike | AQKA | Never Done Evolving Feat Serena7. Beyonce as a brand ambassador for ‘Pepsi’
Pepsi has had some extremely influential brand ambassadors; most recently Pepsi made premier league football player Jack Grealish their latest brand ambassador. However, one of the most iconic Pepsi brand ambassadors is none other than the queen herself: Beyonce.
She became the new face of Pepsi in 2002, in the hope that she would bring in a new and more diverse audience to the Pepsi brand. She was not only a spokesperson for the brand but had a huge amount of creative control within this partnership.
From music videos to photoshoots to Pepsi cans with Beyonce’s face on them, this brand ambassador partnership was mutually beneficial for both Pepsi and Beyonce.
For Beyonce, it was another way to promote her music and express her creativity and for Pepsi, well, it’s a no-brainer; having the biggest star on the planet promote your brand can’t be a bad thing.
8. Numerous expert athletes as brand ambassadors for ‘Gymshark’.
Gymshark’s brand ambassador strategy is a key driver of success for the business. The fitness brand partners with real athletes who have a strong following and high engagement rates, not only that the ambassadors must be aligned with the brand in terms of credibility and vision.
Gymshark brand ambassadors are named ‘Gymshark athletes’ and some big names include Francis Ngannou (UFC Heavyweight champion) and Katie Taylor (The two-weight world boxing champion). By having real expert athletes use and promote their products, Gymshark is reinforcing credibility and building brand trust with their audience.
The Gymshark experts also build buzz online when new products launch which is a helpful sales tactic for the brand.
Katie Taylor as a Gymshark Athlete. Image source
9. Kylie Jenner as a brand ambassador for ‘Kylie Cosmetics’
Despite Kylie Jenner owning the Kylie Cosmetics business, she also acts as a powerful brand ambassador; this is a perfect example of how a personal brand can support brand growth and vice versa.
Kylie is the biggest champion for Kylie Cosmetics, promoting her products consistently to her large social media following and appearing in ads/packaging for products. You might be thinking ‘But it’s her brand, of course, she is going to champion it’ and you’re right – you would hope all business owners believe in what they sell but Kylie goes one step further. She uses her personal social media influence to showcase products, build buzz for new launches, teach people how to use the products and engage with her online community.
By being so active with all parts of the business, Kylie has established a loyal customer base and strong brand trust. Her famous family also act as brand ambassadors for Kylie Cosmetics and features in certain promotions, driving more engagement and reach.
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10. Emma Chamberlain as a brand ambassador for ‘Vogue’, ‘Louis Vitton’ and ‘Cartier’.
In 2019, Gen Z megastar was announced as Louis Vitton’s latest brand ambassador. This was a breakthrough for the brand ambassador industry as it was the first time a YouTuber had partnered with a major luxury fashion brand. Chamberlain not only wore Louis Vitton pieces at public events but also appeared in digital content for the brand. Cartier and Vogue soon followed suit and partnered with Chamberlian a couple of years later.
Of course, Chamberlian’s huge social media fanbase was a benefit to these luxury brands but there were several more reasons these partnerships were formed. Her relatability and humour bridged the gap between high-end, luxury brands and consumers. As her authenticity shines through in her content, this is then reflected in the brands associated with her. She is also known for being fresh and up-to-date in the world of fashion which further aligns with a brand’s goals to stay relevant.
It was a smart decision from the three brands as they were able to reach a whole new audience and interweave into the pop culture industry.
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