Best Influencer Marketing Projects in 2021

With the rapidly growing social media networks, 2021’s first quarter has brought scores of attention-getting influencer-marketing campaigns. However, only a small number of these campaigns really stand out from the crowd. As influencers and brands continue to make plans for social media campaigns, we have compiled  some of the top influencer-marketing campaigns in Q1 of 2021 that created a buzz around brands:

Benefit Cosmetics Virtual Debut

Known for its larger-than-life experiences, Benefit Cosmetics launched They’re Real! Magnet mascara with a virtual event. To support the promotion of this new mascara, Benefit debuted the Benefit Eyelash Factory on February 18 and invited influencers from all over the world to a virtual event on its website. Influencers who entered the site with their e-mail addresses and countries were welcomed with six rooms at the Lash Factory, where they could try the new mascara with AR, use Benefit’s custom Instagram Filter or access a live assembly-line game.

Aiming to make its virtual flagship event as interactive as an IRL event, Benefit also organized meet-and-greets for its debut with 6 influencers, including Noor Stars, who has 9.6 million Instagram followers.

While Benefit officials did not disclose the exact cost of They’re Real! Magnet’s virtual debut, they stated that it cost much less in a real-life experience.

It is also worth noting that They’re Real! Magnet’s debut was not Benefit’s first AR experience. Back in 2018, the brand teamed up with digital makeover specialist Modiface, introducing the “Brow-Try-On” tool that allowed users to try different eyebrow shapes on their faces.

Steph Toms x OFRA

In February, YouTuber and influencer Steph Toms, known for her love for the highlighter, launched a brand-new highlighter in collaboration with OFRA Cosmetics. While this was Steph Toms’ first collaboration with the brand, the new highlighter, Milk & Cookies, soon sold out. – Not just once, but exactly 3 times on both OFRA Cosmetics’ website and BeautyBay, an online retail website for cosmetics!

Charli D’Amelio x Dunkin’

16-year-old TikTok star Charlie D’Amelio, who created her own custom coffee drink called “The Charli” for the Dunkin menu in September last year, once again partnered with the coffee chain in February 2021.

Available in Dunkin stores since February 24, the content of this new caffeinated beverage called “The Charli Cold Foam” isn’t much different from “The Charli” – a Dunkin’ Cold Brew with three pumps of caramel, but this time with Sweet Cold Foam and cinnamon sugar on top. Known for her love of Dunkin beverages, Charlie posted a TikTok that has more than 26 Million views to promote this new drink. She also holds up a Dunkin drink in many of her videos even when she is not promoting the brand.

The collaboration is successful in terms of numbers but it also raised some concerns on parents. As Charlie’s audience is mostly kids and teenagers, the collaboration is questioned on whether it’s ethical or not to sell such a sugary drink to this age group.

MrBeast Burgers

The closure of sit-down restaurants due to the pandemic led to the rise of a brand-new concept called “ghost kitchens”.

In its simplest sense, Ghost Kitchens are delivery-only cooking spaces. Businesses that want to get rid of big expenses rent these kitchens for a certain period of time in different ways. The most important reason for its use is, of course, low cost.

Restaurants that currently only offer take-away services have turned to the shared Ghost Kitchens to get rid of rent, logistics and many other items.

The latest ghost kitchen? Mr. Beast Burger in collaboration with “Virtual Dining Concept”.

Jimmy Donaldson, known for his YouTube channel MrBeast, which has 51.6 million subscribers, has now opened a chain of restaurants selling various types of burgers in the USA. The partnership with MrBeast not only resulted in thousands of dollars worth of food sales, but it accelerated the trend of “ghost kitchens,”. At the moment, MrBeast has sold over more than 1 million sandwiches, and owns 300 ghost kitchens.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow App

It’s no secret that the beauty industry has boomed as a result of social media’s unstoppable rise. As a result, brands are now competing using content marketing, influencers and digital platforms to market their products. One of the brands that use this power to the fullest is undoubtedly Anastasia Beverly Hills.

Making a bet on an app based on the patented golden ratio shaping method of its founder and CEO Anastasia Soare in early March, the brand seems to know how to take advantage of what the virtual world offers.

Consisting of 8 key features, the brow app allows users to identify the correct eyebrow shape and gives suggestions and beauty tips for creating the suggested look. Also known for many successful influencer projects in the past, the brand has partnered with YouTuber James Charles and TikTok star Abby Roberts this time for the promotion of the app. Both James and Abby shared a video on TikTok on how they do their eyebrows with the new Brow Freeze, and their videos received more than 10 Million views in total.

@abbyrobertshow i do feather brows with @anastasiabeverlyhills #anastasiabeverlyhills #anastasiabrows #ad♬ original sound – Abby Roberts

Developed with two undisclosed partners, the application took 8 months to create. However, it seems that the app will continue to improve in the upcoming period. Within a two-month period, the desktop version of the application, which is currently only available on Android and iOS, is planned to be released. In addition, until the third quarter, new interactive features are expected to be introduced along with products such as complexion, lips and eyeshadows.


Which of these influencer projects do you find most successful? Do you know of any other campaigns not included in the list? Tell us what you think in the comments section below and don’t forget to follow us on social media!

With the rapidly growing social media networks, 2021’s first quarter has brought scores of attention-getting influencer-marketing campaigns. However, only a small number of these campaigns really stand out from the crowd. As influencers and brands continue to make plans for social media campaigns, we have compiled  some of the top influencer-marketing campaigns in Q1 of 2021 that created a buzz around brands:

Benefit Cosmetics Virtual Debut

Known for its larger-than-life experiences, Benefit Cosmetics launched They’re Real! Magnet mascara with a virtual event. To support the promotion of this new mascara, Benefit debuted the Benefit Eyelash Factory on February 18 and invited influencers from all over the world to a virtual event on its website. Influencers who entered the site with their e-mail addresses and countries were welcomed with six rooms at the Lash Factory, where they could try the new mascara with AR, use Benefit’s custom Instagram Filter or access a live assembly-line game.

Aiming to make its virtual flagship event as interactive as an IRL event, Benefit also organized meet-and-greets for its debut with 6 influencers, including Noor Stars, who has 9.6 million Instagram followers.

While Benefit officials did not disclose the exact cost of They’re Real! Magnet’s virtual debut, they stated that it cost much less in a real-life experience.

It is also worth noting that They’re Real! Magnet’s debut was not Benefit’s first AR experience. Back in 2018, the brand teamed up with digital makeover specialist Modiface, introducing the “Brow-Try-On” tool that allowed users to try different eyebrow shapes on their faces.

Steph Toms x OFRA

In February, YouTuber and influencer Steph Toms, known for her love for the highlighter, launched a brand-new highlighter in collaboration with OFRA Cosmetics. While this was Steph Toms’ first collaboration with the brand, the new highlighter, Milk & Cookies, soon sold out. – Not just once, but exactly 3 times on both OFRA Cosmetics’ website and BeautyBay, an online retail website for cosmetics!

Charli D’Amelio x Dunkin’

16-year-old TikTok star Charlie D’Amelio, who created her own custom coffee drink called “The Charli” for the Dunkin menu in September last year, once again partnered with the coffee chain in February 2021.

Available in Dunkin stores since February 24, the content of this new caffeinated beverage called “The Charli Cold Foam” isn’t much different from “The Charli” – a Dunkin’ Cold Brew with three pumps of caramel, but this time with Sweet Cold Foam and cinnamon sugar on top. Known for her love of Dunkin beverages, Charlie posted a TikTok that has more than 26 Million views to promote this new drink. She also holds up a Dunkin drink in many of her videos even when she is not promoting the brand.

The collaboration is successful in terms of numbers but it also raised some concerns on parents. As Charlie’s audience is mostly kids and teenagers, the collaboration is questioned on whether it’s ethical or not to sell such a sugary drink to this age group.

MrBeast Burgers

The closure of sit-down restaurants due to the pandemic led to the rise of a brand-new concept called “ghost kitchens”.

In its simplest sense, Ghost Kitchens are delivery-only cooking spaces. Businesses that want to get rid of big expenses rent these kitchens for a certain period of time in different ways. The most important reason for its use is, of course, low cost.

Restaurants that currently only offer take-away services have turned to the shared Ghost Kitchens to get rid of rent, logistics and many other items.

The latest ghost kitchen? Mr. Beast Burger in collaboration with “Virtual Dining Concept”.

Jimmy Donaldson, known for his YouTube channel MrBeast, which has 51.6 million subscribers, has now opened a chain of restaurants selling various types of burgers in the USA. The partnership with MrBeast not only resulted in thousands of dollars worth of food sales, but it accelerated the trend of “ghost kitchens,”. At the moment, MrBeast has sold over more than 1 million sandwiches, and owns 300 ghost kitchens.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow App

It’s no secret that the beauty industry has boomed as a result of social media’s unstoppable rise. As a result, brands are now competing using content marketing, influencers and digital platforms to market their products. One of the brands that use this power to the fullest is undoubtedly Anastasia Beverly Hills.

Making a bet on an app based on the patented golden ratio shaping method of its founder and CEO Anastasia Soare in early March, the brand seems to know how to take advantage of what the virtual world offers.

Consisting of 8 key features, the brow app allows users to identify the correct eyebrow shape and gives suggestions and beauty tips for creating the suggested look. Also known for many successful influencer projects in the past, the brand has partnered with YouTuber James Charles and TikTok star Abby Roberts this time for the promotion of the app. Both James and Abby shared a video on TikTok on how they do their eyebrows with the new Brow Freeze, and their videos received more than 10 Million views in total.

Developed with two undisclosed partners, the application took 8 months to create. However, it seems that the app will continue to improve in the upcoming period. Within a two-month period, the desktop version of the application, which is currently only available on Android and iOS, is planned to be released. In addition, until the third quarter, new interactive features are expected to be introduced along with products such as complexion, lips and eyeshadows.


Which of these influencer projects do you find most successful? Do you know of any other campaigns not included in the list? Tell us what you think in the comments section below and don’t forget to follow us on social media!