When you line up influencer marketing campaigns 2017 side by side, H&M’s Coachella drop still looks wild. That season, 1 737 brands pushed sponsored content, yet only four campaigns truly broke the noise barrier—think of it as a three‑tier pyramid.
- 203k paid posts at the base
- 1.7k brands in the middle
- 4 absolute stand‑outs glistening on the top
Below you’ll meet those four stars, see why they clicked, and grab ideas you can hijack for your next influencer marketing platform brief.
How we cherry‑picked the winners
- Ran every #ad through an Earned Media Value lens
- Looked for sustained engagement, not single‑day hype
- Mixed cold numbers with a warm, human edit pass
Best Overall — Daniel Wellington (Influencer Marketing Campaigns 2017)
Swedish minimalism, maximum reach.
Snapshot (Dec 1 2017)
- Followers: 3 697 466
- YoY growth: +31 %
- Earned Media Value: $62.8 M
- Organic mentions: 136 627
InfluencerDB’s analysis of 1 737 influencer campaigns in 2017 shows an average ROI of 6.5:1. For every US $1 spent on sponsored content, brands generated an average of US $6.50 in earned media value.
Key moves:
- Discount‑code frenzy turned followers into street reps.
- 439 sponsored posts in November alone – pure frequency power.
Real‑world flavour:
Steal this: Hand creators an easy‑share perk (code, filter, frame) and let repetition do the heavy lifting.
Best Beauty Play – YSL Beauty
High‑fashion lip stain, even higher gloss.
Snapshot
- Followers: 3 377 250
- Growth: +69 %
- EMV: $16.7 M
- Mentions: 27 786
Why it worked:
- Dropped most spend during September Fashion Month.
- Picked editorial‑leaning creators over general lifestyle pages.
Steal this: Sync launches with cultural peaks your audience already binge‑watches.
When you line up influencer marketing campaigns 2017 side‑by‑side, H&M’s Coachella drop still looks wild.
Best Fashion Splash – H&M (Coachella Capsule)
Festival mania meets fast fashion FOMO.
Snapshot
- Followers: 23 803 153
- Growth: +31 %
- EMV: $98.25 M
- Mentions: 245 630
Stand‑out tactics:
- Limited‑edition countdown – every selfie screamed “buy now”.
- Tiered roster: nanos for authenticity, megas for reach.
Steal this: Blend scarcity with multi‑tier creator casting to own both niche and mainstream feeds.
Newcomer of the Year – Paco Rabanne Parfums
From zero to hero on one cinematic push.
Snapshot
- Followers: 57 767
- Growth: +42 786 % (no typo!)
- EMV: $1.39 M
- Mentions: 1 239
Why it popped:
- Compressed spend into a single, moody September burst.
- Video clips looked like arthouse trailers, not commercials.
Steal this: Even baby accounts explode if you funnel budget into one unforgettable story arc.
Takeaways
- Context × Frequency = domination – the Daniel Wellington formula.
- Culture beats calendar – YSL owned Fashion Month.
- Scarcity triggers share‑power – H&M’s festival drop.
- Precision outweighs legacy – Paco Rabanne’s proof.
Curious how your own campaign stacks up?
Run a free Influencer Marketing Audit with us – two clicks, zero credit card.
Drafted between espresso refills, 2017 nostalgia scrolls and an endless chase for fatter social media ROI. Feel free to share – that’s earned media right there.
