6 Standout Influencer Marketing Campaigns Food & Beverage Brands Nailed

If you haven’t noticed by now, influencer marketing isn’t just a trend—it’s a full-fledged movement, particularly in the food and beverage industry. With an estimated worth of $24 billion in 2024, this powerhouse strategy is expected to grow at a staggering pace, reaching $32.55 billion by 2025. And it’s no surprise, given how food content (hello, drool-worthy photos and viral recipe videos) dominates social media feeds worldwide.

But here’s the real twist: brands aren’t just playing it safe with mega influencers anymore. They're mixing things up by tapping into nano, micro, and macro creators to reach more people, more authentically. Plus, the cross-platform approach? That's a game-changer. Instagram and TikTok are ruling the influencer roost, but why settle for one when you can hit them all?

One brand that nailed this evolving strategy? El Pollo Loco. Ready to find out how their Double Tostada campaign smashed expectations? Keep reading to uncover the delicious details and discover more social media marketing gems from the food and beverage industry!

1. Flavors That Stick: How El Pollo Loco Served Up a Sizzling Influencer Campaign

El Pollo Loco’s Double Tostada campaign didn’t just set taste buds tingling; it turned up the heat on influencer marketing in the food and beverage sector. By leveraging a mix of diverse creators and cross-platform strategies, the campaign delivered mouthwatering results—literally and figuratively.

The restaurant wasn’t just serving food; they were serving up a challenge to disrupt the fast-casual scene with their new Double Tostada. The goal? Create buzz around the menu item, particularly its exciting new Baja shrimp option, while engaging a Gen Z audience passionate about bold flavors and cultural authenticity.

El Pollo Loco knew they needed a campaign that was as flavorful as the dish itself, so they turned to influencer marketing with one mission: to grow brand awareness and drive those delicious sales numbers.

The Strategy: A Recipe for Cross-Platform Success

Later Influence helped the brand scale its influencer efforts beyond the usual 5-10 creators. Instead, El Pollo Loco tapped into a wider range of influencers, from foodies to comedians to lifestyle creators. In total, 20 creators were activated, including @kaylapacheco, @itselisasandoval, @ayyysebas, @asianchowdown, @yurilamasbella, and @jenickalopez, among others.

@keilapacheco El Pollo Loco ❤️ Their double chicken tostada bowl is sooo good!! @El Pollo Loco #elpolloloco #pollopartner #doublechickentostadasalad#cilantrodressing#salad#mukbang#mukbangeatingshow#asmrsounds#foodsounds#foodvideos#eatingvideo#foodie#foodtiktok#bigbites#crunchyasmr#eatingsounds#foodasmr#mukbangeatingshow#eatingshow ♬ original sound - Keila

The aim was clear: engage consumers with creative, relatable content that showcased the versatility and craveability of the Double Tostada, especially its new Baja shrimp variation. The result was a campaign that spanned TikTok and Instagram, bringing fresh content to both platforms.

And with Later’s streamlined approach to influencer sourcing, negotiations, and contract management, El Pollo Loco had the bandwidth to focus on higher-level strategy—think budget optimization and hyper-targeting local creators.

The Results: A Flavorful Success Across the Board

With 39 pieces of content and a whopping 46.7 million impressions, the campaign was nothing short of a record-breaker. The engagement rate hit a solid 2.2%, proving that people were not just seeing the content—they were interacting with it.

Video views soared, brand awareness spiked, and, most importantly, sales of the Double Tostada exceeded expectations. El Pollo Loco’s bold flavors and creative content strategy resonated with consumers, who couldn’t get enough of the new menu item.

Why It Worked: The Power of Diverse Influencers and Platforms

The campaign’s success lies in its strategic execution: a diverse range of influencers, creative freedom, and cross-platform activation. By tapping into both TikTok’s viral potential and Instagram’s visual storytelling, El Pollo Loco ensured their message reached the right audience in the right way.

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2. Instant Fame: How SiuKay’s Influencer-Driven Spicy Challenge Sizzled on Social Media

SiuKay, the new seafood-flavored instant noodle from Acecook Vietnam, found the perfect recipe for success by spicing up their marketing strategy with influencer power. By teaming up with both macro and micro-influencers, SiuKay leveraged the "Brave Challenge" minigame to fire up brand awareness and engage a young, adventurous audience.

And, just like a bowl of their spicy noodles, the campaign was hot, fast, and left a lasting impression.

SiuKay’s primary goal was to break into the competitive instant noodle market and make a splash with the Gen Z crowd, who were riding the wave of spicy food challenges. Targeting young, thrill-seeking consumers (18-24 years old), the brand aimed to create buzz around their affordable, flavorful product that could rival the overpriced, high-end spicy noodle restaurants.

The twist? A minigame, “Thách thức bản lĩnh” (Brave Challenge), that encouraged participants to upload videos of themselves eating SiuKay noodles for a chance to win valuable prizes. But they knew it needed more than just a game to go viral—enter influencer marketing.

The Strategy: Influencer Magic + a Dash of Creativity

SiuKay worked with a mix of macro and micro-influencers to fuel the campaign. These influencers, all with a massive fan base in the 18-24 age range, brought creativity, humor, and relatability to the table.

Instead of simply posting about the noodles, influencers took it a step further by streaming themselves eating the spicy noodles or creating dynamic content that fit seamlessly into their brand. Hashtags like #Siukay and #Thachthucbanlinh were used to tie everything together, with the campaign’s live streams being shared on SiuKay’s fanpage to increase interaction.

Influencers like singer Soobin Hoang Sơn and cartoonists posted across multiple platforms, while vloggers and streamers captured hundreds of thousands of views on YouTube.

The SiuKay “Brave Challenge” didn’t just hit the mark; it exceeded expectations. With influencer-driven content and a fun, interactive game, the campaign brought instant noodles into the spotlight, making SiuKay the talk of the town (and social media).

The Results: Hot Noodles, Hotter Engagement

The result? A full-blown social media storm, with nearly 2 million people reached and over 190,000 engagements. The campaign wasn’t just popular—it was a wildfire, igniting excitement across Vietnam’s major cities like Ho Chi Minh, Hanoi, and Da Nang.

Why It Worked: Influencers as Creators, Not Just Promoters

This campaign exemplifies the power of influencer marketing when done right. By treating influencers as more than just a promotional tool, SiuKay tapped into their creativity, authenticity, and relatability, which traditional advertising couldn’t replicate.

Whether it’s spicy noodles or trendy products, influencer marketing continues to prove that genuine, creative collaborations can outshine the old-school TV ad approach. SiuKay’s “Brave Challenge” didn’t just spice up their noodles—it revolutionized their marketing recipe.

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3. Garage Beermixes: Shaking Up the Flavored Beermix Scene with Influencer Power

In the crowded world of flavored beer mixes, standing out can feel like trying to get noticed at a party full of cocktail enthusiasts. But Garage Beermixes did exactly that with a strategy that’s as refreshing as the product itself.

By tapping into the power of nano and micro influencers, the brand turned a splash into a full-blown wave of awareness, proving that smaller can be mightier when it comes to influencer marketing.

Garage Beermixes wanted to make its mark in the flavored beermix space, and the key to their strategy was simple: engage the right influencers who genuinely loved cocktails and flavored beer. The goal? To get these influencers sharing authentic, real-life experiences with Garage Beermixes to stir up excitement and increase brand visibility.

The Strategy: Authenticity Meets Influencer Engagement

Rather than opting for high-profile celebrities, Garage Beermixes took a smarter, more targeted approach by selecting 150 nano and micro influencers who had real influence within the cocktail and flavored beer niches.

These influencers were not just social media “talkers” but active content creators who regularly engaged with their audience. The core of the campaign involved sending these influencers the product to try, encouraging them to experiment with Garage Beermixes in their daily lives, and then share their experiences online and offline. This authentic, hands-on approach created content that felt as genuine as a bartender’s recommendation.

Key Components of the Strategy:

• Influencer Selection: 150 nano and micro influencers with a passion for cocktails and flavored beers.

• Real-Life Product Experience: Influencers were given the product to incorporate into their daily routines and share real-time experiences.

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A post shared by Cayson Ehlinger (@caysonehlinger)

• Online and Offline Sharing: Encouraged influencers to talk about their experience both digitally and in person, expanding the campaign's reach beyond social media.

The Results: A Recipe for Success

The impact? An impressive 445,000 people were reached through social media, with 86% of the audience expressing a strong purchase intent. Talk about a solid return on investment!

Even more telling, 94% of participants said they’d recommend Garage Beermixes to others—an excellent sign of both product quality and brand trust. Meanwhile, 405 pieces of user-generated content flooded the brand’s social channels, adding credibility and buzz.

Why It Worked: Authenticity Over Celebrity Power

The Garage Beermixes campaign is a textbook example of how nano and micro influencers—those smaller, more relatable voices—can drive big results. By partnering with individuals who genuinely aligned with their product and giving them creative freedom to share their real-world experiences, the brand avoided the “forced ad” vibe and instead fostered genuine connections with their audience.

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4. TrueStart Coffee: Brewing Up Buzz with Influencer Gifting

When it comes to standing out in the crowded coffee market, TrueStart Coffee knew they needed more than just a good cup of joe—they needed an influencer-powered marketing strategy that was as fresh and bold as their beans.

Enter influencer gifting, the perfect blend of authenticity and reach. By strategically leveraging influencers, TrueStart created a storm of awareness and engagement for their lightly caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee, all while highlighting the health benefits of their products.

TrueStart Coffee's main objective was clear: to increase awareness of their healthier coffee options and highlight their caffeine-conscious offerings. With health and wellness continuing to trend upward, TrueStart wanted to appeal to an audience that was both health-conscious and caffeine-savvy. Their target? Coffee drinkers who wanted the flavor without the jitters.

The Strategy: Personalization and Precision

TrueStart took a precise and well-crafted approach, focusing on influencer gifting as their vehicle for reaching the right people. Here’s how they did it:

• Campaign Management: TrueStart set up a personalized, white-label sign-up form to ensure influencers were not only excited about coffee but also aligned with TrueStart’s health-focused brand values. It’s like finding the right coffee beans—only the best made the cut.

• Automated Emails and Discount Code Distribution: Through integration with Shopfluence, TrueStart made it easy for influencers to select and purchase gifts directly from their store. Influencers also received a series of personalized emails containing unique discount codes, content briefs, and posting reminders, ensuring everything was smooth, automated, and on-brand.

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A post shared by Sofia Yakovlieva | Cabin Crew (@sofia.flightdiaries)

• Content Tracking and Monitoring: Real-time performance tracking meant that every piece of influencer content was uploaded to TrueStart’s dashboard, allowing the team to measure reach and engagement in real-time. This allowed TrueStart to adjust and optimize the campaign for maximum impact.

The Results: A Strong Shot of Success

TrueStart’s influencer gifting campaign packed a serious punch, with 70,000 K impressions and 5,000 engagements. With dozens of influencers pushing their lightly caffeinated and decaffeinated brews, TrueStart not only gained mass visibility but also engaged directly with their target audience.

The health-focused messaging was delivered through authentic content, making TrueStart’s coffee feel like a must-try, rather than just another brand pushing a product.

Why It Worked: Gifting with Purpose

What made this campaign stand out? It wasn’t just about sending influencers a freebie and hoping for the best—it was about strategic gifting paired with personalization. TrueStart didn’t just choose influencers who could post pretty pictures; they handpicked creators who aligned with their brand and values.

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5. Voilà’s #Trending2Table: Turning TikTok Trends into Tabletop Triumphs

Voilà, the online grocery delivery service from Sobeys Inc., had a simple but ambitious goal: disrupt the grocery game and stand out in the fiercely competitive market.

But how? By riding the wave of viral food trends on TikTok, that’s how. Enter their #Trending2Table campaign, a bold move that blended the power of TikTok’s #FoodTok community with an ingenious twist, serving up a recipe for success that no one saw coming.

With TikTok quickly becoming the go-to platform for food trends and viral recipes, Voilà needed to capture the attention of millennial consumers who were more likely to trust their next meal inspiration from a TikTok influencer than from a traditional ad.

The goal was clear: leverage the viral nature of #FoodTok to drive both brand awareness and website conversions. But they didn’t just want to follow trends; they wanted to become the brand that helped users bring those trends straight from TikTok to their tables—without the usual delay of making a grocery list.

The Strategy: From TikTok to Table with a Single Tap

Voilà’s approach wasn’t just trendy—it was smart, data-driven, and first-to-market. Here’s how they pulled it off:

• Spark Ads & Creator Partnerships: Voilà partnered with popular #FoodTok creators like @nutrientmatters and @urbansizzle to produce delicious, eye-catching recipe videos that were instantly clickable. With the #Trending2Table concept, Voilà enabled users to click directly from these creator videos to pre-populated carts on Voilà.ca, eliminating the delay in buying ingredients. It was convenience wrapped in a viral moment.

@cut.cake Want to know how to save time without breaking the bank on your next grocery shop? Use @Voila.ca! Voilà is a grocery delivery service you can count on! It’s powered by Safeway and Sobeys so we know the quality of our groceries will be amazing, which gives me a big peace of mind! Voilà also allows you to browse in the way that makes the most sense for you, by item, or through the weekly flyer first! With next day delivery options I can stay home and play with my daughter instead of bringing her to a grocery store! If you haven’t used Voilà before, use code VOILA25LOVE* for $25 off your first order of $100 or more! *Get $25 off your first order when you spend $100 or more at Voilà. Offer expires June 15, 2024. Valid for new customers only. View full T&C’s on voila.ca 
#ad #groceries #voilà #food ♬ Sunshine - WIRA

• Data-Driven Insights: By combining insights from TikTok’s Creative Center and FCB’s Trend Index, Voilà pinpointed emerging recipes before they hit the mainstream, ensuring their products were featured at the peak of each trend.

• Spark Ads for Extended Reach: Using Spark Ads, Voilà amplified the creator-led content, turning organic TikTok posts into powerful, native ads. This seamless integration with TikTok’s platform ensured that the campaign felt native to users, rather than forced advertising.

• Follow-Up Engagement: Once customers received their order, Voilà sent them follow-up emails with the recipe and links back to the TikTok video, encouraging them to share their experience and try new recipes. Talk about full-circle engagement.

The Results: A Recipe for Success

The results were nothing short of extraordinary:

• 8x increase in orders

• 11x increase in new customers

• 200% higher click-through rate compared to the benchmark

• Over 3.4 million views and 40,000 engagements on the creator videos

And Voilà didn’t just win hearts; they won awards, too. The campaign scooped up a TikTok Power of Entertainment award, a Cannes Silver Lion in Social & Influencer, and a Gold in E-Commerce at the Effies. With such impressive results, Voilà proved that blending viral trends with seamless user experiences is a recipe for success.

Why It Worked: The Power of Culture & Convenience

Voilà’s campaign tapped into a cultural moment and capitalized on the fact that TikTok users are eager to try the latest food trends—if they can get the ingredients easily. By eliminating friction and turning trend watching into instant action, Voilà created a viral loop of discovery and convenience. And in the world of food delivery, when convenience meets culture, magic happens.

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6. NotCo Mexico: Planting the Seeds for a Sustainable TikTok Revolution

NotCo Mexico, the plant-based food brand known for its innovative approach to healthy eating, took a bold step in 2023 by embracing TikTok as the stage for its brand awareness campaign.

The mission? To spark curiosity, grow their community, and amplify their message of sustainability—and, boy, did they deliver. In a sea of food trends, NotCo not only stood out but created a viral buzz that resonated across the platform.

NotCo faced the challenge of communicating their brand’s values—innovation, sustainability, and plant-based eating—to a broader audience. While their target was clear (health-conscious foodies and environmentally-minded consumers), their approach was fresh: instead of focusing exclusively on vegans and vegetarians, they cast a wider net.

The goal was to generate curiosity and encourage consumers from all walks of life to ask, "What is NotCo?" To achieve this, they knew they had to tap into TikTok’s hyper-engaged community, drive traffic, and grow their follower base quickly, with an ambitious goal of 100K followers within three months.

The Strategy: TikTok Trends with a Plant-Based Twist

Here’s where NotCo’s strategy really shines—an always-on collaboration with VKNG Agency, a TikTok Creative Partner, and TikTok’s GBS Team allowed the brand to consistently create engaging, authentic content. The plan included:

• Leveraging Trending Conversations: NotCo didn’t just talk about their products—they joined in on TikTok trends, piquing curiosity while promoting sustainability and plant-based eating.

• Cross-Industry Creators: NotCo partnered with two content creators—Eva Quintanilla, a top cooking influencer, and Jimmy, from a completely different vertical—to take their products for a taste test in a fun, disruptive way. The dynamic duo used the slogan “Jimmy, Let’s Put It to the Test” to showcase NotCo's versatility.

@chefquintanilla ¿Alguien dijo hecho a base de plantas? ✨👀 @NotComx #chefquintanilla #NotcoMx #Notco #WhyNot #NotBurger #NotMeat ♬ sonido original - chefquintanilla

• Interactive Campaigns: Through a mix of In-Feed, Spark, Auction, and Reach & Frequency ads, NotCo kept its campaigns interactive, maximizing engagement across the platform while ensuring alignment with their values.

• User-Generated Content (UGC): The brand didn’t just create content—it encouraged users to do the same, blending seamless UGC into the campaign for an even more organic connection with TikTok users.

The Results: From 0 to 300K—And Beyond

NotCo’s TikTok-first campaign exceeded expectations, achieving:

• 17 million views and a massive surge in website traffic.

• 300,000 new followers in just two months.

• 65 million impressions, reinforcing NotCo’s visibility.

• Over 3.5 million likes, proving their content was resonating.

The campaign didn’t just generate numbers—it generated genuine connections. By focusing on values and shared interests (health, sustainability, and innovation), NotCo built a community that not only followed them but also actively engaged with their message. This wasn't just a viral campaign—it was a movement.

Why It Worked: Authenticity + Creativity = Magic

NotCo’s strategy worked because it tapped into the very DNA of TikTok: creativity, authenticity, and community. By staying true to their brand values, embracing trending content, and collaborating with diverse creators, they turned a simple product launch into a viral phenomenon. TikTok’s platform isn’t just for brand promotion—it’s for building real, lasting connections.

And NotCo did just that, proving that sustainability, creativity, and the right platform can truly transform a brand.

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Future-Proofing Your Food and Beverage Brand

Across these campaigns, influencer collaborations, data-driven strategies, and platform-native content proved crucial for success. Brands effectively leveraged TikTok trends, embraced micro and nano influencers, and used real-time data to craft timely, engaging content.

As the industry evolves, brands should continue experimenting with creative partnerships, tapping into viral moments, and personalizing engagement. The future lies in authentic, community-driven connections. Stay ahead—innovate and experiment!

About the Author

Kalin Anastasov

Writer

Kalin Anastasov plays a pivotal role as an content manager and editor at Influencer Marketing Hub. He expertly applies his SEO and content writing experience to enhance each piece, ensuring it aligns with our guidelines and delivers unmatched quality to our readers.