Brands are leveraging outside-the-box personalities to stand out as influencer marketing becomes increasingly competitive

Earlier this year, mattress brand Saatva leveraged influencer partnerships to make a bigger push in the fitness world when it announced Team USA’s multi-year Olympic Games sponsorship, coinciding with the company’s 15th anniversary.

For the upcoming Milano Cortina 2026 and the Winter Paralympics, Saatva is launching a full campaign with Team USA members. As part of the sponsorship, Saatva provides the team members with mattresses, bedding and pillows. The collaboration will continue until the Los Angeles Summer Games in 2028.

Shari Ajayi, PR director at Saatva, said the sponsorship of Olympic athletes is part of an effort to introduce the brand’s restorative sleep ethos to a wider audience. “Our brand meets the different needs of our consumers, and one type of ambassador cannot always embody all of these things,” she said.

Working with athletes goes beyond Saatva’s typical affiliate program partners, which have traditionally been those in the interior design and wellness space.

“We’re showing how different people can represent different parts of Saatva’s DNA, so it felt like a natural fit,” Ajayi said. She added that the company chose Team Saatva members based on their ability to demonstrate how “sleep unlocks your superpower.”

In August, Saatva unveiled its first Olympic ambassador, gold medalist cross-country skier Jessie Diggins. “The announcement was also in line with the opening of our store in Edina, Minnesota,” Ajayi said, which ties in with Diggins being a Minnesota native.

“These athletes are ordinary people, but they can also perform at this amazing level,” Ajayi said. “And they know that sleep is a very important part of their training and recovery routine.” Currently an ambassador for Team USA starring Saatva’s ads feature Paralympic snowboarder Brenna Huckaby, who talks about the importance of sleep in her busy routine.

Quynh Mai, founder of creative strategy and cultural intelligence firm Qulture, said the shift in influencer marketing is driven by the changes social media platforms have undergone in recent years, following the lead of TikTok. TikTok’s algorithm has allowed everyday people to go viral in recent years as they organically showcase their favorite products, hacks, or dupes. This is a big shift, from the polished Instagram influencer content that dominated feeds for years to a more organic look and feel in line with TikTok content.

“Video views are no longer driven by follower count, but by engagement, and for brands that means entertainment,” said Mai. To gain organic insights, brands have turned to partnering with talent ranging from comedy sketch artists to reporters and creative directors. “The traditional fashion and beauty influencers, with their outfits of the time, are no longer breaking the algorithm,” Mai said.

As an example, Mai mentioned the recent campaign for the Johnnie Walker X “Squid Game” collaboration, which Qulture worked on. To promote the Netflix show’s collaboration with the Scotch whiskey brand, The campaign chose to give gifts to creators like Janelle C. Shuttlesworth, who co-hosts the Sneaky Leak podcast, which covers the intersection of sneakers and pop culture. Shuttlesworth excited told followers that the gift card, which also included a Puma X “Squid Game” tracksuit, was her first unboxing video. Although Shuttlesworth is not a food and drink creator, she was chosen to promote the collaboration based on her love of discussing film and TV fandoms, which she often weaves into her sneaker content.

The legwear brand Hue will be released this fall partnered with dancers from Moves NYC to promote the “Color that Move You” collection. The campaign runs on social media platforms TikTok and Instagram and on out-of-home billboards and screens.

Julia Townsend, president of Hue parent company Kayser-Roth, said: “Working with Moves NYC was a way to merge culture, dance and our collection that stood out far beyond our social channels.”

“Hue’s collaboration with dancers through standard influencers reframes style as expression,” said Townsend. At the same time, it is a natural fit, as many dancers wear tights during their dance rehearsals or classes. “They don’t just wear color, they bring it to life through movement and show how color and confidence come to life in movement,” she said. As an ode to its roots, the company also chose to collaborate with a dance school. Hue was founded in 1978 and started selling satin ballerinas.

Townsend said this campaign’s strategy was also intended to help Hue stand out amid a sea of ​​”get ready with me” influencer content, which many fashion brands are turning to to showcase their pieces. In the ‘Color that Moves You’ campaign, Hue shows how its tights, leggings and socks survive rigorous movements. The video spots also show dancers mixing and matching Hue’s colorful tights with their practice outfits.

Meanwhile, a major focus for supplement brand Amplifye is expanding its selection to include more diverse makers from outside the fitness space.

Amplifye sells a supplement that claims to help with protein absorption; in turn, it can compete with protein bar brands, clothing companies, wearable startups and more to achieve a fitness influencer partnership.

“When we launched Amplifye, we focused on wellness influencers to build broad awareness around protein absorption,” said Courtney McHugh, Chief Commercial Officer at Amplifye. That gave the company broad reach in the top funnel. “But over time we realized we needed a more nuanced approach,” she said. “Now we’re working with makers who represent the full range of people who can benefit from better protein intake.” That includes practicing nutritionists, vegan makers, and women who are currently going through menopause.

“For example, Dr. Felice Chan is a practicing nutritionist who will integrate AmplifyeP24 into her educational content,” McHugh said. Remy Park, a vegan creator, talks to her audience about protein deficiencies in plant-based diets and how AmplifyeP24 can help. “There will also be campaigns with Denise Austin, who represents women who are active seniors.” McHugh said the company is expanding this strategy to creators with different lifestyles and a range of age groups, from busy millennials to perimenopausal women.

Ajayi said that in general, brands like Saatva are increasingly trying to think outside the box when it comes to who would make a great affiliate partner. “They may not be the first person you think of representing the brand,” Ajayi said. “And we hope that the success of the people we support is enough to warrant Saatva being part of their organization [Olympic] travel.”