Be Thrift Proud®.
The Brand
Savers (or Value Village if you’re Canadian) isn’t just a thrift store—it’s a movement. With its “Be Thrift Proud®” mantra, the brand champions sustainable shopping while making style and creativity accessible to everyone. Whether you’re revamping your wardrobe or upcycling furniture, Savers is the destination for budget-friendly finds that feel good and do good.
But here’s the challenge: the stigma of secondhand shopping. Despite growing interest in sustainability and thrifting, Savers faced the uphill battle of rebranding secondhand as stylish, modern, and mainstream. They needed to move beyond being “just a thrift store” and position themselves as the go-to destination for creative, eco-conscious shoppers.
That’s where influencer activations came in. Savers recognized that relatable, authentic voices could tell their story better than any ad campaign. By partnering with influencers who live and breathe the thrift life, Savers aimed to normalize secondhand shopping, connect with younger audiences, and reshape how people view resale.
With hundreds of locations across the U.S. and Canada, the brand’s mission is clear: make secondhand first choice. And through influencer-driven storytelling, Savers is showing shoppers how secondhand can be sustainable, affordable, and unapologetically cool.
The Approach
To reframe secondhand shopping as aspirational rather than an afterthought, Savers leaned into a bold influencer strategy designed to meet shoppers where they already were—on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. This wasn’t just about getting likes or shares; it was about building a movement.
The campaign focused on pairing the right voices with the right moments. A diverse lineup of nano, micro, and mid-tier influencers brought thrift culture to life through compelling content like thrift hauls, DIY transformations, and styling videos. By collaborating with creators who embodied their mission, Savers ensured every piece of content felt authentic and engaging—something that traditional ads could never achieve.
But this wasn’t just a one-off activation. Savers combined big cultural moments, like Earth Month and National Thrift Shop Day, with evergreen storytelling that seamlessly tied thrifting into everyday life. The result? A steady drumbeat of fresh, relatable content that normalized secondhand shopping and made it feel like a natural choice for eco-conscious and style-savvy consumers alike.
Behind the scenes, the team maximized the impact of influencer-generated content by treating it as a core asset. Posts were optimized for repurposing, ensuring that a single thrift flip or fashion reel could live on as a paid ad, a social post, or even a carousel. This “always-on” approach helped Savers stay visible and relevant while building momentum over time.
Most importantly, every decision was guided by data. From which influencers to partner with to how content was distributed, the campaign was laser-focused on achieving Savers’ goal: to change the narrative around thrift shopping and position secondhand as a stylish, sustainable first choice.
Our Strategy
To reshape perceptions of secondhand shopping and amplify Savers’ voice in the sustainability conversation, we designed a strategy that revolved around authenticity, relatability, and creativity.
Targeted Influencer Partnerships: We focused on building relationships with nano, micro, and mid-tier influencers—creators whose audiences see them as trusted sources for inspiration and ideas. By blending storytelling with style, these influencers turned Savers’ products into coveted finds, helping to position thrift shopping as both aspirational and accessible.
Evergreen + Key Moments: Our strategy balanced big cultural moments, like Earth Month and Halloween, with always-on evergreen content. This approach ensured a consistent drumbeat of visibility and allowed Savers to tap into timely conversations while staying relevant year-round.
Content Built for Repurposing: We didn’t just create posts; we created assets. Every piece of content was optimized for reuse, from Instagram Reels that doubled as allowlisted ads to TikToks that sparked new engagement on other platforms. This helped Savers maximize their investment and extend the campaign’s reach far beyond a single moment.
Sustainability at the Core: At every step, the strategy emphasized Savers’ commitment to sustainability. DIY projects, thrift flips, and upcycling challenges were woven into the campaign, aligning with audience values while spotlighting the brand’s mission.
Data-Driven Execution: We monitored performance metrics closely, refining tactics in real time to ensure the campaign met its goals. By focusing on impressions, engagement, and content creation, we built a strategy that didn’t just meet benchmarks—it set new ones.
The result? A campaign that turned influencers into ambassadors, shoppers into advocates, and thrift shopping into a movement.
Post Types
TikTok
Videos
In-Feed Posts
Stories
YouTube
Videos
The Big, Beautiful Highlights
Savers’ journey into influencer marketing wasn’t just a campaign—it was a redefinition of what it means to thrift. Over the past two years, influencer activations have helped Savers amplify its “Be Thrift Proud®” message, blending style, sustainability, and creativity to reach audiences where they’re most engaged. The 2024 campaign alone achieved 88.1 million impressions, building on a legacy of visibility that has consistently exceeded expectations.
In 2023, the campaign delivered engagement rates as high as 11% on Instagram and TikTok, driven by standout moments like National Thrift Shop Day and Halloween. These cultural milestones weren’t just dates on the calendar; they became rallying points for influencers and audiences alike. Evergreen content, on the other hand, kept the conversation going year-round, achieving engagement rates 83% above industry benchmarks.
Beyond visibility, the campaign tapped into the power of community. Influencers created over 1,977 unique pieces of content, turning thrift hauls, upcycling challenges, and styling videos into a treasure trove of reusable assets. This content not only drove awareness but also positioned Savers as a leader in secondhand creativity, with highlights like thrift flips achieving impressions 650% higher year-over-year.
The campaign’s allowlisting strategy also broke new ground. Paid promotions amplified influencer posts, delivering cost-per-thousand impressions (CPM) rates 33% more efficient than industry benchmarks. Add to that a growing base of user-generated content (UGC) and influencer-generated content (IGC), and Savers’ campaigns became a textbook case of how brands can extend the lifecycle of their content.
Savers didn’t just move the needle; it transformed the conversation around secondhand shopping. By leaning into influencers who live and breathe sustainability, the campaign showed that thrifting isn’t just smart—it’s stylish, modern, and worth sharing.
Influencer Highlights
Melissa T. of @threadobsessed
Melissa’s carousel content on Instagram didn’t just perform—it dominated. Achieving a jaw-dropping 60.06% engagement rate (14x the benchmark!), her posts celebrated the magic of thrift finds through dynamic storytelling and styling. Melissa’s ability to showcase thrifted pieces as must-haves turned her carousels into campaign gold, creating assets that Savers reused long after the campaign wrapped.
Melissa G. of @theglobalghanagirl
When it comes to Instagram Stories, Melissa G. reigned supreme. Her audience engagement soared to 274%, with content that blended homey charm and in-store exploration. Melissa’s “find-and-style” approach made Value Village feel both aspirational and accessible, resonating deeply with followers and proving that secondhand is always in style.
Beth of @bjonesstyle
Beth brought the “What I Thrifted vs. How I Styled It” concept to life with a relatable flair that resonated on Instagram Reels. Her top-performing posts reached over 111K impressions, landing above the 90th percentile for sponsored content. By styling thrifted treasures in chic, everyday looks, Beth turned sustainable shopping into an art form.
Some of Our Favorite Campaign Videos
To really put the icing on the cake, each influencer created polished step-by-step videos explaining their recipe in detail. These were great for brand repurposing goals!! (Not to mention, great for their followers too.)
Kara of @smallmuseum_
Kara’s Instagram Reels embodied the perfect mix of creativity and sustainability. With 30.2K impressions, her content invited followers into the world of thrifting and styling, showing how pre-loved fashion can feel fresh, exciting, and completely on-trend. Kara’s storytelling struck a chord with a generation embracing secondhand shopping.
Shavonne
Shavonne took the thrift flip trend to new heights, especially with her home decor content. Her creative vision turned overlooked items into stunning upcycled masterpieces, consistently driving engagement on Instagram. Shavonne’s ability to transform secondhand finds into enviable decor pieces made her a perfect fit for the Savers campaign.
Tanieka @thisborrowedhome
Tanieka Harris is a home decor enthusiast who brings warmth and creativity to her content. In the 2022 campaign, her engaging posts garnered 316,624 impressions and 34,860 engagements, highlighting her ability to connect with audiences through her unique style. Tanieka’s knack for transforming thrifted items into stylish home pieces made her a standout contributor to the campaign’s success.
Bold ideas. Cultural relevance. Data-first strategies.
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