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 curating a vintage wardrobe or upcycling pre-loved furniture, Savers is where budget-friendly meets brag-worthy.
But here’s the challenge: the stigma of secondhand shopping. Even with a cultural shift toward sustainability, resale still carries misconceptions. Savers needed to reposition — not just as a place to save money, but as the first choice for style-savvy, eco-conscious consumers.
To shift perception and drive results, Savers leaned into influencer marketing as a performance channel — not just a branding play. The brand recognized that creators who live the thrift life could generate awareness and inspire conversion, especially with Gen Z and younger Millennials who value authenticity over polish.
By activating a network of nano and micro creators across hundreds of U.S. and Canadian locations, Savers transformed everyday stories into scroll-stopping content — delivering 148M+ impressions, low-cost CPMs, and VTRs 3x above goal. These creators didn’t just tell the story of secondhand — they proved it’s a lifestyle that performs.
Through smart, data-backed influencer strategy, Savers is reshaping the resale narrative — showing that secondhand can be sustainable, affordable, and unapologetically cool while driving real business results across the funnel.
The Approach
To reframe secondhand shopping as aspirational instead of an afterthought, Savers went all-in on a bold, performance-led influencer strategy — meeting shoppers where discovery happens: TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. But this wasn’t about chasing likes. It was about creating a high-converting narrative that would drive awareness, reshape perception, and generate real demand.
We paired the right creators with the right moments, deploying a diverse lineup of nano, micro, and mid-tier influencers to bring thrift culture to life through thrift hauls, DIY flips, and styling content that looked native — not sponsored. Every creator was selected not just for aesthetic, but for alignment: mission-forward, community-rooted, and audience-trusted.
This wasn’t a flash-in-the-pan campaign. We built around big cultural moments like Earth Month and National Thrift Shop Day and kept momentum going with evergreen content that slotted seamlessly into the everyday lives of our audience. That mix of timely activation and consistent storytelling helped normalize secondhand shopping — turning it into a habit, not a novelty.
Behind the scenes, we treated influencer content like performance assets. Every post was optimized for multi-use — from paid amplification and retargeting ads to carousels and UGC-style brand touchpoints. By embracing an “always-on” strategy, Savers stayed top of mind and top of feed, even between tentpole moments.
Most critically, everything was driven by data. From influencer selection to format testing to amplification strategy, our team made every move with a performance lens. Because this wasn’t just about changing minds — it was about changing behavior. And that meant putting secondhand shopping on the same performance pedestal as any other retail experience.
Our Strategy
To reposition secondhand shopping and elevate Savers in the sustainability space, we engineered a performance-forward influencer strategy built on authenticity, cultural fluency, and conversion-focused creativity.
Targeted Influencer Partnerships
We handpicked a mix of nano, micro, and mid-tier creators — not just for their reach, but for their resonance. These were creators with high trust equity, delivering not only beautiful content but measurable impact. Their communities didn’t just watch — they clicked, saved, and showed up. By merging relatable storytelling with style-forward thrift content, these influencers turned Savers finds into must-haves, helping redefine thrift shopping as both aspirational and accessible.
Evergreen + Key Moments
We built a dual-track content calendar that married real-time relevance with long-term brand recall. Tentpole activations during Earth Month, Halloween, and National Thrift Shop Day generated spikes in visibility, while evergreen storytelling kept the brand top-of-feed and top-of-mind. This always-on cadence created a consistent flow of high-performing content that drove sustained engagement and conversion.
Content Engineered for Repurposing
This campaign didn’t just make content — it made assets. We optimized every thrift haul, upcycle reel, and “shop with me” TikTok for cross-platform amplification. Whether repurposed as paid ads, layered into CRM flows, or extended into organic retargeting sequences, these assets stretched Savers’ media dollars further and delivered results well beyond the first scroll.
Sustainability at the Core
Savers’ mission wasn’t just mentioned — it was baked in. Through DIY tutorials, thrift flips, and upcycle challenges, we spotlighted sustainability as a lifestyle, not a trend. This helped us align with values-driven shoppers and position Savers as a catalyst for both personal expression and environmental impact.
Data-Led Optimization
Performance metrics guided every pivot. From influencer selection and post timing to format mix and paid support, we continually refined our approach in real time. The focus? Drive impressions. Boost video retention. Maximize ROI. And build a scalable system where creators weren’t just storytellers — they were revenue-driving brand partners.
The result?
A performance engine disguised as a community campaign — turning influencers into ambassadors, shoppers into loyalists, and secondhand shopping into a lifestyle that performs.
Post Types
TikTok
Videos
In-Feed Posts
Stories
YouTube
Videos
The Big, Beautiful Highlights
Savers’ foray into influencer marketing wasn’t just a campaign — it was a rebrand in motion. Over the past two years, strategic influencer activations have become the engine behind the brand’s “Be Thrift Proud®” message — fusing sustainability, creativity, and style into content that doesn’t just resonate… it performs.
In 2024 alone, influencer-led content delivered 88.1 million impressions, reinforcing a visibility legacy that continues to surpass projections. But performance wasn’t limited to reach — this campaign consistently turned attention into action.
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In 2023, Instagram and TikTok engagement rates climbed as high as 11%, fueled by high-impact cultural moments like Halloween and National Thrift Shop Day. These weren’t just seasonal spikes — they were tactical tentpoles that activated creators and communities.
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Evergreen content sustained that momentum with engagement rates 83% above industry benchmarks, proving that thrift storytelling can drive performance year-round, not just during awareness pushes.
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Creators generated more than 1,977 unique content assets, transforming everyday thrift hauls and DIY challenges into a scalable media library. One thrift flip alone delivered impressions 650% higher year-over-year, turning creativity into click-worthy results.
We didn’t stop at organic traction. A sophisticated allowlisting strategy enabled us to amplify top-performing posts through paid media — and it paid off:
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CPMs were 33% more efficient than industry averages, with several campaigns outperforming even aggressive paid benchmarks.
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Savers built a robust library of influencer-generated and user-generated content (IGC + UGC) that extended the campaign’s lifespan across multiple channels — from social to paid to email.
Savers didn’t just drive awareness — it shifted perception and behavior. By working with influencers who embodied the values of sustainability, individuality, and creativity, the campaign turned thrift content into conversion content, making secondhand not just smart… but stylish, modern, and massively shareable.
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.
At The Shelf, we create the blueprint that drives results for brands and inspires the industry. Ready to see what we can do for your brand?Let’s talk.
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