Update

We all know that celebrity launches get attention. But attention doesn't convert — credibility does.

Kim K’s new brand, UPDATE, partnered with Aligned Growth to amplify brand awareness and relevance through a large-scale creator gifting initiative, leveraging the power of influence to drive millions of earned impressions and hundreds of pieces of organic content.

The Challenge

UPDATE was entering a highly competitive energy drink market, the challenge wasn't simply introducing the product — it was turning celebrity equity into authentic consumer conversation.

While the co-founder's name generated initial awareness, the brand needed credible third-party validation from trusted creators who could introduce the product to engaged audiences in a way that felt organic and authentic.

The goal of the gifting program was to create widespread awareness, drive relevance, and prove that creator advocacy could extend the brand's reach far beyond its celebrity co-founder.

The Solution

To achieve this, in tandem with paid campaigns, AGM launched a no-strings gifting program targeting 500 Macro+ creators across fitness, lifestyle, sports, wellness, entertainment, and pop culture niches.

We focused on three core levers:

• Strategic Macro Creator Seeding: Rather than relying solely on celebrity visibility, we put product directly into the hands of influential creators with highly engaged audiences capable of shaping consumer perception and purchase behavior.
• Authentic Creator Advocacy: No content obligations. Creators were given the freedom to share only if they genuinely connected with the product, resulting in more authentic endorsements and stronger audience trust.
• Scale-Driven Influence: By activating 500 macro creators simultaneously, we created a network effect where creator conversations amplified one another, transforming product gifting into a large-scale awareness engine.

The Results

The results speak for themselves:

• 4.9M impressions
• 500 creators activated
• 210 posts generated
• 42% organic posting rate
• Millions of consumers reached through trusted creator recommendations

Key Takeaway

Celebrity brands capture attention, but creators drive influence.

This campaign demonstrated that when celebrity equity is paired with strategic creator advocacy, brands can transform awareness into authentic conversation at scale. The combination of relevance, creator trust, and product enthusiasm generated nearly 5 million impressions without requiring a single creator to post.

Want results like this for your brand? See how AGM's gifting programs turn product seeding into measurable influence.