• by Larissa Faw , December 7, 2015

Many fashion brands tap trendsetting social media influencers to generate buzz for their digital campaigns, but the new Instagram-centered campaign from Aldo is going in a slightly different direction by using creative influencers from outside of the fashion industry to show that "inspiration is everywhere."

Developed by digital agency Kettle, the #InspiredxAldo campaign features four popular personalities that showcase their talents in festive holiday projects. For instance, chef and food stylist Karen Mordechai shows a step-by-step process of how to transform a holiday dessert into "something inspired." And floral designer Brittany Asch creates exotic mistletoe.

Each influencer was selected for their following as well as their respective talent. Still, numbers don't necessarily determine these influencers' inclusion. While Mordechai has more than 252,000 followers and photographer Paul Octavious has 547,000 fans, Asch claims just 33,000 and home decor designer Leta Sobierajski has 54,000.

"We started by looking to Aldo's contemporary-cool style and history of putting an inspired spin on the latest footwear trends," says Chris Gilbert, social media manager, Kettle. "Then from there, we sought creators with a shared sensibility who could envision a more inspired take on holiday classics. We also felt it was important to remember that many well-dressed consumers don’t necessarily live and breathe 'fashion culture,' so we wanted to work with creators rather than fashion influencers to reach a less tapped portion of the market."

Meanwhile, a complementary sweepstakes awards $250 Aldo gift cards to those who tag messages to these Instagram posts. 

The campaign aims to reach the U.S., UK and Canadian markets, though thanks to the global nature of social media, its reach is likely to be larger than these three regions. "We’ll likely reach people from all over the world, given the social fan base. We see comments in a great variety of languages," says Gilbert. 

And although the concept is designed to reach both new consumers as well as diehard fans, "we certainly prioritized reaching shoppers who are less familiar with Aldo," says Gilbert. "After all, most hardcore fashionistas who are up on the trends already know Aldo."

Meanwhile, this holiday edition serves as the latest iteration of the “Inspiration is Everywhere” brand platform that launched this year. The social media-centric project relies on "talented people" to help promote the Aldo brand. 

This is Kettle's first campaign with Aldo; the relationship was established earlier this year.