The Power of Influencer Collaborations – Beyond Simple Product Placement: How to Build a Campaign That Succeeds for Both the Client and the Influencer
Influencer collaborations have come a long way over the past decade, ever since brands first recognised the value and impact of individuals with large, engaged audiences — those who influence and shape their followers’ decisions. Although these collaborations often sit on the borderline between different agency disciplines, we frequently use them as PR tools due to the broad range of opportunities they offer. Recent years have shown that simply placing a product next to a well-known person in a static photo is no longer enough. This approach feels “advertisy,” prompting followers to scroll past. If influencers post too much of this type of content, it can even damage their credibility in the long run.
The key to mutual success is creativity. Both sides need alignment, flexibility and openness to create a result that delivers value for both the client and the influencer. (Consistency is another essential ingredient — working with the same influencers over a longer period helps strengthen results.)
On 5 September 2023, OTP Bank introduced three new wallet applications for its customers: Google Pay, Garmin Pay and Xiaomi Pay — enabling contactless payment via these devices using OTP Bank cards. We wanted to amplify the campaign messages through influencer collaboration as well. We had worked several times with Peti Puskás-Dallos on previous OTP Bank campaigns, and based on our positive experience, we planned to partner with him on this one too. We started with a basic idea, which we further refined together with the influencer agency and indirectly with Peti. This led to the final concept: a joint video featuring Peti Puskás-Dallos and the iconic couple György Korda and Klári Balázs, allowing us to reach both younger and “young-at-heart” audiences.
In the roughly one-minute video, we visit the fictional home of the Korda couple, where Peti plays a butler. A courier arrives and needs to be paid. Gyuri bácsi begins searching the house for money, but the butler steps in and shows him that he can simply pay using an Android phone — no need to look for cash or a physical card.
The video was shared on Peti Puskás-Dallos’s Instagram and TikTok accounts, and on the TikTok and Facebook pages of the Korda couple — covering all key social platforms. The results were impressive on all sides. On Peti’s Instagram, reach, interactions and views were all higher than usual. The video ranked as the 17th most popular piece of content on his channel over the previous three months — an above-average and noteworthy performance, especially in December, typically a period when engagement tends to drop across most platforms. Achieving such strong numbers in that environment speaks for itself. Viewers left comments such as:
“This is such an adorable ad 😂🥰🥰”
“This turned out unbelievably well. You’re geniuses. 👏👏🔥❤️”
This example shows that influencer collaborations truly hold power and potential. With a creative approach, they can deliver win-win outcomes for both the client and the influencer — and it is our job to find, build and guide that connection from start to finish.
