Sign in with Google Conventional marketing wisdom has long held that brand-building and performance are two separate lanes. But with YouTube, any brand — from emerging challengers to established leaders — has the power to create and convert demand across the customer journey. That’s because advertisers on YouTube don’t just address shoppers about to buy; they address customers in every mindset.
To unpack how some of the fastest-growing brands on YouTube got to where they are, we took a look at three campaigns that redefine creative effectiveness in storytelling as we know it. Each one proves the urgency of showing up where potential customers are, no matter how close to a purchase decision they might be.
Repetition doesn’t spoil the pitch
They say that familiarity breeds contempt, but the opposite is true of creators. For their audiences, familiarity fosters trust. That’s why sun care brand Supergoop hired YouTube creator Liza Koshy to be its “Chief Super Officer.”
Yes, Koshy is charismatic and funny, and the storylines are memorable (sunscreen-filled sunglasses, anyone?). But when Koshy’s fans respond with comments like, “This reminded me I need to buy another bottle,” it’s clear that there’s something else at work. The creative isn’t just entertaining; it’s driving sales.
YouTube creator Liza Koshy reminds viewers of all the ways she has advanced the cause of sunscreen use in Supergoop’s “Feel Super” campaign.
Together with agency Within, Supergoop rolled out an awareness-building Video view campaign that delivered a high frequency of three placements per day, culminating in a hero spot just before peak sun season. This strategy yielded a 93% increase in brand searches for Supergoop’s trademarked “glowscreen” and a 55% increase for “supergoop.” The team also reported increased efficiency in conversion rate and average order value.
What does this prove? First, it shows that awareness can have a direct impact on growth metrics that matter. The team credited frequency as a core ROI driver. But cadence is only half the success story. Supergoop’s choice of partner is just as important, since Koshy has spent years earning viewers’ trust. Moving forward, Supergoop plans to make YouTube the primary pillar of its video strategy.
A healthy foundation (for building brand equity)
After years of accelerated growth, hair care company Olaplex faced an obstacle familiar to any challenger brand: creating demand and building long-term equity. With a critical rebrand approaching, the company saw an opportunity to shift away from its typical performance-focused approach.
In partnership with agency VaynerMedia, Olaplex adopted a YouTube-first approach to get eyes on its new ad campaign. “Designed to Defy” featured celebrated figures in fashion, entertainment, and sports, along with their hair stylists.
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Actor Nicola Coughlan and her hair stylist appear in Olaplex’s vibrant, high-energy brand film, “Designed to Defy.”
With its confident tagline, “A healthy foundation for endless possibilities,” and a new look and feel, the brand film announced a new era for Olaplex. For the company’s media partner, the task was to make sure the right people saw it at the right times.
By pairing Video reach campaigns with Demand Gen, Olaplex’s marketing team created a seamless end-to-end experience across the customer journey, one that simultaneously built awareness, fueled consideration, and reignited brand demand. The campaign delivered measurable lift across campaign objectives, including a 5.4% increase in ad recall and 93% Search Lift for “olaplex.”
The takeaway? Building a brand isn’t separate from driving performance. It’s a feature of sustained growth.
From football fans to EV buyers
As a disrupter in the automotive space, Lucid needed more than awareness to achieve its business outcomes. It sought to grow its share of the electric vehicle market and build momentum for the launch of its new Gravity SUV. To meet that challenge, Lucid and its agency partners Redsnap and Giant Spoon turned to one of the most emotionally engaged audiences out there: sports fans.
Their bet was that this enthusiastic fandom would share Lucid’s passion for high performance — and high adrenaline. They ran the ad against live NFL games, clips, and highlights where they knew attentive viewers would be watching.
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Timothée Chalamet stars in Lucid’s “Driven,” directed by “Ford v Ferrari” director James Mangold. The ad featured stunts by the team behind the film.
By combining these strategic placements with efficient auction tactics like Video reach and Video view campaigns, Lucid was able to scale its message and create measurable demand. The company saw a 96% increase in Search Lift for the Gravity SUV, 255% relative Search Lift for their brand, and 130% more car purchases year over year in the first half of 2025 alone.
In short, Lucid was able to earn cultural relevance and close deals with the same brand campaign.
So next time you’re deciding where and how to reach your most receptive audiences, think strategically about storytelling. Optimize for the platform, whether that means partnering with a YouTube creator, upping your campaign cadence, or lifting and shifting a brand film. Today’s complex customer journey offers a host of new opportunities for brands to connect with shoppers at every stage.
