Instagram shoots for cultural change

Drawing on star power, Instagram’s latest campaign with Uncommon Creative Studio is as much about celebrity as it is about everyday users’ use of the + symbol.

Instagram, the Meta-owned social media giant, has launched ‘Anyway’, coinciding with the platform’s 15th anniversary.

Crafted by Uncommon Creative Studio, the campaign aims to inspire users to overcome self-doubt. Featuring talents like Tyler, The Creator, Rosalía, Cole Bennett, and Slawn, the ads have already clocked in over 5 million views on their debut short film alone.

The push is part of Instagram’s efforts to reclaim its position as the premier platform for creative expression.

A creator pep talk

The ’Anyway’ campaign kicks off with a heartfelt short film starring Tyler, The Creator, who delivers an unscripted pep talk to a young creator named Trinity from the Bronx. In the ad, Trinity shares her fears about posting her work, a sentiment that resonates with 70% of college students who report mental health challenges like anxiety, according to a U.S. News and World Report survey.

Tyler’s advice? “You’ve got to be okay with looking crazy”. The message being to embrace vulnerability and share your art.

Instagram’s CEO, Adam Mosseri, echoed this mission: “I want Instagram to be a place where you can overcome self-doubt, and just make it, share it, do it anyway.”

The film, drawn from a live Q&A with young creators, sets the tone for a campaign that celebrates authenticity over perfection. Other featured creators, including singer Rosalía, photographer Nadia Lee Cohen, and director Cole Bennett, also contrbute, each having leveraged Instagram to build their careers.

The campaign will roll out globally across Reels, Stories, and Instagram’s channels over the coming weeks, with additional activations planned throughout 2025.

New features for creativity

The message of Instagram’s ads is consistent with some new features. Trial Reels, previously limited, are now available to all users, allowing creators to test content with non-followers before posting publicly.

Users can also reorder their photo and video grids for greater creative control and share music directly to Notes via Spotify integration. Additionally, Instagram launched Edits, a standalone AI-powered video editing app, marking its first major foray into dedicated creative tools.

The idea here is to promote a shift toward “low-pressure” posting, encouraging spontaneous, authentic content over polished perfection.

Instagram reports a 20% increase in Trial Reels usage since the campaign’s debut, with Edits garnering 100,000 downloads in its first week.

The campaign’s emphasis on mental health and creative confidence has also resonated, with 30,000 user-generated Stories tagged #Anyway, per Instagram’s internal data.

Our take

Unlike Instagram’s earlier campaigns, such as the ‘Shot on iPhone’ collaboration with Apple or its 2020 focus on Reels to compete with TikTok, ‘Anyway’ marks a pivot toward emotional resonance and creator empowerment.

The use of the + icon is very ‘Uncommon’, reflecting the agency’s obsession with minimalism and saying more with less.

While previous Instagram efforts often emphasised technical prowess, like showcasing high-quality visuals or new formats like Stories and Reels, the new ads are more about a cultural shift.

2019’s ‘Explore Your Creativity’ campaign typified its old style, promoting Instagram’s filters and editing tools, focusing on aesthetic perfection and broad appeal. In contrast, ‘Anyway’ prioritises vulnerability and authenticity, addressing the psychological barriers to posting rather than just the tools to do so.