Ben & Jerry’s jumps onto the Instagram wave with a photo contest that challenges fans to capture their “euphoria” towards the brand. Winners from around the world are then featured in special Ben & Jerry’s advertising, including local print, bus station placements and billboards that appear near their homes.
The mechanic: a hashtag that turns into local visibility
The idea is straightforward. Fans post Instagram photos that represent “euphoria” and tag them with #captureeuphoria. Ben & Jerry’s curates a set of winners, then brings those images into the real world by placing them as local advertising close to where the photographer lives.
This is hyperlocal out-of-home (OOH) as a reward. Instead of giving people a generic prize, the campaign gives recognition that is geographically personal.
Standalone takeaway: A social contest gets more powerful when the payoff is not only online. It is something the participant can physically encounter in their own neighborhood.
In global FMCG marketing, the strongest social contests create an offline payoff that feels personal, not promotional.
Why it lands: recognition beats “stuff”
Most contests promise products, vouchers, or a one-time win. This one promises status. Your photo becomes the ad. Your community becomes the audience. That flips the usual relationship between brand and fan, and it makes participation feel less like a transaction and more like belonging.
What Ben & Jerry’s reinforces by calling it “euphoria”
By anchoring the idea to a feeling rather than a product shot, the campaign invites more creative submissions and a wider interpretation of what “Ben & Jerry’s moments” look like. The brand gets a stream of fan-made images that reflect joy and personality, and the best of it becomes media.
What to steal for your next community-first contest
- Reward participation with identity, not only incentives. Public recognition can outperform discounts when the brand has true fans.
- Make the submission format native. A hashtag plus a photo is a low-friction action people already understand.
- Close the loop in the real world. If you can turn online creation into offline visibility, the story becomes more memorable.
- Keep the brief emotionally clear. “Capture euphoria” is an instruction people can interpret without overthinking.
A few fast answers before you act
What is Ben & Jerry’s #CaptureEuphoria?
It is an Instagram photo contest where fans post images tagged #captureeuphoria, and selected winners have their photos featured in local advertising near where they live.
Why is the offline ad placement the key twist?
Because it turns participation into public recognition. The reward is visible, personal, and rooted in the winner’s own community.
What makes this different from a standard UGC contest?
Instead of only reposting winners online, it converts fan content into out-of-home and print media, which raises the perceived value of being selected.
What should a brand be careful about with hashtag-based submissions?
Moderation and curation. If the hashtag stream is unfiltered, off-brand or disruptive content can hijack the gallery effect.
How do you measure success for a contest like this?
Track volume and quality of submissions, unique participants, sentiment, earned reach from reposting, and the lift in brand engagement during the campaign window.