Sportswear, Auto, and Hospitality: Influencer Marketing Trends for 2025

In 2024, influencer marketing continued to dominate brand strategies across the sportswear, hospitality, and automotive industries. These sectors innovatively harnessed the power of influencers, from athletes and celebrities to lifestyle creators, to engage audiences, build trust, and drive revenue. As we step into 2025, these successful trends provide valuable insights into the evolving landscape of influencer marketing.

This comprehensive review of 2024's standout creative influencer marketing campaign examples offers lessons for brands aiming to thrive in 2025. We’ll explore how each industry leveraged influencer marketing and what trends 2025 might bring for brands looking to maximize engagement.

Sportswear in 2024: Dominance Through Athlete Partnerships

The sportswear industry leaned heavily on authenticity and performance-focused messaging, which resonated strongly with their target audiences. Athletes emerged as the industry's most influential partners on social media, contributing 56% of the total visibility or Earned Media Value (EMV) and demonstrating the power of connecting product stories with real-world performance.

Successful 2024 Trends:

• Athlete Centric Campaigns

Athletes accounted for over half of the industry's EMV, with brands like Adidas ($741M EMV) and Nike ($415M EMV) leading the way. Partnerships with sports icons such as LeBron James showcased how top-tier athletes lend credibility and aspirational value to products.

Emerging athlete influencers were also a focal point, with brands seeking long-term relationships to grow alongside rising stars.

• Mega Influencers Driving Visibility

Mega-influencers accounted for 79% of the industry’s total EMV, proving the value of partnering with large-scale creators.

• Niche Product Positioning

Campaigns focused on elite product performance, such as cutting-edge running shoes or apparel designed for extreme conditions, resonated deeply with engaged audiences.

What to Expect in 2025:

• Increased Investment in Emerging Athletes: Brands will prioritize younger, rising athletes for long-term partnerships.
• Focus on Sustainability: Eco-conscious product collaborations will be at the heart of trends for 2025 in sportswear.
• Regional Micro-Influencers: Expect brands to invest in platforms for influencer marketing to discover regional creators with high engagement rates and small but dedicated followers.

By using an influencer marketing platform like Lefty.io, brands can track KPI goals for influencer marketing campaigns, ensuring partnerships deliver measurable success.

Hospitality in 2024: Influencer-Driven Experiences

The hospitality industry in 2024 went beyond traditional promotions, transforming influencer marketing into an essential tool for curating immersive experiences. Influencers played a pivotal role in promoting luxury destinations, with 79% of the industry’s EMV coming from high-impact travel influencers, celebrities, and lifestyle creators.

Successful 2024 Trends:

• Celebrity Partnerships:

Zendaya’s collaboration with Bulgari Hotels serves as one of the most creative influencer marketing campaign examples for the hospitality industry, driving the highest amount of visibility of any other hospitality campaign and proving the effectiveness of celebrity-led activations.

• Cross-Industry Campaigns:

The Kerzner Group’s partnership with Balmain exemplified how blending industries (e.g., fashion and travel) can create innovative marketing moments.

What to Expect in 2025:

• Immersive Digital Experiences:

Hospitality brands will use AR/VR to engage audiences in new ways.

• Personalized Micro-Influencer Activations:

Brands will focus on hyper-niche creators instead of relying solely on large influencers.

• Sustainability & Wellness-Focused:

Expect an increase in influencer partnerships promoting eco-conscious resorts and wellness retreats.

Automotive in 2024: Blending Culture and Technology

The automotive industry made a significant impact in 2024 by integrating influencer marketing with cultural trends, digital storytelling, and high-profile collaborations. Mercedes-Benz and BMW stood out by blending automotive excellence with lifestyle marketing.

Successful 2024 Trends:

• Cultural Event Partnerships:

Mercedes-Benz’s Electric G-Class launch event featured Travis Scott and Kendall Jenner, an activation aligned with sustainability and pop culture.

• Fashion Collaborations:

The partnership between Mercedes-Benz and Moncler Genius highlighted how blending industries enhances brand perception.

• Content for the Digital Age:

Social-first video content, such as Kendall Jenner’s promotional video for Mercedes-Benz, engaged audiences on Instagram and TikTok.

What to Expect in 2025:

• Sustainability Storytelling:

Campaigns will increasingly focus on electric vehicles and sustainability-focused influencers.

• AI-Driven Personalization:

Expect 2025 trends to include AI-powered influencer selection for highly targeted campaigns.

• Younger Audience Targeting:

Automotive brands will work with younger digital creators to reshape brand perception.

By utilizing an influencer marketing platform, automotive brands can track key metrics for influencer campaigns to ensure ROI-driven partnerships.

Key Takeaways for Influencer Marketing in 2025

Across all three industries, influencer marketing trends in 2025 will build upon 2024’s successes. Here’s what brands should prioritize:

• Cross-Industry Collaborations:

Blending fashion, sportswear, hospitality, and automotive creates fresh storytelling opportunities.

• Data-Driven Influencer Discovery:

Using a platform for influencer marketing like Lefty.io ensures brands find high-impact creators who align with their messaging.

• Authenticity Over Reach:

More brands will invest in micro-influencers who generate authentic engagement.

• Sustainability and Purpose-Driven Campaigns:

Eco-conscious partnerships will be a key focus in 2025 trends.

Conclusion: Future-Proof Your Influencer Marketing with Lefty

In 2024, the sportswear, hospitality, and automotive industries proved that influencer marketing is indispensable to brand strategy. By embracing creative influencer marketing campaign examples, leveraging cross-industry collaborations, and staying attuned to cultural moments, brands achieved unparalleled visibility and engagement.

For brands looking to stay ahead in 2025 trends, an influencer marketing platform like Lefty is essential. Lefty.io enables businesses to:

 ✔️ Discover high-impact influencers
✔️ Track KPI goals for influencer marketing campaigns
✔️ Analyze key metrics for influencer campaigns
✔️ Optimize campaign strategies based on real-time data

As influencer marketing evolves, brands that leverage the right tools will remain competitive and continue to drive measurable success.