Welcome to the first edition of a new newsletter series spotlighting 10 “top 1%” owned posts from recent months. (February and March editions coming very soon.)

Because the top 3–5% of posts drive up to 90% of total owned engagement, analysing the very best content is one of the fastest ways to understand what winning content looks and feels like today.

The 10 posts below have been selected not just for scale (engagement), but also for brand impact (we exclude posts that primarily benefit partners over the brand itself) and creative distinctiveness (we exclude safe, overused formats).

Click any thumbnail to watch the post and explore a deeper analysis.

1 - Jellycat: Things that come with a little sister

Jellycat humanises its plush characters by placing them in high-friction sibling scenarios, such as bathroom queuing and noise complaints. This narrative choice transforms the product from a static toy into a protagonist with a psychological history. The visceral punch comes from the "Timmy Smiled" reveal at the end; brand fans know the character as "permanently grumpy," and connect the dots when they realise that only a sibling can break his shell.

A top viewer comment: “How does Jellycat know what me and my sister be doing!?” (30k likes)

2 - Pepsi Super Bowl 2026

Pepsi revives the Pepsi Challenge by dramatising the gap between label loyalty and actual taste. The therapy-room setup gives the idea instant tension, while the bear’s “breakthrough” becomes a playful stand-in for the audience’s own brand habits.

The ad also benefits from strong cultural contrast: viewers actively compare it to Coca-Cola’s criticised 2025 AI Christmas campaign, making Pepsi’s crafted CGI and live-show finale feel more human, more entertaining, and more authentic by comparison.

Pepsi vs Coke Sentiment Tally:

3 - TruFru x Neace Robinson

TruFru wins by letting Neace Robinson’s viral persona lead the entire ad. By preserving her low-fi countdown, familiar rhythm and unpolished style, the brand removes the usual friction of branded content and makes the post feel native to her community. The real payoff isn’t product discovery — it’s communal pride. Viewers see the campaign as a (once) underdog creator finally getting her corporate moment, and reward TruFru for making it happen. In that sense, the product becomes less of a feature and more of a way for audiences to vote for her success.

"Y’all laugh but she laughing to the bank😭😭😭" (495.4K likes)

We called out the power of working with underdogs last year in this newsletter: doing so helps position the brand as a benefactor rewarding grassroots creativity. This dynamic remains true the in 2026.

4 - Madonna x D&G The One (big production, costly)

Dolce & Gabbana taps into its long-standing association with Madonna to reclaim a sense of iconic Italian glamour. Instead of polished, high-definition visuals, the brand leans into grainy, 90s-inspired film aesthetics — a deliberate choice that helps the content stand out in-feed. Madonna is positioned as the central character: her sighs, stillness and commanding poses make the product feel timeless and cinematic. That grit gives the film stopping power, while reconnecting the brand to the bold, high-drama energy that once defined it.

5 - UGG x New product Launch (cost effective, savvy)

UGG hunts its own footwear using high-intensity paparazzi flashes. The video sequences adult shoes and immediately places "baby" versions in front to form a lineup. Rhythmic shutter clicks and strobe lights physically stop the viewer. This staging forces parents and fashion fans to decode a family-matching narrative. By hiding the lineup behind secondary phone screens, the brand transforms a simple product drop into a "leaked" cultural event.

"im too broke but they are so cuterr" (37,500 likes)

6 - The Essence Vault Social Team challenges The Boss

The Essence Vault makes a sales target feel like a mutiny - at very low cost! By casting the doubtful boss as the villain and inviting viewers to prove him wrong, the brand turns a routine ask into a mini uprising. One tap becomes an act of solidarity. Instead of promoting a product, the post recruits people into a story — one where they’re backing real employees against real authority. That’s the unlock: when a brand feels human, specific and slightly rebellious, engagement stops feeling like marketing and starts feeling like participation.

7 - Huda Beauty: Easy Bake Pressed

Huda Beauty transforms a long-standing product complaint into a brand triumph. The shift from loose powder “mess” to pressed powder “filter” gives the audience something more powerful than novelty: it gives them closure. That emotional payoff is amplified & validated by a high-authority cast.

Fast, rhythmic edits and polished, high-saturation visuals then push the innovation beyond utility, repositioning it as a premium upgrade with real cultural heat. The result is a launch that rewards historical engagement, proves the brand is listening, and turns a practical fix into a high-desire event.

"You actually listened to us 😭 I’m buying ten" (12,405 likes on Instagram)

“Her advertisement is on a next level” (60k likes on TikTok)

8 - Predator or F50 - Choose one! (Adidas)

Adidas engineers a rivalry powerful enough to pull two football communities into active participation. By placing two star athletes in direct opposition, the brand replaces passive viewing with tribal decision-making: the audience is no longer just watching the post, they are choosing sides within it, which expands comment interactions, reach.

9 - Lego introduces SmartPlay

LEGO triggers a visceral clash by mimicking a Silicon Valley product launch. The video uses high-fidelity X-ray CGI and sci-fi "whirring" sounds to signal "The Future," but it fails to define the "Now." This ambiguity creates a narrative gap that the audience fills with fear. Viewers connect the dots between "Smart Play" and the "death of creativity," leading to the existential dread reflected in the comments. The "GPT" and "GTA6" comparisons show that the audience views this as a corporate attempt to "stay relevant" in a way that feels cold and clinical.

The audience senses a threat to the "imagination" contract. If the brick is "smart," is the child "dumb"? This narrative gap forces parents and collectors to defend the sanctity of the plastic block against what they perceive as "Hawkins Lab" style tech-meddling.

What if you could actually explain what it actually is and how it works! (26,742 likes)

10 - NAK Hair: Gen Z vs Millenial office lighting

The post succeeds by tapping a Relatable Truth Made Personal regarding a mundane office habit. By framing lighting preferences as a generational divide, NAK Hair turns a simple office snapshot into a cultural statement on employee autonomy and comfort.

How the post could have better integrated the brand: While the post builds brand bond, adding a brief shot of a "chill" NAK hair product being used in the dim Gen Z lighting would bridge the gap from "lifestyle" to "product relevance".

11- bonus: Scrub Daddy gets a 3D-printed toy

Scrub Daddy turns a household sponge into a character people want to root for. By borrowing the 2000s “Yep, that’s me” movie trope, the brand gives the product instant personality — then lands the joke with an outrageous visual payoff that feels just inappropriate enough to stop the scroll. That tension between polished corporate setup and ridiculous reveal is exactly what makes it work. Viewers stop seeing a cleaning tool and start seeing a brand bold enough to be in on the joke, which turns amusement into comments, shares and real purchase intent.

If there are any posts you’d like us to analyse and include in future monthly recaps, do reach out.

January Owned Honourable mentions (not included because not especially new)

Red Bull Flug Tag in Denmark (nearly 4m engagement)

Nike Sportswear x Lalalisa (around 3m engagement)

Liquid Death x elf Cosmetics: the sequel (around 300k engagement)