If you’re on the fashion meets thrifting “op shop haul” side of TikTok, you’ll know it’s a niche that’s beloved, ever-evolving and pops off with new content every minute.
A gold mine of inspo for an influencer marketing agency like us, and viewers alike.
For our client Uniting op shops, this meant there was an already primed and scrolling audience just waiting to be inspired… But have high expectations for content to begin with.
In partnership with us (aka. Sticki, influencer marketing agency to the stars) ((all our clients are stars)), Uniting brought to life Sustainable U – a fashion influencer campaign which sought to prove that second-hand doesn’t mean second-best, and it delivered unbelievably.
Uniting’s mission? Simple. Give fashion a second life.
Through their network of op shops across Australia, Uniting wanted trusted voices to show just how good pre-loved style can look and feel. Whether you’re after a velvet blazer, vintage loafers, or a specific Isabel Marant dress you thought you’d only find in your dreams.
But this influencer marketing campaign wasn’t just about uncovering gold on the racks.
It was about identity, creativity, and sustainability. The kind that doesn’t cost the planet (or your wallet) – driving foot traffic into local Uniting op shop locations, elevating brand awareness, and getting people to rethink their retail habits one thrift find at a time.
We’ve said it once, and we’ll happily say it again.
The best influencer marketing campaigns are born through the power of strategic creator and brand alignment – because when this works, it really works.
We cast content creators who don’t just wear their values, they thrift them.
And because op shopping can sometimes feel like looking for the best needle in a needle stack, our creators’ ability to spot a vintage steal from three racks away became almost aspirational. Like if they could turn a mismatched jacket and linen pants into a moment just down the road, maybe I (fellow TikTok user) could too… If I visited Uniting’s op shops.
From “LOVE THIS COLLAB” to “You truly are a thrift master”, this campaign’s comment sections weren’t just positive, they were genuinely thrilled and supportive.
Viewers leaned in, not out, even after they realised they’ve been hooked by a sponsored ad.
Every content piece was natural and completely on-brand, holding attention because they were the type of TikToks and Reels that viewers already consumed on the daily.
By giving content creators a brief that simply asked them to Do Their Thing freely, we built a suite of lo-fi, high-impact videos that spoke directly to their communities.
If you’re familiar with DataSauce, aka. our sister digital marketing agency, then this win with Uniting calls for double the fanfare. As Uniting Vic.Tas is a joint client of ours, we can attest to the fact that when run as Meta Ads, these videos performed so well – too well, actually – that DataSauce’s paid media experts had to switch them off to preserve ad budget. Imagine that.
Viewers’ comments practically wrote this case study. Here are some of our favourites.
“Today’s aim of the game is to thrift my Pinterest board” and as viewers, we are so sat. Charlie takes us on a DIML-style thrift day, showing us her real haul at a real Uniting op shop… Which is expected from the brief, but comparing her finds to the exact inspo she had her sights set on? THAT sells it.
Also proven by her solid 5.56% engagement rate AND saves.
In Charlie’s words herself: “Are you kidding me? This is literally the Pinterest picture.”
All of a sudden, Uniting’s op shop has established itself as a treasure trove of dream pieces, and we’re en route to a store near us.
If you’ve ever doubted the quality of things you’d find at an op shop, Maggie ensures you never will again.
Walking us through her chosen Uniting Op Shop, viewers are BLESSED with “high-quality, unique gems” (verbatim!) and proof that more often than not, you won’t be leaving empty handed. Wrapping her video up with a full fit check of pieces bought exclusively from her single trip to Uniting, Maggie confirms again how good pre-loved style can look and feel.
And the comments? They echo this sentiment exactly: “The Albert Park shop always has amazing high end brands”, “Girl!!! The way I bought a Lullaby Club top from @unitingopshops literally 30 mins ago. Huge win!” and simply “Love Uniting” – Say less.
Another one, thank you! Our content creator Shan takes us on a trip to Daylesford in this one, because if you’ve heard the rumour that regional op shops always have the best goods, you’re absolutely right.
We also love how she’s honed in on the fact that op shops (like Uniting’s) are the perfect testing ground for discovering your own personal style – because just looking at what Shan’s found, it’s hard to disagree.
Some gems WE found? “Such cute pieces!”, “LOVE LOVE LOVE” and “My local op shop could never!” all in the comments.
More comments we loved across the full influencer campaign?
Yes. Yes, it is.
In a world full of sponsored content fatigue, Sustainable U reminds us all that a well-matched collab isn’t just seen. It’s loved, shared, and shouted from the rooftops / comments.
And whether you’re after UGC or influencer partnerships, the best ones never come out of a strict, stringent brief. It’s almost always the product of aligning with content creators and content styles that are already beloved.
Keen to find out what creators or even trends would be best fit for your brand?
We’d LOVE to work that out with you here.
How we gave three juices three distinct personalities (and audiences) by matching each one with niche Aussie influencers who felt made for the brand.