UGC Examples: What Great User-Generated Content Looks Like

Most brands know they should be using UGC. Fewer know what good UGC actually looks like — or how wildly it varies depending on the format, platform, and goal.

This is a breakdown of real UGC examples across different categories, from scrappy TikTok videos to polished ad campaigns built entirely on customer content. Whether you're building a UGC strategy from scratch or just looking for inspiration, these should give you a clear picture of what works and why.

What Counts as UGC?

User-generated content is anything created by real people — customers, fans, creators — rather than by the brand itself. That includes:

• Videos — unboxings, reviews, tutorials, day-in-my-life content
• Photos — product shots, lifestyle images, before/afters
• Text — reviews, testimonials, social media comments
• UGC-style ads — content that looks organic but is commissioned from creators

That last one is where things get interesting. A huge chunk of what brands call "UGC" today is actually creator-made content designed to feel authentic. It blurs the line — and for advertising purposes, that's often the point.

UGC Video Examples That Brands Actually Use

Video is where UGC shines brightest. Here are the formats that consistently perform:

The "Honest Review" Format

A creator talks to camera, holds up the product, and gives their take. No script, no polish, no studio lighting. This format dominates TikTok and Instagram Reels because it mirrors how people naturally share recommendations with friends.

Why it works: It triggers the same trust response as a personal recommendation. Nielsen research found that 92% of consumers trust peer recommendations over branded advertising.

Best for: DTC products, beauty, food, supplements, apps.

The "Get Ready With Me" / Routine Format

A creator integrates the product into their daily routine — morning skincare, workout prep, desk setup. The product isn't the star; it's a natural part of someone's life.

Why it works: It shows the product in context rather than isolation. Viewers see themselves using it.

Best for: Beauty, wellness, fashion, home goods.

The Unboxing

Still effective after all these years. A creator opens the package on camera, reacts to the presentation, and shows what's inside. The key is genuine excitement (or at least genuine curiosity).

Why it works: It combines product discovery with entertainment. The anticipation creates engagement.

Best for: Subscription boxes, premium products, anything with strong packaging.

The Before/After

Especially powerful for products with visible results. A creator documents the transformation — skin improvement, home organization, fitness progress — with the product as the catalyst.

Why it works: It's proof. Not a claim, not a promise — visual evidence.

Best for: Skincare, fitness, cleaning products, home improvement.

UGC Campaign Examples from Major Brands

Some brands have turned UGC into a core part of their marketing engine. Here's what the best campaigns look like:

GoPro Awards

GoPro pays creators between $500 and $5,000 for the best user-submitted photos and videos. The result: over 35,000 submissions per year, with 75% of GoPro's content library being UGC. They've reportedly saved $30 million on production costs.

This isn't a hashtag campaign — it's a permanent content engine. The incentive structure is clear, the quality bar is high, and the best content gets featured across GoPro's channels.

Apple "Shot on iPhone"

Apple invited iPhone users to submit their best photos using the hashtag, then turned the winning shots into billboards, TV ads, and digital campaigns across 25 countries. The campaign generated over 26 million posts and became one of the most recognized UGC initiatives ever.

The genius: Apple didn't need to convince anyone their camera was good. They let customers prove it.

Spotify Wrapped

Every December, Spotify turns listening data into personalized, shareable graphics. Users flood social media with their year-end stats — 120 million shares in 2024 alone. It's UGC by design: Spotify creates the template, users create the content.

The takeaway: sometimes the best UGC strategy is giving people something they want to share about themselves.

Glossier

Glossier built a billion-dollar brand largely on customer content. Their approach: encourage unfiltered selfies with products, repost the best ones, and make customers feel like part of the brand. Over 3 million tagged posts and 70% of sales from referrals tell the story.

UGC Ad Examples: When Customer Content Becomes Paid Media

The fastest-growing use of UGC is in paid advertising. Brands take organic-looking content — either sourced from real customers or commissioned from UGC creators — and run it as ads.

Here's what effective UGC ads look like:

The paradox of UGC ads: the more polished they look, the worse they tend to perform. Audiences have developed sharp instincts for spotting produced content, and they scroll past it.

UGC Content Examples by Platform

Different platforms favor different UGC styles:

TikTok — Fast-paced, trend-driven, personality-forward. Challenges and duets are native UGC formats. The Olipop #SleepyGirlMocktail trend hit 570 million impressions with zero paid spend.

Instagram — More curated than TikTok but still values authenticity. Reels for video UGC, Stories for ephemeral content, feed posts for polished customer photos.

YouTube — Longer-form UGC thrives here. In-depth reviews, tutorials, and comparison videos. Higher production value expected.

Reddit — Text-heavy, brutally honest. UGC here looks like genuine product discussions and recommendations in relevant subreddits. You can't fake it on Reddit.

What Separates Good UGC from Bad UGC

Not all user-generated content is worth using. Here's the quality filter:

Good UGC:

• Feels authentic and unscripted
• Shows the product being used, not just held up
• Tells a micro-story (problem, discovery, result)
• Has decent audio (this matters more than video quality)
• The creator's enthusiasm feels genuine

Bad UGC:

• Obviously reading from a script
• Generic praise with no specifics ("I love this product!")
• Poor audio that makes it unwatchable
• No connection between the creator and the product
• Looks like it was made in exchange for a free sample (and nothing more)

If you're commissioning UGC, the brief matters enormously. A good brief gives creators enough direction to stay on-message while leaving room for their natural style. A bad brief produces content that looks like what it is: an assignment. For tips on writing effective briefs, check out how to brief a video creator.

How to Start Collecting UGC

You don't need a massive campaign to get started:

1. Ask for it. Post-purchase emails requesting a quick video review convert surprisingly well — especially with a small incentive.
2. Create a branded hashtag. Make it easy for customers to tag their content and for you to find it.
3. Feature it. When you repost customer content, others notice and want to be featured too. It's a flywheel.
4. Work with UGC creators. If organic UGC is slow to come, commission it. Platforms like Viralix connect brands with creators who specialize in authentic, ad-ready video content.
5. Build a UGC portfolio of examples to show creators what you're looking for. Reference material makes everything faster.

The Bottom Line

Great UGC doesn't look like marketing — that's what makes it work. The best examples share a common thread: they feel real, they show the product in someone's actual life, and they tell a story (even if it's a 15-second one).

Whether you're sourcing content from customers or working with creators, the goal is the same: content that makes the viewer think "that could be me" rather than "that's an ad."

Start small, be specific about what you want, and let the content do the selling.