Instagram is arguable THE platform for brands right now. According to a SocialBakers survey, Instagram is CRUSHING Twitter in terms of engagement. You’re seeing brands like Nike, Starbucks and Adidas with MASSIVE communities on Instagram.

And, we’re seeing some brands using Instagram in all sorts of interesting and interactive ways with their customers.

That’s what I want to talk about today: The interesting new executions brands are implementing to use Instagram to interact with their audiences.

Nordstrom uses rooftop Instagram installation to promote sale

Our biggest sale of the year deserves a really big @instagram post! #NSale #instaphoto #seattle #drone

A video posted by Nordstrom (@nordstrom) on

According to this Mobile Marketer post, Nordstrom used a visual of an Instagram post featuring a 55-foot dress on its corporate headquarters in Seattle. They then took video/photos of the installation via drone and then shared those pics and videos on Nordstrom social media channels. All to promote a summer sale. Fun, smart way to promote a sale that most likely happens every summer.

Whiskey maker created Insta-zine

Ballantines

Interesting concept here from whiskey-maker, Ballantine’s. The Insta-zine! One part Instagram project, one part digital magazine. Users are encourage to click on each photo (and its tag) from its @w_issueone account to dive into deeper digital stories on whiskey. Not sure if this is the future of Instagram, but it’s an interesting concept. And, kudos to Ballantine’s for giving something new and different a try (I may dive into this one in greater detail in a future post).

Target using Instagram clues to style dorm rooms

Target IG

Leave it to the Bullseye to use Instagram and Facebook data to build the perfect dorm room! Yep–that’s what Target it up to this fall. Interesting way to use the DATA from Instagram to point customers to products that work for them.

Forever 21 turns customer pics into Instagram mosaics

Forever 21

Not sure I’m really buying the effectiveness of this tactic, but it is different. And, it is a creative execution. Essentially, what Forever 21 did was create a 2,000-pound, 11-foot high “thread screen” that turns pics posted by customers/friends with the #Forever21ThreadScreen tag into complex-looking mosaics. The weird part: The “thread screen” sits inside the agency’s office that created it (Breakfast). It does create the “thread screens” and post them to this site: http://f21threadscreen.com/. But, I can’t get over the fact that it’s sitting inside the agencies walls–and NOT in or outside a Forever 21 store. Seems odd.

TOMS gives away 1 million shoes to children in need via #WithoutShoes campaign

TOMS IG

In May, TOMS started the #WithoutShoes campaign (nice recap over on Jay Baer’s blog here). It’s goal: To give away 1 million shoes to children in need by asking people to share a pic of their feet and tag it with #WithouShoes. For every pic posted with the hash tag, TOMS will give one pair of shoes to a child in need. Outstanding cause marketing campaign. And, judging from the 358,599 pics using the #WithoutShoes hash tag on Instagram, I’d say it was a smashing success!

Gap starts micro-video series on Instagram to promote Dress Normal campaign

Gap started what has been described as a “micro-video series” between Jenny Slate (Marcel the Shell creator) and actor Paul Dano (no idea who that is, but I’m sure he’s famous and hits their target market). It’s an interesting approach–much like those “webisode” series’ that were so popular a few years back (PSFK has a nice recap here). Since the series is somewhat built on the cliffhanger model, it encourages viewers to check back each week–nice way inspire repeat views. And, each video features a different style or item from the Gap spring line (not surprisingly, of course). Interestingly–just glancing at Gap’s Instagram account, the video series’ generally generated LESS likes/comments than those “everyday” posts in its feed. Hmm….

Land Rover’s Instagram accounts take you inside National Parks

Land Rover IG

Land Rover created two new Instagram accounts (@solitudeinsawtooth and @brotherhoodofwonderstone) that attempt to give followers an “epic panorama” (as described by Fast Co.writer Dan Solomon in this recap post of pretty fantastic outdoor environments. Creative? Yes. Effective at advancing key marketing goals? That one I’m not so sure. I’m still not sure I understand why Land Rover made the panoramas in landscape view. The only way to see the whole thing is by visiting either one of the main IG pages. It is cool to see the whole panorama–I won’t lie. But, since it’s in landscape view, you have to turn your phone. And, the videos leave MUCH to be desired. They seem disjoined and provide little context to the bigger picture. And, of course, all the little pics that make up the big pic provide ZERO value or context. Again, seems like a big “creative agency project” to me.