12 real UGC examples worth copying in 2026

Most UGC example roundups show you a wall of pretty brand campaigns and leave you thinking “cool, but I’m not Apple.”

I’ve spent years helping store owners collect and show customer content, so this list is different.

Every example below is sorted by the type of UGC it is. For each one, I’ll show you the brand doing it well, then exactly how a normal store can copy the idea without a big budget.

None of these are the same brands I covered in my UGC for ecommerce guide, so you’re getting a fresh set of ideas here.

The main types of UGC, explained

User-generated content is anything a real customer makes about a product instead of the brand making it. A review, a photo, a video, a tagged Instagram post, an unboxing clip. If a buyer created it, it counts.

The examples people usually search for fall into a handful of types. Here’s the quick version before we get into the brands:

• Photo reviews. Customers posting pictures of the product on real product pages.
• Video and unboxing. Short clips of people opening or using what they bought.
• Hashtag campaigns. A branded tag that gathers customer posts in one place.
• Testimonials and before-and-afters. Results-driven content, big in beauty and fitness.
• Community and lifestyle. Content that turns buyers into a group people want to join.

I’ll walk through each type with a brand that does it well, and the move you can copy underneath.

Quick note on why this matters: Nielsen found 92% of people trust content from other shoppers more than ads.

Also worth reading: a plain-English look at social proof in ecommerce and why customer content sells.

Photo review examples

This is the most useful type for a store, because the content sits right on the product page where people decide to buy. It answers the fit and size questions your copy can’t.

1. Aerie (#AerieREAL)

Aerie stopped retouching its photos and started featuring real customer bodies through #AerieREAL. Shoppers see the actual fit on people who look like them, not just models.

How to copy it: ask for a photo with every review request, and show those photos on the product page. Nothing sells clothing like seeing it on a real body.

2. Alo Yoga (#AloInspiration)

Alo Yoga asks customers to share yoga and workout photos with #AloInspiration, then features them across social and its site. Shoppers see the fit and movement on real people, not studio models.

Try it yourself: for activewear or anything worn on the body, real customer photos show how the piece actually fits and moves. That answers the question a studio shot can’t.

Also see: practical tips on how to get photo reviews from your customers.

Show customer photos on your product pages

WiserReview collects photo reviews automatically and displays them right where people buy, with widgets that match your store. Free plan to start.

Try WiserReview free →

Video and unboxing examples

Video is the fastest-growing type of UGC because it shows the product actually working. Unboxing clips in particular capture the exact moment someone is most excited.

3. Stanley

Stanley turned a plain tumbler into something people talked about everywhere. Customers posted stories and clips of their cups surviving car fires and keeping ice for days, and the brand reshared them.

One viral clip of a Stanley surviving a car fire pulled millions of views. The product was the hero, and a real customer told the story better than any ad could.

What you can do: when a customer sends a wild or emotional story, ask to feature it. One great story does more for you than fifty polite reviews.

4. Sephora

Sephora reshares customer makeup tutorials instead of only running its own glossy ads. A regular person applying the product feels less intimidating and more doable.

Copy the idea: a short how-to-use clip from a customer works for almost any product. It shows the thing in action and answers “how does this actually work” in seconds.

Also see: how to collect video reviews from happy buyers.

Hashtag campaign examples

A branded hashtag gives customers a reason to post and gives you a searchable pile of content to pull from. It’s about the cheapest way to keep content coming in.

5. lululemon (#thesweatlife)

lululemon asks customers to tag workout photos with #thesweatlife, then features the best ones across social, the website, and stores. It works because people already share their workouts anyway.

Make it work for you: pick one short, memorable tag tied to your brand or a feeling, not just your product name. Then actually feature the people who use it. Getting picked is what keeps them posting.

6. Apple (Shot on iPhone)

Apple put customer photos on billboards, product pages, and social media worldwide under Shot on iPhone. Every image showed off the product and proved it worked, and being featured on that stage made more people want in.

Your version: you don’t need billboards. Feature customer work on your homepage or social and tell people how to get picked. The reward of being seen does the rest.

Testimonial and before-and-after examples

These answer the one question every shopper has: will this work for me? Beauty, skincare, and fitness brands lean on this type because the result is visible.

7. Starface

Starface customers post before-and-after clips showing pimple patches healing acne, often with their Hydro-Star patches on camera. The change in their skin is the whole point, and it comes from real users.

How to copy it: if your product creates any visible change, ask for a before-and-after. Two photos side by side beat a paragraph of description every time.

8. Drunk Elephant

Drunk Elephant reposts customer review clips of people showing off their skin after using a product. It’s more convincing because it comes from fans, not the brand.

Try it yourself: a plain customer talking to their phone camera about your product often converts better than your best-produced ad. Collect those and put them to work.

Also see: the latest online review statistics on how much customer content sways buyers.

Turn customer videos into product-page proof

Collect photo and video reviews on autopilot and show them where shoppers decide. WiserReview works on Shopify, WooCommerce, and more. No code.

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Community and lifestyle examples

The strongest UGC makes buying feel like joining something. These brands turned customers into a group that markets the product for the fun of it.

9. HelloFresh

HelloFresh customers post photos of the meals they cooked from the kit, often tagging the brand. It shows real results from real kitchens, not a food stylist’s plate.

What you can do: if people use your product to make or do something, ask them to share the result. The finished thing is proof your product delivers.

10. ELF Cosmetics (Eyes Lips Face)

ELF’s Eyes Lips Face challenge went viral on TikTok and became one of the platform’s biggest branded campaigns. It worked because it blended into content people were already making.

Copy the idea: tie a small campaign to a trend or a simple prompt customers can act on fast. Low effort to join means more people actually do.

11. Popflex

Popflex shares behind-the-scenes design videos and folds customer feedback into new products. Buyers feel part of the process, so they stick around and keep sharing.

Make it work for you: show the making of your product and ask customers what they want next. People promote things they helped shape.

12. Crumbl

Crumbl’s weekly cookie rotation gets customers filming taste tests and reviews of the new flavors in the pink box. The format gives people a fresh reason to post every week.

Your version: give customers a recurring reason to share, a new drop, a rotating flavor, a monthly theme. Fresh reasons keep the content coming.

How to actually collect UGC like these brands

The brands above make it look easy, but every one of them has a system for getting content in. Here’s the short version that works for a normal store.

Ask at the right moment. Send a request a day or two after the product arrives, while the buyer is still excited. The timing matters more than the wording.

Make the photo or video the easy option. People skip a blank text box but happily snap a picture. Put the upload front and center in your request.

Give a reason to post. A feature, a small discount, or a shot at being seen. Just never tie a reward to a positive rating, that breaks the trust and most platforms ban it.

Also see: the best timing for when to ask for reviews and how to write a good review request email.

How WiserReview helps you get UGC like this

Doing all this by hand falls apart fast. Chasing customers, saving photos, pasting them onto product pages, it eats your week once orders pick up.

That’s why I built WiserReview. Like other UGC platforms, it handles the collecting and the showing so the content ends up on your store, not stuck in your inbox.

On the UGC side, it does this:

• Sends automatic review requests by email and text after each order, with photo and video upload built in.
• Displays those reviews and customer photos on your pages with widgets that match your theme.
• Adds review schema so your star ratings can show up in Google search and Shopping.
• Auto-shares your best reviews to Facebook and Instagram, and can show your Instagram feed on your store.
• Runs on Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Wix, and Squarespace, with a free plan to start on.

The goal was simple: turn it on, and the customer content starts showing up where it helps you sell.

Keep your UGC honest and legal

Two quick rules keep you out of trouble, and they matter more now than they used to.

Get permission before you repost. A tag isn’t the same as a yes. A quick message asking to feature someone’s photo covers you and shows respect.

Disclose any incentive. If you gave a free product or paid for a post, the FTC says that has to be clear. If something of value changed hands, say so.

Where to start

Pick one type from this list that fits your product. Fitness or fashion? Start with photo reviews. Skincare? Before-and-afters. Something people cook or build? Ask for the finished result.

Turn on an automated request with photo upload, feature the first few pieces you get, and let it build. You can add reviews to your website and pick your review widgets in an afternoon.

The brands on this list didn’t start with a movement. They started with one good piece of customer content and gave people a reason to make more.

Collect and show UGC without the busywork

WiserReview automates review requests and puts customer photos and videos on your product pages. Free plan, no code needed.

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