Johnsonville 249 Campaign - Influencer Marketing

In partnership with Beck Media, MKM supported Johnsonville’s bold and quirky 249 Campaign, which encouraged Americans to celebrate the nation’s 249th birthday now—rather than wait for 250. The campaign centered around the absurdly wonderful idea of dropping an 80-lb, 249-link “Party Starter” sausage to lucky winners across the country, backed by Johnsonville’s 2025 “National Temperature Check” data on America’s fun deficit.

MKM led the influencer marketing portion of the campaign, driving both earned and paid collaborations to amplify Johnsonville’s playful message nationwide. Our strategy included:

• Paid & Earned Influencer Collaborations
  Family and lifestyle influencers showcased the one-of-a-kind Party Starter package, inspiring audiences to gather, grill, and celebrate.

• Local Market Focus
  We identified and activated Milwaukee- and Chicago-based creators to spotlight Johnsonville’s presence at Summerfest on July 4th, where comedian Fortune Feimster helped “get the party started.”

• Content Diversity
  Partnerships spanned TikTok and Instagram, blending DIY creativity, local pride, and family fun.

Key influencer partners included:

• Ike Wynter (wood artist, 284K+ TikTok followers)

• Discover Milwaukee (144K Instagram followers)

• A Girl About Chicago (98K Instagram followers)

These creators shared live event content from Johnsonville’s Summerfest footprint, alongside branded activations and Party Starter moments. Meanwhile, earned influencer outreach extended the celebration into homes nationwide, with curated packages of Johnsonville sausages and 249-branded swag sent to family-friendly creators.

Results

• 10M+ impressions from paid influencer collaborations

• 4M+ earned impressions from organic influencer coverage

• Expanded Johnsonville’s message beyond traditional advertising by positioning grilling as the centerpiece of a nationwide “249th birthday bash”

By combining a quirky, newsworthy stunt with strategic influencer partnerships, Johnsonville’s 249 Campaign successfully cut through the July 4th clutter—reminding America that fun (and sausage) shouldn’t wait until the 250th.

CLIENT: BECK MEDIA / JOHNSONVILLE