Details
Sponsored articles have the potential to inform and inspire while serving a brand’s goals.
From investigative-style journalism and thought leadership to personal storytelling and expert interviews, they come in many forms, but they all share the same goal: to deliver value to readers.
Like most native advertising, sponsored articles have quickly evolved from simple advertorials to sophisticated, multi-format narratives – a major shift from branded content to branded experiences.
In 2025, the best sponsored articles reflect new standards of quality, creativity and effectiveness. No longer focused on pushing a product, they seek to earn the trust of readers, shift perceptions and create real engagement.
Read on to discover the 12 most impressive sponsored article campaigns so far this year. These examples showcase how publishers and brands are working together to produce compelling content that resonates and performs.
12 Best Sponsored Article Examples 2025 [clickable table of contents]
- Sponsored Article Example 1: Amedia Innholdsbyrå for Intersport
- Sponsored Article Example 2: Seznam Brand Studio for Krušovice
- Sponsored Article Example 3: Irish Times Group Content Studio with Mindshare Invention for Dulux
- Sponsored Article Example 4: Ekstra Bladet Brand Stories for Sinful
- Sponsored Article Example 5: NQ Studio @ The Philadelphia Inquirer for Jefferson Health
- Sponsored Article Example 6: Schibsted Partnerstudio for Sparebanken Vest
- Sponsored Article Example 7: 24sata and miss7 for Pampers
- Sponsored Article Example 8: Raconteur for Mailchimp
- Sponsored Article Example 9 Business Insider and Insider Studios for Indeed
- Sponsored Article Example 10: Integreate By DPG Media for Colruyt
- Sponsored Article Example 11: News Corp for Mars Petcare
- Sponsored Article Example 12: Schibsted Brand Studio for Sinful
Types of Sponsored Articles in 2025
A sponsored article is a piece of editorial-style content paid for by a brand but produced in collaboration with a publisher or platform.
Unlike traditional ads, these articles adopt the tone, style and audience-first ethos of the host publication, which is what gives them their ‘native’ appeal. They maintain clear disclosures to ensure transparency and trust.
Sponsored articles are becoming increasingly multifaceted. While some are still long form, others are just one part of larger branded content ecosystems, including alongside video, data dashboards, interactive elements and newsletters.
Here are the six types of sponsored articles that the Native Advertising Institute sees leading the way in 2025:
- Long-form Editorial
- Series or Hubs
- Explainer Articles
- Personal Storytelling
- Data-led Features
- Multimedia-Enhanced Stories
1. Long-form editorial
Long-form sponsored articles are ideal for building credibility and demonstrating thought leadership. In-depth and journalistic, they tend to explore industry topics, challenges or innovations – in great detail. They typically include expert voices, exclusive research and rich storytelling.
2. Series or hubs
Series or Hubs are a smart way to deepen engagement and earn returning traffic. Building a thematic series or centralised hub around a subject enables brands to ‘own’ a topic and explore it from multiple angles.
3. Explainer articles
Explainer Articles seek to demystify complex topics and break them down so they are more accessible. They typically include graphics, FAQs or interactive formats to improve understanding and shareability.
4. Personal storytelling
Personal storytelling humanises the brand and creates emotional resonance. Often interview-based or written in the first-person, these articles centre around real people: from customers and employees to influencers and advocates.
5. Data-led features
Brands use Data-led Features to introduce new findings, frame market trends or position themselves as an industry authority. They combine exclusive research with strong editorial packaging, converting facts into insight.
6. Multimedia-enhanced stories
When sponsored articles venture beyond text, they often become Multimedia-Enhanced Stories. Using embedded video, animation, audio quotes and interactive charts, the stories are more engaging and tailored to today’s content consumption habits.
12 Examples of Sponsored Articles [2025 Updated]
Sponsored Article Example 1: Amedia Innholdsbyrå for Intersport
Intersport entrusted Amedia Innholdsbyrå with not only positioning the sports brand as an authority on skiing equipment, but also as a brand in tune with the cultural values of its customers. By balancing expert content with emotional storytelling, Amedia Innholdsbyrå tapped into how skiing is woven into the fabric of the country. The campaign blended nostalgia, utility and regional pride.
The content celebrated Norway’s skiing heritage through personal stories from local ski legends and everyday enthusiasts across the country. Interwoven into these anecdotes were practical tips from Intersport experts regarding the best choice of gear, sensible maintenance and getting the most out of the winter season.
With a hyper-local approach, the article appeared in 36 local newspapers, tailored to reflect the language, traditions and terrain of each region. This localisation strategy meant readers didn’t just see generic winter sports advice, rather they encountered their community, familiar slopes and their stories.
By reaching 550,000 Norwegians (10% of the nation) and boosting Intersport’s perceived expertise by over 340%, the campaign achieved its goal of deepening trust while driving interest in its offerings.
It was a textbook example of how sponsored content can foster utility and authenticity to make a brand feel like it is part of the community
Sponsored Article Example 2: Seznam Brand Studio for Krušovice
Krušovice partnered up with Seznam Brand Studio to embed its beer brand in Czech cultural values. Launched via the Seznam Zprávy news outlet, the campaign ‘Let’s Leave Something Behind’ appealed to readers’ sense of nostalgia and national pride by asking them about their legacy – a call to action to not let the country’s historic pubs, which have served as community hubs for generations, disappear on their watch.
Rooted in storytelling – featuring drone-shot documentaries, emotive written pieces and first-hand accounts of pub owners and locals struggling to maintain tradition in the face of modern pressures – the articles encouraged readers to visit and support these local establishments, aligning perfectly with the brand’s core identity. Not only did they encourage readers to partake in Krušovice, but they positioned the brand as a cultural icon with a role to play in protecting Czech values.
The results were impressive. The campaign doubled the brand impression target and significantly boosted engagement across digital and social media platforms, and it sparked national conversation about the importance of preserving national identity through everyday experiences.
By championing community, culture and continuity, the Krušovice campaign demonstrated how sponsored content can have both emotional weight and commercial impact.
Sponsored Article Example 3: Irish Times Group Content Studio with Mindshare Invention for Dulux
‘A Brush with Inspiration: Transforming Homes Across Ireland with Dulux’ not only highlighted the paint brand as a product, but as a creative partner, with a visually rich campaign that encouraged homeowners to embrace bold colours and new design ideas into their home renovations.
Centred around Dulux’s premium Heritage range, the campaign featured video-led stories of well-known Irish people transforming their homes. Accompanied by editorial tips, colour palette suggestions and interactive tools, each story offered emotional depth, showing how colour could reflect identity, mood and lifestyle.
By presenting Dulux as a creative partner, so much more than a product, the content struck a fine balance between branded and editorial content. Distributed across Irish Times digital supplements, social channels and lifestyle sections, it tapped into an affluent, design-conscious audience.
With 198,000 views across the content pieces, 227,000 video plays and a noticeable increase in brand affinity, the results – just like the Dulux colours – were bright and bold.
The campaign demonstrated that when sponsored articles are grounded in personal relevance and executed with aesthetic flair, they can paint the brand in the best possible light.
Sponsored Article Example 4: Ekstra Bladet Brand Stories for Sinful
Nordic erotic manufacturer Sinful partnered up with Danish publisher Ekstra Bladet to normalise conversations about intimacy: from debunking myths about vibrators to answering frequently asked questions about anal sex.
Consisting of eight sponsored articles that combined expert insights, product knowledge and relatable narratives, each article in the ‘Let’s Talk About Sex’ series approached its subject matter with a tone of empathy and education, combining input from sexologists and intimacy coaches to lend credibility and depth. Editorial input, meanwhile, ensured the writing remained engaging and appropriate for Ekstra Bladet's broad readership.
The articles invited readers to explore their boundaries, reduce their shame and regard their sexual health as a part of their overall well-being – whilst subtly promoting Sinful as a trustworthy, inclusive brand for all orientations. In this way, it went beyond advertising; it became a public service.
Over 550,000 people read the series, with many returning for more than one article, and brand awareness soared with a 76% uplift in qualified recognition – more than fulfilling expectations. The campaign hit the bullseye, striking the readers’ collective G-spot of emotional resonance and relevance.
Sponsored Article Example 5: NQ Studio @ The Philadelphia Inquirer for Jefferson Health
Developed by INQ Studio for Jefferson Health, the 12-part branded content series ‘Restoring Hope’ explored the science and social context of violence. Positioned within The Philadelphia Inquirer, the series specifically tackled violence in the US city, framing it not just as a criminal problem but as a public health crisis.
Each article dived deep into one of the root causes of violence: from untreated trauma and systemic inequality to poor access to mental health services and a lack of community support. Combining expert interviews, survivor testimonials, data visualisations and interactive storytelling, the content transformed a sensitive topic into an accessible and emotionally resonant experience.
Running across digital, print and social media channels – with additional reach through newsletters and community events – the editorially rich and visually engaging content encouraged readers to reflect, discuss and act, whilst elevating the role of Jefferson Health from healthcare provider to thought leader and community advocate.
The feedback was overwhelmingly positive from both the public and healthcare professionals. The series created tangible dialogue around solutions – a stellar example of how sponsored articles can transcend brand awareness and become a force for education, empathy and long-term community engagement.
Sponsored Article Example 6: Schibsted Partnerstudio for Sparebanken Vest
When Sparebanken Vest partnered up with Schibsted Partnerstudio, it wasn’t obvious how their campaign to introduce mortgages to people in their mid-20s was going to proceed. But with an approach involving TikTok stars and high-quality video, ‘Gen Z’s Road to Home Sweet Home’ has blazed a compelling path.
From overcoming financial anxiety to learning what a loan-to-value ratio actually is, influencers shared the real stories behind buying a first home – experiences that make homeownership feel possible rather than intimidating.
Localisation played a key role. Geo-targeted distribution ensured users saw stories relevant to their region, while clickable mortgage calculators and visual explainers kept users engaged.
The campaign was directly responsible for a 174% increase in mortgage applications from target demographics – proof that entertainment and information can go hand in hand. Sparebanken Vest, meanwhile, positioned itself as a bank that understands the needs and challenges of youthful demographics.
Sponsored Article Example 7: 24sata & miss7 for Pampers
In search of a content campaign to complement its support of Croatian kindergartens, the nappy manufacturer Pampers collaborated with publisher 24sata and lifestyle platform miss7 to create ‘Raise Your Little Finger For Your Kindergarten’, a reader-generated initiative.
Via its range of publications, 24sata invited the public to nominate their local kindergarten and make a case for why it deserved support, and based on those contributions, a sponsored content series took shape, leading to five kindergartens receiving vital financial support from Pampers.
This campaign was particularly successful in the way it gave a voice to underrepresented communities and shone a light on the joy and promise of early childhood education.
The campaign achieved 81 published articles, 151,000 visits to the campaign site and 105,000 total article views – testament to the resonance of an undeniably heartwarming campaign.
Sponsored Article Example 8: Raconteur for Mailchimp
Marketing automation platform Mailchimp partnered up with Raconteur to humourously tackle the subject of pointless meetings, subtly reinforcing the brand’s positioning as a champion of efficient, modern communication.
Citing research that quantifies the time and financial cost of unnecessary meetings, ‘This could’ve been an email’ combined expert quotes and punchy subheads to keep the tone light but informative – a welcome antithesis to the communication overload and digital fatigue caused by endless meetings.
Mailchimp's solutions fit perfectly into the conversation. So rather than selling its product outright, Mailchimp was presented as a tool not only for marketing emails, but for reclaiming sanity.
Published in the UK by The Times, the article tapped into a broad audience of decision-makers, managers and white-collar professionals – and social amplification and newsletter inclusion gave it further reach.
The result was a meme-worthy workplace truth: that when it is well written, the email can be your best productivity tool.
Sponsored Article Example 9: Business Insider and Insider Studios for Indeed
Tapping into the uncertainty over what it means to work in a post-pandemic world, Indeed partnered up for a campaign with Insider Studios to position itself as a leader in shaping the future of work.
‘The Better Work Project’, a thought leadership series of sponsored articles and videos, is primarily based on interviews with experts, decision-makers and workers across industries. Topics ranged from inclusive hiring and mental health to purpose-driven leadership and upskilling.
With an optimistic but realistic tone, the campaign prioritised honest storytelling and actionable insights, acknowledging workplace pain points while offering ideas for meaningful change.
Appearing as a facilitator, and not the ‘hero’, Indeed’s brand integration was subtle but purposeful. This approach enhanced credibility and allowed the storytelling to take centre stage – and this was rewarded by a strong performance.
Indeed reached audiences on both rational and emotional levels – making ‘The Better Work Project’ a standout example of sponsored content with depth and resonance.
Sponsored Article Example 10: Integreate By DPG Media for Colruyt
Rather than advertise BBQ content regardless of the weather, Integreate By DPG Media collaborated with supermarket chain Colruyt on a campaign to only target Belgian readers on ‘summer days’ – when temperatures reached 25 degrees.
Triggering the ‘BBQ Alarm’ released a wave of summer-themed content – from butcher interviews and recipe ideas to tips on marinades and meat selection – from a microsite, the perfect domain for Colruyt’s own butchers to demonstrate their craftsmanship.
In partnership with HLN and Sudinfo, the content drew heavily on local storytelling and came with relevance and timeliness – and this was appreciated by over 60 percent of consumers. Not only could they demonstrate strong recall, but felt educated by the campaign – proof that the best way to a consumer’s heart is through their stomach, providing the product is both well seasoned and seasonally delivered.
Sponsored Article Example 11: News Corp Australia for Mars Petcare
Mars Petcare partnered up with News Corp to tackle a long-standing misconception that dry pet food is lacking in nutrition in their sponsored content series ‘Debunking Myths, Building Trust’.
Rather than being overly technical, the content took a conversational tone, making science-backed information digestible for the average reader with informative explainers, expert interviews with veterinarians and interactive elements like quizzes and myth-busting infographics – engaging elements that delivered an editorial experience that felt practical rather than preachy.
Mars Petcare’s brand was subtly integrated throughout as a trusted authority supporting the content. Distributed across News.com.au, Taste.com.au and Body+Soul, the articles enabled the brand to reach a wide range of pet owners based on lifestyle and interest.
The campaign fulfilled Mars Petcare’s goals, helping to generate awareness, trust, informed conversation and a noticeable uptick in brand favourability. It showed how sponsored content could effectively tackle misinformation with empathy, facts and clear storytelling – and turn it to the brand’s advantage.
Sponsored Article Example 12: Schibsted Brand Studio for Sinful
Erotic product distributor Sinful partnered up with Schibsted Brand Studio to discuss the country’s reputation for progressive attitudes – both past and present. Citing personal stories from real people and expert opinions from therapists and educators, the campaign sourced nostalgia and fresh outlooks.
Charged with bringing intimacy and open-mindedness back to the bedroom, ‘The Swedish Sin’ consisted of six sponsored articles on Swedish news site Aftonbladet tackling a wide range of related themes: from male loneliness and the shame surrounding pleasure to changing gender roles and inclusive sex education.
A visually cohesive design and clean editorial layout gave the articles a distinctive appearance while remaining consistent with Aftonbladet’s look and feel. The campaign especially resonated with women and young people, driving both engagement and trust in the brand.
The campaign demonstrated how audiences are hungry for content about intimacy without shame or sensationalism, and how such content can not only sell products, but reshape cultural norms.
