As one of Microsoft’s key creative partners, Pearpop has helped the tech giant reimagine how creators engage with emerging technology. The two companies built an omnichannel, storytelling-first strategy, integrating cultural moments like Art Basel Miami Beach and New York Fashion Week with technology designed to provide unique user experiences in the age of AI, such as like Copilot+ PCs, as well as the PAIR platform to power strategic creator selection.
Pearpop’s approach goes beyond the now-standard mix of authentic storytelling and cultural relevance to combine the power of AI, top-tier creative and cutting-edge media practice. Rather than replacing human creativity, Pearpop uses AI to enhance creator selection—ensuring that campaigns are not only data-driven but also deeply resonant and culturally impactful at scale.
Emilie Bridon, Americas channel marketing strategy lead at Microsoft; Cole Mason, co-founder and CEO of Pearpop; and John Mathieu, creative director of Pearpop, joined John Dioso, editor of Ad Age Studio 30, at Ad Age’s NextGen Marketing Summit in New York on March 6 to discuss how they’re using creator partnerships to reshape the future of influencer marketing.
The art of AI influencer marketing
Microsoft partnered with Art Basel to relaunch the creative festival’s app with newly innovated AI features at Art Basel Miami Beach 2024. Designed to elevate the digital experience across all of Art Basel’s international fairs, the app, powered by Microsoft Copilot and utilizing GPT-4o, introduces a new level of personalization and interactivity for attendees. Key features include the Art Basel Companion, which offers tailored recommendations based on user preferences, and the Art Basel Lens, which uses Azure AI Vision to deliver real-time insights into artworks, artists and galleries through the app’s camera.
To bring these capabilities to life and connect with a digitally and culturally savvy audience, Microsoft partnered with Pearpop to invite a select group of content creators to attend the Miami Beach edition of the fair. Chosen for their distinct artistic voices and innovative editing styles, these creators were tasked with showcasing the app’s AI-driven features through engaging and visually compelling social media content.
The invited creators illustrated how technology can enhance the art fair journey—from discovering new artists and galleries on the fair floor to making real-time decisions about which programmed events and experiences to attend—all while capturing and sharing standout moments in a way that resonated with their culturally fluent and fashion-forward audiences. By fusing creativity with cutting-edge AI, Microsoft and Art Basel demonstrated how the next generation of digital tools can make the art world more accessible, immersive, and memorable for the next generation of collectors and attendees.
Pearpop used an essential moment in time to implement a full-funnel, 360-degree approach to ensure an omnichannel, consistent brand experience that’s measured with details beyond vanity metrics, said Mason. This important creator content can’t be viewed simply as a way to drive engagement, Mason added: “Instead, it moves consumers from awareness to action.”
Microsoft briefed the creators while the app was still in development and gave them beta access ahead of launching in Miami Beach. By empowering the creators to explore the tools ahead of the fair, they were able to determine which features they wanted to highlight in their creative content.
“It’s about giving creators a ‘white glove experience’ so they don’t just talk about the technology, they experience the magic for themselves,” said Bridon. “Before we deliver a brief, we work with them to understand their challenges and how our tools can help solve them. That authenticity comes through in the content.” Bridon emphasized that Microsoft’s strategy isn’t just about handing products to influencers—it’s about ensuring they have a true understanding of the technology before they create.
Demystifying the tech
AI is still unfamiliar territory for many, which makes marketing Microsoft Surface Copilot+ PCs—a new category of devices built for the AI era—a unique challenge. To help people understand what makes these devices different, we had to translate complex tech specs into something relatable. That’s exactly what Microsoft and Pearpop set out to do with their creator-led Surface Snapdragon campaign.
The right creator? Tejas Hullur, a tech influencer known for his ability to explain complex information in simple terms.
“He was able to demystify the tech,” said Bridon. “He explained that the processor acts like 45 trillion mini assistants inside your device, helping you get things done faster.”
Microsoft and Pearpop created a docu-style series with Hullur around those 45 trillion mini assistants. To break down what an NPU is, he used smart, relatable metaphors—comparing non-Copilot+ PCs to playing a single instrument, while Copilot+ PCs with NPUs feel like conducting a full orchestra. And people got that, said Bridon.
“Tejas describes his channel as a ‘show,’” added Mathieu. “We collaborated with him on the storyline to ensure it was entertaining and educational—while still allowing him to tell it in his own way. It’s also about not treating a creator like an actor who we’re going to hand a script to, because that’s not the point of any of this—we’re trying to come across in a real way that will resonate with his audiences.”
Bridon also emphasized that Microsoft doesn’t just hand creators a script—it trusts them to bring the technology to life in a way that feels natural to their audience.
“We give them the tools and let them tell the story in their own way,” she said. “That’s what makes creator content resonate—it’s real, it’s unfiltered, and it feels organic rather than promotional.”
Beyond simplifying AI for consumers, Microsoft’s full-funnel approach ensures that creator-led content actually drives conversions.
“We don’t just measure success by engagement,” said Bridon. “We use creator content across both social and retail media placements—and we’re seeing it outperform traditional branded content. In our tests, creator videos delivered up to two times higher ROAS, drove more units sold and in some cases even achieved lower cost per click. These campaigns don’t just build interest—they help convert it into action.”
Fashion meets function
In a completely different yet equally relevant activation, Microsoft and Pearpop brought emerging tech to New York Fashion Week. The campaign featured creators such as Gunnar Deatherage, a designer who used the Microsoft Surface Pro to sketch, build mood boards and capture inspiration on the go.
This wasn’t about listing specs—it was about showing real-world utility.
“Influencers and creators are a core part of our strategy, and cultural moments like NYFW give us the opportunity to show—not just tell—how our technology adds value in the real world,” Bridon said. “It’s about meeting people where their attention already is and making our products part of the story.”
Microsoft and Pearpop’s innovative approach proves that the next era of creator marketing isn’t just about reach—it’s about resonance. By embedding standout creative, authentic storytelling, AI and cultural moments into their strategy, the duo is redefining how brands can connect with consumers in a way that feels organic, drives engagement and leads to real business impact.
“AI is going to be a game-changer,” said Mason. “The brands that win in this space will be the ones that invest not just in technology, but in world-class creative talent to bring that technology to life.”
About Pearpop
With the world’s largest and fastest-growing creator community of over 225,000 diverse, vetted creators, Pearpop is the leading creator marketing platform. We empower brands to discover and activate creators at scale to drive measurable business impact. Launched in 2020, Pearpop is trusted by world-class brands including Apple, Netflix, Condé Nast, Amazon, Microsoft and more, setting the new standard in accountable, brand-safe, high-performing creator marketing. Since its founding, Pearpop has been recognized as one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies and Digiday’s Best Influencer Marketing Platform. Learn more about Pearpop at Pearpop.com.
Ad Age Studio 30
Ad Age Studio 30 is the creative content arm of Ad Age. Built on the same bedrock of journalistic integrity, Ad Age Studio 30 specializes in custom and sponsored content that resonates with our audience. To partner with Ad Age Studio 30, email James Palma at jpalma@adage.com.
