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Behind the Scenes of Notion's Biggest Marketing Campaign of 2025
If you were on LinkedIn last week, you couldn’t miss it: Notion Faces were everywhere.
AJ Eckstein
January 14, 2025
If you were on LinkedIn last week, you couldn’t miss it: Notion Faces were everywhere.
I’m beyond thrilled to share that Creator Match 🧩 played a key role in bringing this massive Notion Faces campaign to life.
This wasn’t just another LinkedIn trend—it was a full-scale takeover.
Here’s a behind-the-scenes look at how it all went down, along with insights from the masterminds behind it: Lexie and Danielle, Notion’s two-person influencer marketing team, as I recently interviewed them to get the inside scoop on our last episode of MONEY MONDAY$.
What are Notion Faces?
Notion’s custom portraits aren’t new. They’ve been a hallmark of the brand for years, but they have only been available internally for employees. They would show up in Slack profiles, social media posts, and even as fan-made commissions on Fiverr. Turning this idea into a community element where everyone could join in was pure genius. Enter: the Notion Faces.
How We Made It Happen
With just three weeks (yes, during the holidays), Creator Match and Notion pulled off the biggest LinkedIn Creator campaign… ever.
Here’s the playbook:
#1 - Headshot Swap: Creators swapped their profile pictures with cryptic “LOADING…” images to spark curiosity and build anticipation.
Swati Rai’s Loading Headshot to Notion Face
#2 - The Teaser: I made a LinkedIn Post teasing the launch, which generated 40,000+ views. I purposely took messy screenshots so it felt as if I screenshotted these headshots off of the feed, sparking more curiosity and getting people questioning what was about to launch.
#3 - Launch Day: On Tuesday 1/7, LinkedIn feeds were FLOODED with custom Notion Faces and 50+ Creator posts centered around the “New Year, New You” theme. Here are a few examples of the posts from the Creators in the campaign:
#4 - Post Launch Day: UGC exploded, with over 900 posts from users outside the campaign sharing their own Notion Faces.
Jonathan Pogacts’s UGC post
#5 - Cherry on Top: Notion sent beautifully packaged gift boxes to participating creators, featuring custom Notion wrapping paper, cookies, and heartfelt notes. It’s uncommon for a software company (especially B2B) to send physical gift boxes, making this extra special.
Zoë Hartsfield eating her Notion cookie
The Vibe Score
Our friends over at Siftsy built a comment section tool which gives Marketers a better understanding of sentiment. You can see the “Vibe Score” of this campaign was “immaculate” with some key themes emerging:
8 Key Takeaways
For Brand Marketers and Creators…
1. Driving Direct Conversions isn't Marketing's only Purpose
Our Notion Faces campaign was all about leveraging community-driven engagement and user-generated content (UGC) to amplify brand awareness, especially on LinkedIn, where the power of cross-liking and commenting helped it go viral. Campaigns like this actually make performance marketing more effective down the road because people already know, love, and trust the brand.
"This campaign wasn’t about saying, ‘Here’s why you should try Notion.’ It was about people sharing their own stories of how they use it and why it matters to them. Personal stories and emotional connections are what set us apart from every other productivity app running ads. It’s those moments that build trust and make performance marketing more effective later."
2. Community is Everything
Notion’s campaign wasn’t just about the brand—it was about celebrating its community and giving them something unique to engage with that was only previously available for employees. Notion allowed users to express their personalities with quirky, hand-drawn avatars that were unique to THEM.
“The only reason we’ve been successful is through our community. This campaign was about giving back to them in a way that felt authentic.”
3. Timing is Key
Launching in January was intentional, aligning with the “New Year, New You” mindset, when people are looking for ways to improve and get organized. Plus, Notion organized a launch where all Creators posted on the exact same day.
“New Year’s is a huge time for us. People are in their self-improvement and organization eras, and we wanted to supplement that energy with something fun and creative.”
4. FOMO Drives Engagement
Creating a viral, synchronized moment ensures that people feel like they’re missing out if they’re not part of it.
“We could have spaced this out over a full month, but we wanted to make as big of a splash as possible. We created this funnel effect where you couldn’t log on without seeing a Notion Face. It hit that FOMO effect perfectly, and people immediately wanted to know, ‘What is this, and how do I get involved?’”
5. Authenticity Matters
The campaign resonated because it felt personal and authentic, not overly polished or forced.
“We didn’t use AI or generic templates. Everything was hand-drawn to bring back the playfulness and creativity of making something yourself.”
6. Lean Teams Can Win Big
People don’t realize that Notion only has a two-person influencer marketing team… and they prioritize fast execution and creativity over perfection.
“We thrive in chaos. With just two people, we have to move quickly, but it means we get to own the entire process—and the reward is so much sweeter.”
7. Build a “Moment”
This campaign focused on brand awareness, community-building, and UGC, proving that not every campaign needs to be tied directly to conversions… instead, focus on that “moment” in time.
“This wasn’t about driving usage. It was a brand moment—something that brought people joy and made them think about Notion differently.”
8. Gifting Creates Tangible Impact
Sending custom gifts, like Notion-branded cookies and wrapping paper, added a personal touch and amplified excitement among creators.
“If people can physically hold something from your brand, it builds a deeper connection. Gifting isn’t just fun—it’s one of the best ways to create brand affinity.”
9. LinkedIn is an Untapped Creator Platform
By leaning into LinkedIn’s unique mix of professional and social content, Notion found a sweet spot for its campaign.
“LinkedIn is becoming a real social platform. It reminds me of TikTok in its early days—there’s so much potential for brands to stand out.”
10. B2B / SaaS Marketing can be Fun
Even B2B marketing can be fun, and it’s ok to be different and test something new. Injecting joy into campaigns makes them memorable and helps you standout from the competition.
Don’t be afraid to test something new. Some campaigns will flop, but the ones that work can have a huge payoff. If we hadn’t been willing to try this, we’d have missed out on creating something incredible. Sometimes you just have to go for it.”
Faisa sharing a UGC post about the FOMO from the campaign
Fun Facts
Celebrities Joined: Snoop Dogg was also part of the campaign, causing a social media frenzy (see post here).
Unexpected UGC: Over 60 organic UGC posts were shared from users who weren’t part of the campaign (example here).
Slack Channel Breakthrough: Your B2B/SaaS campaign goal should be to get shared in another company’s Slack channel (achieved here).
Featured in “The Information”: We got mentioned in “Creator Economy by Kaya Yurieff” (article here).
Fan Art: Artists & Designers such as Casey Rickey made awesome artwork out of people’s Notion Faces profile pictures!
What’s Next for Notion Faces?
Notion plans to keep "Notion Faces" alive as an evergreen campaign, incorporating new themes and tools over time.
“We’re exploring how to keep this fresh, like adding seasonal elements or ambassador badges. It’s part of our DNA now.”
To the Notion Team and Creators
Hats off to the Notion team and the 50+ LinkedIn Creators who made this happen. Your energy, creativity, and quick turnarounds created something truly unforgettable.
PS - Remind us not to plan a campaign during the holidays LOL, but wow, was it worth the extra Creator Match team effort to help bring this one to life.
We will end this piece with an incredible quote from Devin Reed (a Creator in the campaign) who brilliantly stated in his newsletter:
“Love it or hate it, you couldn't ignore it. That's what great marketing does. Notion didn't just run an influencer campaign – they created a cultural moment in the B2B space."
