15 Successful Crowdfunding Campaign Examples of the Decade

The crowdfunding landscape has evolved dramatically since platforms like Kickstarter and Indiegogo first emerged. (Yep, if you can hear Aladin’s “A Whole New World” menacingly playing in your head, then we’re on the right track.)

Success in the crowdfunding space is no longer solely defined by how much funding you raise but also by factors such as community engagement, innovative marketing strategies, and long-term impact. As we delve into these exemplary campaigns, we’ll uncover the key elements that contributed to their success and the lessons they offer for future crowdfunding endeavors.

Key Elements of a Successful Crowdfunding Campaign

Before we explore our featured crowdfunding campaign examples, let’s outline the critical components that often contribute to crowdfunding success. And, hey, if you’re looking for other crowdfunding marketing or checklists, check out the links below:

• Ultimate Kickstarter Marketing Guide
• Kickstarter Checklist
• Crowdfunding Scams
• Crowdfunded Businesses That Became Billion Dollar Companies

Compelling Story and Clear Value Proposition

A successful campaign begins with a narrative that resonates with potential backers. It’s crucial to clearly articulate the problem your product or project solves and why it matters. Your story should not only explain what you’re creating but also why you’re passionate about it and how it will benefit your backers or the wider world.

Never forget that backers make decisions based on emotion, so don’t be afraid to share your story – make ‘em feel it.

Strategic Pre-Launch Marketing

Building anticipation before your campaign goes live can significantly impact its success. This involves:

• Creating a landing page to capture early interest
• Developing an email list of potential backers
• Engaging with your target audience on social media
• Reaching out to relevant media outlets and influencers

Engaging Campaign Page and Video

Your campaign page is your pitch to the world. It should be visually appealing, clearly structured, and include:

• A compelling video that showcases your product or project
• High-quality images and graphics
• Detailed descriptions of your offering and its features
• Clear explanation of how funds will be used
• Transparent timeline for delivery

Trust us, you can make anything look good when you put you’re mind to it. Even if the product you’re corwdfunding for has to do with picking up dog doo-doo.

Smart Reward Tiers

Offering a range of reward tiers can appeal to different types of backers. As the saying goes, different strokes for different folks. So consider:

• Early bird specials to encourage quick backing
• Exclusive or limited-edition rewards for higher pledge levels
• Rewards that offer good value for money
• Special bundles or add-ons to increase average pledge amount

Regular Updates and Community Engagement

Keeping your backers informed and involved throughout the campaign is crucial. True, it’s your brainchild, but as backers they have a hand in making it come to life. And the more included they feel in the creation process, the better. This includes:

• Providing frequent updates on campaign progress
• Responding promptly to questions and comments
• Sharing behind-the-scenes content
• Addressing any concerns or challenges transparently

15 Crowdfunding Campaign Examples that Set a Benchmark for Success

Now, let’s explore 15 campaigns that exemplify these elements and more, each offering unique lessons in crowdfunding success.

1. YASHICA Vision: Reviving a Legacy Brand

Platform: Kickstarter

Funds Raised: Over $1,000,000

Backers: 6,627 backers

YASHICA, a brand with 75 years of history in photography, successfully launched their first night vision device through crowdfunding. The company partnered with TCF for several campaigns. Their success stemmed from:

• Leveraging the brand’s legacy to build trust
• Creating a dedicated social media account for the new product
• Offering a launch day special (free mini tripod) to drive early backing
• Using video content extensively, including CEO messages for transparency
• Implementing strategic price increases to create urgency

Lesson: Established brands can successfully pivot to new product categories through crowdfunding by balancing their legacy with innovation.

2. Pebble Time: The Smartwatch Pioneer

Platform: Kickstarter

Funds Raised: $20,338,986

Backers: 78,471

Pebble Time’s campaign for their color e-paper smartwatch broke records when it launched in 2015. Key success factors included:

• Leveraging their existing community from previous campaigns
• Offering early bird specials that sold out quickly, creating urgency
• Regular updates and stretch goals that kept backers engaged
• Clear comparisons with competitors to highlight unique features

Lesson: Building on past successes and maintaining a strong community can lead to explosive growth in subsequent campaigns.

3. Exploding Kittens: The Power of Humor and Simplicity

Platform: Kickstarter

Funds Raised: $8,782,571

Backers: 219,382

Alright. Let’s be honest, Exploding Kittens name alone was crazy enough to make backers click to find out more. Fortunately, no cats were harmed in the making on this game. In fact, this card game became one of the most-backed Kickstarter projects ever, thanks to:

• A hilarious, attention-grabbing campaign video
• Simple, easy-to-understand gameplay
• Engaging social media presence that went viral
• Limited-edition rewards that drove higher pledges

Lesson: Sometimes, keeping it simple and injecting humor can create a viral sensation that transcends your initial target audience.

4. GoChess: Revolutionizing the Classic Game

Platform: Kickstarter

Funds Raised: Over $2,000,000

Backers: 5,492

This campaign for an AI-powered, self-moving chessboard became the most funded chess-related project on Kickstarter. Having been BTS of its marketing campaign, we can honestly say we got smarter just learning and interacting with this super product. GoChess success was driven by:

• Leveraging Prelaunch for product validation and initial community building
• Creating a landing page that effectively showcased the product’s core features
• Using dynamic visuals on the campaign page, including a video demonstrating the self-moving pieces
• Implementing a personalized email marketing strategy with high open rates (67%) and click-through rates (34%)
• Addressing potential skepticism by emphasizing the company’s history of successful campaigns
• Utilizing influencer marketing creatively without physical product samples
• Employing targeted Facebook and Instagram ads with a three-block conversion funnel strategy

Lesson: For products that seem almost magical, a combination of strategic pre-launch validation, compelling visuals, and targeted marketing can overcome skepticism and drive extraordinary support. Additionally, building on past successes and emphasizing company credibility can significantly boost backer confidence.

5. Coolest Cooler: Second Time’s the Charm

Platform: Kickstarter

Funds Raised: $13,285,226

Backers: 62,642

After an initial failed campaign, Coolest Cooler relaunched and became one of Kickstarter’s most funded projects. Success factors included:

• Timing the campaign launch with summer season
• Improving the product based on feedback from the first campaign
• Creating a highly shareable, fun campaign video
• Offering a comprehensive set of features that solved multiple problems

Lesson: Failure can be a stepping stone to success if you learn from it and improve your offering.

6. Critical Role: Vox Machina Animated Special

Platform: Kickstarter

Funds Raised: $11,385,449

Backers: 88,887

While it’s not everybody’s cup of tea or shot of vodka, this campaign was launched with the intent to create an animated series based on a popular Dungeons & Dragons web series. Critical Role showcased:

• The power of an existing, passionate fanbase
• Stretch goals that significantly expanded the project’s scope
• Transparent communication about how additional funds would be used
• Collaboration with established animation professionals to ensure quality

Lesson: Tapping into an existing community and offering them a new way to engage with content they love can lead to extraordinary support.

7. Oculus Rift: Kickstarting a VR Revolution

Platform: Kickstarter

Funds Raised: $2,437,429

Backers: 9,522

If you’re thinking this contraption looks a bit silly, think again. While not the highest-funded campaign, Oculus Rift’s success led to a $2 billion acquisition by Facebook and helped kickstart the modern VR industry. Key factors included:

• Demonstrating a working prototype to build credibility
• Endorsements from industry leaders like John Carmack
• Clear vision for the future of VR technology
• Developer-focused rewards to build an ecosystem

Lesson: Sometimes, the true measure of success is the long-term impact and industry change a campaign can spark.

8. Kara Pure: Air-to-Water Innovation

Platform: Indiegogo

Funds Raised: Over $1,300,000

Backers: Not specified

You know how people say you can’t create something out of thin air – turns out you can! (**mind blown**) This campaign was another TCF managed one for a water-from-air dispenser succeeded through:

• Addressing skepticism head-on with clear explanations and demonstrations
• Using a straightforward messaging approach: “Make Your Water From Air”
• Leveraging Prelaunch for product validation and pricing strategy
• Implementing a “Live Lead Generation” approach throughout the campaign
• Offering installment plans to make the high-ticket item more accessible

Lesson: For innovative, high-priced products, transparency, education, and flexible payment options can overcome initial skepticism.

9. Frosthaven: Building on Board Game Success

Platform: Kickstarter

Funds Raised: $12,969,608

Backers: 83,193

As a sequel to the popular Gloomhaven board game, Frosthaven’s campaign:

• Leveraged the success and community of a previous product
• Offered a range of pledge levels, from digital content to deluxe editions
• Hosted regular live streams and Q&A sessions to engage the community
• Created a collaborative decision-making atmosphere with backers on certain game elements

Lesson: When you have a successful product, involving your community in the creation of its successor can lead to even greater success.

10. Micro Drone 3.0: Flying High with Influencer Marketing

Platform: Indiegogo

Funds Raised: $3,561,262

Backers: 12,075

“Ridin’ high in April, [NOT] shot down in May.” Defying the odds, this little fella is a small, capable micro drone succeeded through:

• Extensive use of influencer marketing and tech reviewer collaborations
• High-quality demo videos showcasing the drone’s capabilities
• Early bird offers that created urgency and rewarded quick decisions
• Regular updates on production progress and design improvements

Lesson: Leveraging influencers and tech reviewers can provide credibility and reach for technology products.

11. The Veronica Mars Movie Project: Fan-Powered Filmmaking

Platform: Kickstarter

Funds Raised: $5,702,153

Backers: 91,585

There’s always been that one show you wish they would just keep making more episodes of, right? Come to think of it, why haven’t we tried this. This campaign to revive a canceled TV show demonstrated:

• The power of a dedicated fanbase willing to fund their desired content
• Celebrity engagement, with the show’s cast actively promoting the campaign
• Unique rewards, including speaking roles in the movie for top backers
• Transparent communication about how the film would be produced and distributed

Lesson: Established entertainment properties can turn to crowdfunding to gauge and monetize fan interest in new content.

12. Peak Design Travel Tripod: Innovating a Classic Product

Platform: Kickstarter

Funds Raised: $12,143,435

Backers: 27,168

Here’s one product that, by its nature, simply couldn’t afford to have anything but impeccable visuals. And so they did! Peak Design’s campaign for a redesigned travel tripod succeeded through:

• A track record of successful previous campaigns building trust
• Detailed explanations and comparisons showing the product’s innovations
• High-quality videos and images demonstrating the tripod in action
• Offering both aluminum and carbon fiber versions at different price points

Lesson: Even in established product categories, significant innovation coupled with clear demonstrations of benefits can drive massive support.

13. Elecjet Apollo Ultra: Charging into the Future

Platform: Kickstarter

Funds Raised: Over $400,000

Backers: Not specified

Another TCF-headed campaign. We were really plugged in on this one (pun intended). The graphene battery-powered charger campaign succeeded through:

• Clear messaging about the revolutionary nature of graphene technology
• Visual comparisons showing charging speed advantages over competitors
• Leveraging the acquisition by a NASDAQ-listed company for credibility
• Using Twitter effectively for the first time in a tech product campaign
• Quick recovery and relaunch after an initial account issue, retaining 70% of backers

Lesson: For tech products, clear demonstrations of superiority over existing solutions, coupled with business developments that enhance credibility, can drive success.

14. Fidget Cube: Capturing a Moment

Platform: Kickstarter

Funds Raised: $6,465,690

Backers: 154,926

This thingamabob became a viral sensation due to:

• Timing that coincided with growing awareness of fidgeting and focus issues
• A simple, relatable product that solved a common problem
• An engaging video that clearly demonstrated all the features
• Low price point that encouraged impulse backing

Lesson: Sometimes, simple solutions to common problems, launched at the right time, can capture the public’s imagination.

15. DuoVox Ultra: Night Vision Innovation

Platform: Kickstarter

Funds Raised: Over $1,200,000

Backers: 7,294

You just know it’s serious when they say “military grade”. In this case, it also happens to be true. One of several campaigns TCF managed with the night vision brand, DuoVox Ultra monocular product succeeded through:

• Building on feedback from a previous successful campaign
• Using comparison videos to showcase performance in real-life conditions
• Including rougher, more authentic footage to build trust
• Creating a dedicated social media account for the new product line
• Implementing strategic pricing and limited-time offers

Lesson: Iterating on previous successes and maintaining authenticity in product demonstrations can drive significant support for specialized tech products.

Conclusion

These 15 crowdfunding campaign examples demonstrate that crowdfunding success is not just about the amount raised, but about building communities, solving real problems, and effectively communicating value. Key takeaways include:

• Building and leveraging a community is crucial for long-term crowdfunding success.
• Clear, authentic communication can overcome skepticism, especially for innovative or high-ticket items.
• Video content, whether polished or raw, plays a vital role in showcasing products and building trust.
• Strategic pricing, including early bird offers and time-limited deals, can drive urgency and higher pledges.
• For tech products, clear demonstrations of superiority over existing solutions are crucial.
• Established brands can use crowdfunding to successfully launch new product lines or pivot to new categories.
• Sometimes, simple solutions to common problems can become viral sensations.
• Recovering from setbacks transparently can maintain backer trust and support.

By studying these successful crowdfunding campaign examples, future creators can gain valuable insights into effective strategies for their own crowdfunding endeavors. Remember, each project is unique, and the key is to adapt these lessons to your specific product, audience, and goals.