OUR TOP 10 INSTAGRAM ACCOUNTS TO FOLLOW IN 2025
Everyone knows that the digital world is saturated. It takes A LOT to make sure your content stands out and for people to engage with it. We tip our hats off to Social Media Managers - grabbing and keeping people's attention is hard.
We like to think that we do Instagram pretty well (you can check that out here), but we wanted to use this article to shine a light on the profiles that have kept us scrolling in 2024 - and who you should be following in 2025.
From Duolingo’s owl antics to Surreal Cereal’s comedy gold, we’re going to be giving them awards that their content achieved….
First up we have NICE WINES over at @DrinkNice !
Follower count: 23.7k
Award: Kindest Instagram account
Our activation for Nice Drinks which involved FREE wine!
The first thing you notice when you land on their Instagram page, is not just how brand their posts are but also how aesthetically pleasing it is.
Despite starting as a company that made boxed wine, their Instagram really sells a lifestyle.
It’s cool, it’s on trend and since its inception, they have branched out to more drinks and even merch!
Through their posts, you can not only see how much they love their product but also how happy their staff are. And - we’ve worked with Nice on a few stunts. So we know firsthand just how Nice they really are! The team’s energy really translates through their account.
Key takeaway
From nice post ladies to nice lollypop ladies and their ‘NICE for the Nation’ series it shows it's nice to be NICE! Their innovative stunts that are themed around being nice really play to the authentic and socially conscious millennial and Gen Z generations, which are their current and future customers, and their aesthetically pleasing posts with minimal captioning isn’t ‘try hard’ like many accounts. They’re not just nice - they’re cool.
Check out our favourite post of theirs - you might see some familiar faces...
SURREAL CEREAL
Follower count: 78k
Award: Funniest Instagram account
We had some fun of our own, creating content for Surreal.
You just need to look at their page to see why they have won this award. We would LOVE to sit in their social brainstorm meetings.
Their playful humor makes them relatable and resonate with their audience. They are quirky, whether this be in their captions, memes or their witty productions. Humour helps them humanise their brand and make them memorable.
The account is minimalistic aesthetic with a twist. It’s bold, clean, colourful and truly eye-catching - which aligns completely with their brand identity.
They are also prime examples of how out-of-home advertising can be translated onto digital, with their Instagram feed featuring images of their just as funny billboard adverts.
Key takeaway
Instagram works best when you can evoke emotions in people - like laughter. And most brands take themselves quite seriously, so when you don’t, you stand out from the crowd. These posts aren’t filtered either - we doubt they have a HR team - and that dance with the ‘inappropriate’ throws the normal corporate ad-speak out the window. Refreshing + and ENTERTAINING = engagement and followers.
DUOLINGO
Follower count: 3.4m
Award: Weirdest (in a good way!) Instagram account
Duolingo having fun with their iconic green mascot!
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll recognise Duolingo’s iconic green Owl. When it comes to their Instagram, their own isn’t just a mascot, it’s a full-blown character with a sassy and cheeky personality.
They capitalise on current trends and memes, keeping their posts fresh and in-the-moment. Unlike a lot of the other accounts on our list, they have the challenge of appealing to a global audience, and so they make sure to jump on trends and memes from all over the world rather than just the West. They’ve made the choice to appeal to more of the younger, meme-savvy generation with their content rather than older users - and it seems to have paid off.
Another thing they do well is relatability. Learning a new language is hard and Duolingo’s posts often make fun of that difficulty. Being self-aware like this, relates to their audience and therefore makes them memorable and increases engagement.
Key takeaway
You don’t have to be serious to get your point across - and with Duolingo’s challenge of a global audience to tackle, making the choice to focus in on the younger generations who are more likely to follow, engage and share, was a solid one.
MOJU
Follower count: 36.5k
Award: Most aesthetically pleasing Instagram account
Look how good their feed looks
MOJU’s brand is bold, bright and high-energy which is EXACTLY what is reflected on their Instagram feed.
Their posts are fun, their copy is punchy and their colour palette mirrors the natural ingredients in their shots.
Their content is community-centric, with series’ like the ‘shot challenge’ which involves participation from members of the public and showing consumers incorporating their shots into daily routines.
Key takeaway
Using your brand colour palette (when it’s this good!) and strong and consistent fonts, are great ways to make your account aesthetically pleasing. And engaging the community can help create authentic (and CHEAP!) content that people resonate with.
MONZO
Follower count: 95.8k
Award: Best reels on Instagram
Monzo really has mastered the art of reels, which is backed up by their impressions. They leverage tending memes and pop-culture moments to keep themselves relatable and relevant. This combined with perfect timing is a match made in heaven. They effectively manage to make their reels relevant to them, as well as relevant to the hot topic at the time.
Unlike Duolingo who have definitely leaned into the weird meme culture, Monzo strike the perfect balance between humour and professionalism, and are super transparent with their audience, whether this be through app updates or behind-the-scenes videos of their team.
Key takeaway
Reels don’t need to be super high quality. The most successful reels are raw and lean into pop-culture moments.
OLLY’S OLLYS
Follower count: 23.9k
Award: Best Brand Personality on Instagram
Olly Ollys x James Blunt
Any Instagram which involves good food is always a winner in our eyes - and Ollys Ollys has managed to change their healthy snacks to so much more than that.
The posts are fun and vibrant and they cleverly show off Olly's brand partnerships, as well as a cheeky appearance from James Blunt. Like Moju, they really lean into their colour palette and key fonts to keep the visuals consistent.
But best of all - we see a LOT of the brand’s founder on their account, and the rest of the Ollys team are clearly huge brand ambassadors. You can tell they genuinely really enjoy what they do. This is so important on Instagram as it shows complete authenticity, which is crucial to brand loyalty.
Key takeaway
Especially if you’re a small brand, get your founder and team in front of the camera. Don’t take yourselves too seriously - HAVE FUN and TRY STUFF - and it will translate through the content.
DASH
Follower count: 83k
Award: Best life-style driven Instagram
Dash really is leading the way when it comes to leveraging Instagram to build a lifestyle-driven brand.
They don’t just sell drinks—they sell a lifestyle. This is clear from their feed which is full of outdoor adventures and refreshing moments which makes their audience associate them with health and good times - which is exactly what the brand is all about.
Their bold, colorful design and the “wonky fruit” narrative makes every post instantly recognisable and on-message. Like the others, they have a key brand aesthetic so you instantly know their posts when you see them. And consistency is key when building trust.
Key takeaway
If you can do it properly, sell a lifestyle, not a product.
DUNELM
Follower count: 1m
Award: Most varied content on Instagram
Our crazy flash mob shocks shoppers!
It's a very special skill to be able to try a lot of different ideas but keep your unique voice - but Dunelm manages to do just that.
With a mixture of user-generated content, influencer partnerships, seasonal and trend-driven posts and everything in between, Dunelm are masters of keeping their products at the centre of the content, without being overly promotional.
Key takeaway
Showing off your products in a non-salesy manner makes sure your content is visually appealing and keeps your target audience engaged.
ZOE
Follower count: 704k
Award: Most informative content on Instagram
ZOE educating us on the sleep-menopause connection
ZOE’s Instagram content really provides value for its followers with their educational posts which cover everything from the menopause to colon cancer and how sugar affects your brain.
Not only is it very on-brand and aesthetically pleasing, it also adds value to people via pieces to camera, interviews and recipes. They are absolutely one to follow if you want to make healthy changes in the new year.
Key takeaway
Be true to your brand - don’t be afraid to be more serious, educational and informative if that's what your brand stands for.
VICTORIA’S SECRET
Follower count: 79.1m
Award: Biggest turnaround
We LOVED doing this for VS!
Victoria’s Secret Instagram has evolved massively. The brand was once criticised for favouring one body type and they really wanted to shake the ‘skinny girl’ narrative. They have shifted their content to be more inclusive, and we would say they have 100% managed that.
Their content is diverse and empowering and not only includes collabs with influencers, but with activists too. These include plus-size models, body-positive creators and LGBTQIA+.
They are no longer just showing off sexy lingerie, but they celebrate all aspects of femininity which they show through a variety of mediums including user-generated content and behind the scenes.
Key takeaway
Be aware of your audience. Victoria’s Secret knew they no longer wanted to portray one body type as that wasn’t relatable to their audience. This shift has paid off massively and their Instagram is a safe space for everyone!
So there you have it, our top 10 Instagram accounts to follow in 2025 - congratulations to all our winners and keep doing what you’re doing!