Parker Featured User Videos on Times Square Billboards

The pen brand turned a LinkedIn challenge into a high-visibility marketing campaign in New York City.

Updated on Sept. 25, 2026 in Marketing

Parker Featured User Videos on Times Square Billboards

Live Poll

Do you feel more positive toward brands that participate in online community social media trends?

Parker and parent company Newell displayed winning entries from an open LinkedIn marketing challenge on Times Square digital billboards. The brand selected 10 creator submissions for compensation after receiving approximately 350 entries from eight countries.

Why it matters

By integrating user-generated content into premium out-of-home advertising, Newell sought to celebrate the creative community while building brand awareness among consumers of high-end writing instruments.

Newell received approximately 350 total entries for its LinkedIn challenge, ultimately selecting 10 creators for financial compensation. The submitted work represented participants from eight different countries.

The players

Newell

Newell is a global consumer goods company that owns the Parker pen brand.

Kushagra Oberoi

Kushagra Oberoi is a digital creator who posted an unsolicited spec advertisement for Parker on LinkedIn.

Parker

Parker is a historic manufacturer of high-end writing instruments and luxury pens.

The details

Newell utilized consumer testing and internal brand fit metrics to evaluate which submissions would best resonate with potential pen buyers. The resulting digital billboard displays in Times Square transformed individual, unsolicited spec ads like those posted by Kushagra Oberoi into professional-grade public advertisements.

Newell detailed the results of its LinkedIn marketing campaign in September 2026.

Market Landscape

This campaign follows the broader industry pattern of corporations transitioning from top-down brand messaging to crowdsourced content creation. By utilizing user-generated content on high-traffic billboards, Newell is signaling a shift toward community-driven marketing in the competitive luxury goods sector.

Shoppers and pen enthusiasts may notice a more personal, organic style in future Parker advertising as the brand continues to favor creator-led content. This shift emphasizes direct interaction with consumers who value high-end stationery over traditional corporate-style promotion.

The takeaway

Brands are increasingly leveraging social media challenges to identify and reward talent directly within their customer base. Businesses can mirror this success by creating clear frameworks for engagement that align professional brand standards with the creativity of their own digital followers.