Bear Grylls' branded AMA shows sponsored Reddit done right

Gillette (Bear Grylls)

What happened

Bear Grylls did an AMA tied to a Gillette sponsorship where he answered survival questions candidly and with humor rather than pushing the product, which Mashable highlighted as an early example of a brand-sponsored AMA that felt authentic instead of like an ad.

The lesson

When sponsoring an AMA, let the personality lead and keep brand mentions minimal; heavy-handed promotion undermines the authenticity Reddit users expect.