Photo Restoration App – 20M views in 60 days (20x growth)

From Paid to Performance Remini is a photo editing company behind the Bending Spoons app, known for its AI-powered image enhancement tools. After relying on traditional paid ads, Remini partnered with SideShift to unlock creator-led growth and build a repeatable engine for brand awareness. The result? A 20x install surge in under two months—proof that waiting to find the right format is worth it.

Barriers

• Flat paid performance: Ads weren’t driving meaningful awareness.
• No creator access: Needed infrastructure to source and manage high-volume content.
• Format uncertainty: Early content didn’t resonate, it required testing.

Approach

• Format first: Spent early weeks testing hooks, visuals, and editing styles.
• Creator infrastructure: SideShift provided access to creators and streamlined production.
• Momentum over time: Once the winning format hit, installs grew 10x in under 30 days.

Results

• Hit 1M installs by Sept 1
• Doubled to 2M installs by Sept 8
• Surged to 20M installs by Oct 1
• Format testing unlocked exponential growth

Conclusion Remini worked because it waited. SideShift helped turn a photo editing app into a cultural moment—by finding the right format, building the right infrastructure, and scaling with precision.