After the recent news of a brand collaboration between Greggs and Primark, the question arose – what other partnerships and collaborations have worked best, historically?
Brand collaborations have huge benefits for consumers and brands alike. Whether it is the many small collaborations between organizations and service providers, or the huge brand and celebrity collaborations, the aims are nearly always the same – to expand ranges and promote business offerings to new audiences. Here is a look back at some of the best brand collaborations for inspiration.
Bentley and Breitling
With a collaboration that has spanned over 20 years, this is arguably one of longest collaborations. The Swiss watch brand joined up with the car manufacturer in 2002 and crafted the first clock which featured in the iconic Bentley Continental GT. Since then, the pair have launched several watches and clocks, helping the pair to build up their image of luxury, exclusiveness, and adventure. Last year, Bentley and Breitling launched the Premier B21 Chronograph Tourbillon 42 Bentley which is the final timepiece that the two brands have created together.
Adidas and Yeezy
A multi-billion dollar venture that is still expanding, the sportswear giant Adidas joined up with singer Kanye West, making their formal debut with the Yeezy sneakers back in 2015. The Yeezy line had been in the works before this with Kanye working briefly with Nike, but once the partnership with Adidas began, the brand went from strength to strength. It also raised Adidas’ profile, the partnership with Kanye working well to expand their target audience. Kanye West also has increased his wealth with the venture, receiving a $191 million check in 2020 for the partnership.
Oreo and McDonald’s
The cookie company Oreo joined up with legendary burger company McDonald’s to launch an Oreo McFlurry, a popular ice cream dessert. With the huge popularity of the cookies along with the popularity of McFlurrys, the joint venture worked a treat. The combination of Oreo with McDonald’s ice cream was a huge success with the public and the UK made it a permanent fixture on menus back in 2015.
Aston Martin and 007
A partnership that traces back to the James Bond Goldfinger film, Aston Martin and 007 is a mutually beneficial collaboration. When the DB5 car was driven by Sean Connery, it launched the car brand to new heights with sales through the roof. The partnership between the spy films and the car brand is still strong to this day with the most recent films starring Daniel Craig featuring new and unique models of Aston Martin.
Apple and Beats
Founded by Dr Dre, the iconic music producer, the company Beats which mainly offers speakers and headphones joined with Apple. In a deal worth $3 billion, Apple acquired the company in 2014 and the new partnership worked well with both having similar brand objectives and target audience. The pair launched a number of services before Beats Music was discontinued in 2015 and Apple launched its own music platform.
Air Jordans and Nike
As a hugely successful collaboration, other brands often see this as the benchmark for financial success when launching their own collaboration. With the first release in 1984, Nike worked with basketball star Michael Jordan on a range of sneakers, initially the Air Jordans, but now a whole range of products that transformed the Nike brand and basketball as a whole. Worth over a billion dollars, this has been a huge success.
GoPro and Red Bull
The successful technology company joined up with the energy drink company, Red Bull back in 2016 to enhance their brand storytelling and increase the international reach of both brands. From covering the Red Bull Racing Team during the F1 tournament to providing point-of-view action footage at events, the strategic collaboration has been a huge success for both brands.
Beyonce and Topshop
An instant hit, superstar singer Beyonce launched a range of clothes named Ivy Park with Topshop, owned by Sir Phillip Green with outfits such as leggings and crop-tops being available in the stores across the country in 2016. The range was a huge success for Topshop until 2018 when the singer ended the venture to collaborate with other brands such as Adidas.
Apple and Mastercard
The collaboration between Apple and Mastercard has massively changed how people pay in the UK. Launching the first digital card in 2019, the Apple card was integrated into iPhones in the Wallet app and used to make payments in stores. A convenient, fast, and secure method that allowed MasterCard the ability to gain new customers and Apple the opportunity to go down the payment route.
Spice Girls and Pepsi
A 90s match made in heaven, girl group Spice Girls collaborated with soft drink company Pepsi on a number of advertising campaigns including the hugely successful Generation Next campaign. It gained Pepsi great exposure with a fiver percent gain in the cola market and they sponsored the girl group on their worldwide tour.
Summary
So what is it that all great brand partnerships have in common? Firstly, both collaborators have to have some sort of gain in brand equity, or financial reward. Neither partner should ever lose any brand status, both brands should compliment one another beautifully, and above all – both brands should share similar consumer groups.
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