Brand Collabs: Gimmick or Genius?
From fashion to Hollywood, video games to streaming hits, brand collaborations are everywhere, and drinks brands are often first in line to explore fresh ways to capture new audiences. But with the market awash with tie-ups, is it still a smart strategy to drive impact, or just more noise in the feed?
Today, brand perception is as important as product. In a highly visual world, what’s on a bottle is as important as what’s inside; and social media performance can carry more weight than sales metrics. It’s no surprise then that brands are moving beyond conventional advertising, choosing to embed themselves in trends, cultural conversations, fandoms… even politics.
But consumers, especially Gen Z and younger millennials have seen it all before. They’re fluent in marketing speak, and fast to call out the hollow from the heartfelt. The insta hero turned brand ambassador is becoming old-hat; today’s consumers want to know what’s really behind a partnership, and what it stands for.
Why Collabs Should (Still) Work
Well-considered partnerships deliver more than impressions. They unlock audience crossovers, elevate brand equity, and spark fresh creative energy. But the most effective ones go deeper… they feel like a belief system, not just a shared platform. It’s less about reach and more about relevance: “does this collaboration reflect my world, and what matters to me?”
Innovation + Authenticity = Impact
Pharrell Williams’ recent collab with Moët & Chandon marked the champagne house’s birthday with a limited-edition drop, celebrating optimism, connection and design. It balances modern cool with heritage luxury – taking inspiration from assets found in an 1889 archive – but without chasing a bigger cause. It resonates because it feels cohesive, not contrived, and has a splash of Pharrell flair. But will the desirability created through the hype drop be enough to see it through? Only time will tell…
Unlikely Matches, Real Results
Then there are the curveballs that do stick. The recent Heinz x Absolut Vodka pasta sauce collab tapped into a viral food trend, pairing unexpected brands with a pinch of humour and cultural timing. The result? 6.2 million views in a week and a 50% sales spike. WhistlePig’s non-alc cocktail launch with Alice Cooper brought the same energy; unexpected, but with a clear, compelling realness to its narrative.
What Does the Future Hold?
Despite the saturation, and the gimmicks (KFC-scented Crocs, anyone?) brand collabs can still hold power when they deliver something real, or a tangible benefit.
But the next era of partnerships moves beyond the hype drop. Consumers see through celebrity and novelty and instead are seeking shared purpose, relevance, and a clear “why”.
Longer-term collaborations that fund grassroots projects, or initiatives that champion sustainability or the underrepresented - that tell a deeper story, where both brands bring something real to the table - are starting to eclipse one-off product launches or collabs that offer flashy but shallow pairings. While it’s been around for a few years and seems an unlikely partnership, Innocent Drinks x Age UK’s ‘Big Knit’, which has raised millions through an intergenerational, values-led initiative, is a great example of what moves consumers.
The future is clear… from aesthetic appeal to ethical and inventive alignment. Collaborations that offer forced, overly commercial or surface level campaigns won’t cut the mustard. Success now isn’t just viral reach, it’s cultural currency, built on loyalty, realness, and a spark of creativity. Collabs that don’t simply sell something… they actually mean something too.