JUST A GIMMICK, OR SUBVERSIVE RECRUITMENT TOOL?

From fashion designers, musicians, drag queens and even now computer games, brands are increasingly collaborating with a wider array of public figures, as well as other well-known brands, to bolster their own. But does it work? Can brands really piggyback on their partner’s fanbases? And what kind of statements are such collaborations trying to make?

Yes, when it comes to attracting new consumers, we have gone waaaaaay beyond what goes into the bottle. As the countless bottle wraps from designer fashion brands now show, in this visual world we now live in, it’s what’s on the bottle that also counts. Yet, amidst the social, environmental and political flux of the past few years, the ever more diverse collaborations between drinks brands and partners outside of the industry, are truly taking things a step further still.