The Power of Cross-Brand Collaboration: Brands That Get it Right

Brand collaborations are all about turning your brand’s strengths into a winning combination by joining forces with another. The benefits are clear to see; In addition to getting people talking and leveraging the loyalty your customers have to another brand, they enable you to reach new audiences, utilise an existing fan base, generate buzz, and increase brand loyalty. 

It doesn’t matter if it’s a high-end fashion collaboration or a tie-in with a popular restaurant chain, creative collaborations offer endless possibilities. That being said, successful partnerships require work, intention, and careful planning.

The key to a successful brand collaboration – as with most things – is a deep understanding of your target audience and their wider worlds. It’s not just about choosing the right partner from a business standpoint – it’s also about choosing the best partner for your customers. 

Our team has compiled four shining examples of successful brand collaborations that have created something entirely unique and had a lasting impact. Here are just a few of our personal favourites. 

EA sports + Adidas

Bringing together a love of sports gaming with real-life sports apparel, Adidas and EA served up a highly engaging and innovative collaboration that is sure to be a hit with sports fans and gamers alike. Featuring a series of limited-edition Adidas shoes and apparel that incorporate elements form the FIFA video game franchise, such as team badges, player numbers, and colours, fans can wear their favourite game items in real life.

Providing both brands with a great opportunity to expand their audiences and reach, this partnership is a win-win for both brands.

Primark + Greggs

Taking us all by surprise, this brand collaboration got everyone talking. Together, these unlikely partners designed a limited edition fashion range featuring loungewear, T-shirts, and tote bags adorned with graphics inspired by Greggs’ iconic sausage rolls.

As a result of this unique collaboration, both brands can not only tap into each other’s loyal fanbases but also benefit from their overarching cultural relevance among younger generations. It was a clever collaboration that leveraged humour, built on their strengths, grabbed headlines and created buzz. Fantastic stuff. 

IKEA and LEGO

Name a more iconic duo. A creative collaboration like this is a match made in heaven. In addition to reinforcing both brands’ values – creativity, practicality and playfulness – it also delighted audiences, offering a fun and creative solution for parents and children.

Combining two leading brands that specialise in modular building, the collaboration created a range of storage solutions that incorporate LEGO’s famous building blocks and allow children to play and create while keeping their toys tidy.

Designed to be both functional and playful, this collaboration proves that two brands with different products and customer bases can work together to develop something truly innovative, useful, engaging and exciting.

ALDI and BrewDog

These collaborators saw an opportunity to go against the grain and defy expectations. With the aim of reimagining common industry tensions that see Aldi scrutinised over its familiar packaging, the two brands have collaborated to develop beers exclusively for ALDI’s customers. Featuring a variety of brews, from a hoppy IPA to a refreshing pilsner, BrewDog’s expertise in brewing unique and innovative beers is combined with Aldi’s commitment to offering high-quality products at affordable prices.

This is a shining example of well-conceived collaboration that challenged the way brands typically react to Aldi’s branding tactics – perfectly aligning with BrewDog’s disruptive persona.