10 inspiring and successful brand collaboration examples
ing time

10 inspiring and successful brand collaboration examples

Brand Collaboration Examples

Brand collaboration examples are everywherethese days. Some seem like matches made in heaven, like Spotify teaming up with Hulu. Others are a little more unusual, like Heinz joining forces with Absolut on a limited edition product range.

While the countless brand partnerships we’ve seen in the last few years all have their unique nuances, they do have one thing in common. Successful collaborations elevate brand awareness, help companies reach new audiences, and pave the way for phenomenal growth.

Whether you’re hoping to branch out into a new market, or you want to boost your brand equity, a strategic partnership could be just the secret weapon you’re searching for.

After spending years working with companies on co-branding strategies, brand image development, and partnership efforts, I’ve created this guide to some of the best brand collaborations I’ve seen.

Hopefully, the following will give you the inspiration you need for your next collaborative campaign.

What are brand collaborations?

A brand collaboration is a strategic partnership between a company and another organization, individual (influencer) and group, designed to deliver mutual benefits. In a collaboration, two entities work together to combine their resources, and expertise to achieve a specific goal.

Some companies invest in brand collaboration efforts to create new products, like Lego and Netflix, creating the Stranger Things collection. Others use collaboration to reach a wider audience. For instance, Uber and Spotify joined forces to reach a larger number of digital natives.

Whatever the purpose of a brand collaboration might be, the key to success is ensuring that both entities benefit in some way. As a prime example, one of our previous clients, Slamcore, partners with companies like RealSense, Nvidia, and ARM to create more powerful spatially intelligent tools.

Brand Collaboration Examples

In these partnerships, Slamcore benefits from access to resources, marketing materials, and technology that help elevate its core product portfolio. The company’s partners, on the other hand, benefit from access to a niche audience, searching for cutting-edge real-time location systems.

Brand collaboration vs influencer collaborations

One thing I should note before I dive into my list of brand collaboration examples, are there are different types of brand collaboration to explore. The most common option (the one I’ll be exploring most here), is a “co-branding” partnership.

Brand Collaboration Examples

Co-branding involves two or more companies working together to create and market a unique product that benefits their target audience. A good example of this is when HP and Bang and Olufsen combined forces to create computers with advanced audio systems.

Other types of brand collaborations can include:

Influencer partnerships

With influencer partnerships, companies work with individuals in their industry that already have a strong connection with their target market.

The individual users influencer marketing techniques to promote a brand’s products, increasing reach and revenue, while benefitting from access to free products, or commissions.

Sponsorships

In a sponsorship, a brand provides financial support to another organization, like a non-profit organization or sports team in exchange for exposure. The collaboration helps to boost the company’s visibility and enhance its reputation.

Cross promotion

In a cross-promotion strategy, two bands join forces to promote each other’s products and services. Usually, the products are complementary, rather than competitive. A good example is Sanrio (Hello Kitty) partnering with companies like Polaroid, Loungefly, and Funko Pop!

The benefits of successful brand collaborations

In recent years, demand for brand collaborations has increased significantly. One of the reasons for this is that every industry is becoming more competitive, and successful collaborations offer companies a great way to reach new customers, and increase sales.

With the power of collaboration, enterprises and small businesses alike can enhance their brand image, reach a broader audience, and access new resources. It’s the perfect example of a win-win situation for brand growth.

The best brand collaboration examples show us that strategic partnerships can:

  • Increase your market share: Collaborating with the biggest names or complementary brands in your industry is a great way to expand brand reach. You can tap into your partner’s existing customer base to increase sales, and explore new opportunities.
  • Improve resource optimization: The best brand collaborations give both entities access to resources they might not already have. You can work together on marketing strategies and product development campaigns, reducing the cost of customer acquisition.
  • Enhance brand image: Successful partnerships can even help draw new brand ambassadors and loyal customers to your company. Working with a well-known organization is an excellent way to make your company seem more trustworthy.

10 of the best brand collaboration examples

As I mentioned above, brand collaboration examples are everywhere these days. Countless companies across different industries are leveraging partnerships to design unique experiences for customers, create new product offerings, and boost sales.

It would take forever for me to share all of the amazing examples of brand collaboration throughout history, so here are some of my favorites from across the years.

1. GoPro & Red Bull: Stratos H3s

Let’s start with probably the most famous brand collaboration example in history: the GoPro and Red Bull branding campaign. Over the years, both GoPro and Red Bull have established themselves as lifestyle brands, with a common goal.

Both companies want to help customers access a lifestyle that’s adventurous, action-packed, and exciting. These shared values made the two companies the perfect partners for a marketing campaign that’s still attracting attention ten years later: the Stratos campaign.

With this campaign, GoPro and Red Bull partnered to sponsor Felix Baumgartner’s jump from a space pod more than 24 miles above the earth’s surface. While GoPro and Red Bull have worked together on a lot of campaigns since then, this was the first to really rock the world.

Why the brand collaboration worked

What made this co-branding campaign so effective, was the connections between the two brand’s personalities and identities. Both companies want to equip athletes and adventurers to accomplish more in their day-to-day lives.

Working together, the pair reinforced their positions in the market as innovators, reimagining human potential, and pushing the boundaries of what’s possible.

Brand Collaboration Examples

2. Uber & Spotify: Soundtrack for your ride

Back in 2014, when both Uber and Spotify were relative “newcomers” to the digital native landscape, they decided to join forces with their innovative products. The ongoing partnership is a great example of how two companies with very different products can work together towards similar goals.

With the “Soundtrack for your ride” offering, Uber can prompt customers to connect to the Spotify app, and choose the music they want to play throughout the trip. It’s a smart move, ensuring Uber users get a better experience, and Spotify gains more exposure.

Although the companies offered very different products, the fact that they had a similar target audience (younger, tech-savvy consumers), made the partnership a massive success.

Why the brand collaboration worked

Ultimately, both Uber and Spotify share a similar target audience, and a consistent goal. They both want to deliver a unique experience to their audience, whether it’s through convenient and cost-effective transport, or access to customizable playlists.

The collaboration meant Uber could achieve higher levels of customer satisfaction (increasing its retention rates). At the same time, Spotify has an excellent opportunity to connect with potential customers all over the world.

Brand Collaboration Examples

3. Taco Bell & Doritos: Doritos Locos Tacos

Doritos is already one of the biggest snack companies in the world, and Taco Bell is one of the most popular fast food restaurants, particularly in the US. Since they’re both food companies, they already shared a similar target audience when they decided to work together.

Frito-Lay essentially took the crunchy taco recipe already used by Taco Bell, and gave it a signature twist, with Doritos flavoring and a crunchy corn texture.

The newly created product became a massive viral hit, particularly thanks to the social media collaboration between the two companies, which also involved influencer promotion.

Now, the Doritos Locos Taco is still a popular pick for Taco Bell customers. The two groups have even worked together on the creation of new flavors throughout the years.

Why the brand collaboration worked

Like the other successful brand collaboration examples mentioned here, the partnership between Taco Bell and Doritos made sense because they already targeted a similar audience. However, the impact of the campaign was even greater thanks to an intelligent marketing campaign.

Frito Lay and Taco Bell advertised their new product by wrapping it in a classic Dorito’s bag, making it instantly recognizable to audiences. Within a year, the partnership led to more than 1 billion units in sales.

Brand Collaboration Examples

4. Nike & Apple: Apple Watch Nike

Here’s another of the best examples of brand collaboration that’s still driving results for both companies today. Nike and Apple have been working together for years – since the first iPod was released in the early 2000s.

Originally, the co-branding partnership offered a way to bring music from Apple to Nike customer workouts, via the Nike Run Club. However, over time, the collaboration has expanded, to the point where customers can access a whole collection of Nike-branded Apple watches.

These watches come with custom Nike sports bands, access to the Nike Rub Club app (already installed), and a range of customization options.

Why the brand collaboration worked

Both Nike and Apple achieved great results by finding a partnering brand to work with that complemented both of their target audiences, and introduced them to new ones.

With Apple, Nike can connect with a wide range of tech-savvy customers who want to use more innovative solutions in their workouts. With Nike, Apple can extend its reach to athletic customers, and people who use its Apple watches for training purposes.

Brand Collaboration Examples

5.  McDonalds & Burger King: A day without a whopper

This is probably one of the most unusual brand collaboration examples on this list. Usually, a successful partnership requires companies to work with complementary brands, not direct competitors.

However, McDonalds and Burger King’s partnership still had amazing results.

Despite being fierce competitors, the two companies decided to work together on a co-marketing campaign in 2019, where Burger King actively encouraged customers to buy McDonalds products.

At the time, McDonalds was donating $2 to childhood cancer charities for every Big Mac purchase. Promoting the Big Mac gave Burger King a chance to show its ethical, caring side, and convince customers that it cared about more than just profits.

Why the brand collaboration worked

The benefit to McDonalds in this partnership is clear: more people purchasing Big Macs. At a glance though, it might be difficult to see why the collaboration was a good idea for Burger King.

While actively encouraging customers to buy a Big Mac instead of a Whopper (and even removing the Whopper from their menu in some regions) probably didn’t boost Burger King’s sales straight away, it had a long-term positive impact.

It showed customers that Burger King cared, created buzz on social media, and ultimately improved the brand equity of the fast food brand.

Brand Collaboration Examples

6. Liquid Death & MeUndies: A killer collab

MeUndies, the online vendor of underwear subscription boxes, is no stranger to collaborations. They’ve worked with a huge range of vendors and well-known names, including Star Wars, Scooby-Doo, and Barbie.

However, the MeUndies x Liquid Death collab is one of my favorites.

For a limited time, both brands co-marketed their products on their social media platforms and websites. MeUndies drew attention to Liquid Death’s unique beverage, while Liquid Death showcased the unique underwear collections it created for the subscription company.

Although the link between refreshing drinks and underwear might not be obvious at first, the partnership was seamless. It led to a massive increase in brand awareness for both companies, and increased sales for the joint venture.

Why the brand collaboration worked

A big part of what made this brand collaboration so successful, was the connection between the personality of the two companies. Both are known for their humorous, and cheeky tone of voice, which made them excellent partners.

Plus, the partnership drew attention to one of the core values of both companies: encouraging customers to invest in self-expression.

Brand Collaboration Examples

7. Accurist London & Tour of Britain: The official timekeeper

As I mentioned above, the best brand collaboration examples can involve virtually any kind of partnering entities, from complementary brands, to companies sponsoring non-profits.

Accurist London, a Fabrik client, shows us how valuable a non-traditional partnership can be. In 2023, it became the “official timekeeper” of the Men’s Tour of Britain Cycling event, through a sponsorship agreement.

The collaboration also involved the creation of a new limited-edition watch, with a unique tyre tread pattern, and an eye-catching strap. There were only 100 units available, driving significant demand among cyclists, and Accurist’s existing audience.

Why the brand collaboration worked

There are a few reasons why I think this is one of the best brand collaborations I’ve seen in the last few years. First, it rose awareness for a health-focused event, and helped Accurist to reach a brand new audience of active customers, outside of its usual luxury-focused consumer base.

Secondly, the creation of a limited edition watch created hype for the two organizations, generating countless social media shares for the fashion brand, and increasing sales thanks to FOMO (Fear of Missing Out).

Brand Collaboration Examples

8. Arby’s & Warby Parker: The WArby collection

This is one of the most interesting brand collaboration examples I’ve seen for one key reason: It was actually just an April Fool’s Joke. Still I think it’s worth mentioning to showcase how two companies can collaborate on a marketing stunt that generates a lot of buzz.

A couple of days before April 1st, and on the day itself, Warby Parker customers could purchase Arby’s themed glasses and apparel, as part of the “WArby” collection. There were t-shirts, totes, limited edition hats and more featuring the company’s new “joint logo”.

Meanwhile, Arby’s sold food with boxes and packaging featuring the logo, as well as giving away onion ring “monocles” from a fast-food truck. The money generated from the campaign funded special donations to No Kid Hungry and Vision Spring.

Why the brand collaboration worked

While this collab was more than a little unusual, and definitely didn’t hit the right chord with all customers, it did have some upsides. First, it showed how companies could work together, even if they had virtually nothing in common, aside from a similar name.

Secondly, it allowed both brands to showcase their fun and playful sides, and draw attention to the charitable initiatives they wanted to support.

Brand Collaboration Examples

9. Louis Vuitton & BMW: The art of travel

A high fashion company like Louis Vuitton and a car manufacturer like BMW might not seem like the most obvious pairing. However, they definitely have a few important things in common. Both target affluent customers (for the most part), and value luxury.

They also both provide products connected to the travel sector. Louis Vuitton has its signature luggage lines, and BMW has its cars. These connections were more than enough to make the BMW and Louis Vuitton collaboration a success.

For the campaign, Louis Vuitton designed an exclusive range of bags created to fit within a new BMW car, and BMW designed the car, the BMW i8. Both products caught the attention of high-value customers, boosting sales for the collaborating brands.

Why the brand collaboration worked

Ultimately, this fashion brand and car creator collaboration worked because both companies had similar audiences (luxury buyers). They both wanted to appeal to customers who wanted meticulous craftmanship and high-quality items.

Working together allowed the companies to attract the attention of new markets, by tapping into their complementary audiences.

Brand Collaboration Examples

10. Kith & Coca-Cola: The streetwear collection

Finally, the Kith & Coca-Cola collaboration is another partnership that might seem unusual at first, but it actually worked incredibly well. The streetwear brand, Kith, worked with Coca-Cola to create an exclusive line of limited edition clothing and accessories.

The collection combined the iconic image and personality of Kith, with Coca-Cola’s unforgettable logo, and its unique color palette. Though the pairing might have been unexpected, it had a fantastic audience appeal, allowing Kith to boost its reputation in the fashion market.

At the same time, Coca-Cola strengthened its already growing relationship with a younger generation of new potential buyers. Plus, the branded clothing definitely gave Coca-Cola a boost in terms of overall brand exposure (if it needed one).

Why the brand collaboration worked

There are a few reasons why this brand collaboration worked. First, the merging of a fashion brand and beverage company is a little unusual, so it naturally captured a lot of attention. Plus, the visual assets of the two companies worked perfectly together.

Additionally, like some of the other brand collaboration examples I’ve mentioned, this partnership led to the creation of limited edition products, which increased the sense of urgency and exclusivity felt by customers buying the collection.

Learning from great examples of brand collaboration

Hopefully, the brand collaboration examples above have given you some of the insights and inspiration you need to dive into your own partnership.

However, before signing off, I want to share a few tips based on my own experiences working with collaborating brands:

Know your goals

Identify what you want to achieve with your brand collaboration in advance. Do you want to improve your reputation by showing your ethical side, increase sales for a specific product, or branch out into a new market?

Choose complementary brands

Although competitors can work together with careful planning, most of the best brand collaboration examples come from complementary companies joining forces. At the very least, your potential partner should have a similar target audience to yours or aligned values and goals.

Align your marketing strategies

Take full advantage of your partner brand’s resource to upgrade your marketing strategy. Invest in an expert content creator, work on shared campaigns across social media platforms, and promote each other constantly.

Test everything

Monitor and test the impact of your brand collaborations regularly. It’s a good idea to use social listening tools and monitor customer feedback, to ensure you’re working with the right partner to reach your goals.

If you need even more help with a successful brand collaboration campaign, work with the experts. Contact Fabrik today to learn how we can help you create the branding, products, and marketing campaigns that elevate your strategic partnerships.

Fabrik: A branding agency for our times.

Stewart Hodgson
Co-founder
Stewart Hodgson
Co-founder
Our co-founder, Stewart, is responsible for content strategy and managing Fabrik’s publishing team. It’s up to Stewart to bring Fabrik to busy marketers’ attention. As a regular contributor to Brand Fabrik, Stewart creates articles relevant to anyone in branding, marketing and creative communication.

  • Sign up for updates

    Sign up for your regular dose of Brand Fabrik and be the first to receive insights and inspiration.

  • Sign up for updates

    Sign up for your regular dose of Brand Fabrik and be the first to receive insights and inspiration.