Picking your Partners: Learnings from the best and meh-est around
From electric-charged smoothies to iced tea flavored lip balm, brand partnerships are having a moment — and not all of them are good. When done right, collabs build buzz, break boundaries, and give brands new life in unexpected places. When done wrong, they feel like April Fools jokes no one asked for.
As active participants in culture, brands aren’t stuck in their own category, consumer or experience bubbles. We as consumers want and expect to see brands out there, doing new things, surprising and delighting us. It’s tough for a single brand to take a huge leap outside their comfort zone, but there’s power in numbers. And whether it’s collaborating with a celebrity, organization, or other brand, partnerships are everywhere.
On the brand side, partnerships are a no brainer. They’re able to drive hype and new news without a ton of investment in innovations, campaigns, etc. And they’re a low-risk, high reward way to extend a brands’ reach - into new consumer segments, categories, flavor profiles, personalities, benefits, etc.
And for consumers, these partnerships keep the dry world of commerce a bit more exciting. You’re not just re-buying the same old ____, you’re getting a whole new experience from the brand(s) you love.
But, some partnerships deliver results better than others… even from the brands who are absolutely killing the collaboration game. We pulled some of Sister Mary’s favorite brands leaning into the partnership model - learning both/equally from how they do it at their absolute best, AND when they haven’t quite hit the mark. Because even the best don’t get it 100% right 100% of the time.
ERWEHON - Keep it aspirational
For a brand notorious for selling $20+ bottles of water and crystal-infused kale dreams, Erwehon’s whole model is to elevate the LA-health/foodie cliches.
AMAZING: Celeb Smoothies
Sip on the dream, with smoothie recipes co-created and adored by your favorite Hollywood icons and influencers. As US Weekly famously says “Celebs: They’re just like us!” And now you can be like them (by paying $20).
GOOD: Salt & Stone Smoothie
The Insta-famous deodorant-that-smells-like-perfume brand leans into a similar easygoing opulent California lifestyle as Erwehon, so it makes sense to see the two brands together. What’s less clear is - who wants a smoothie to taste like deodorant?
MEH: Chevy Equinox EV Smoothie
No offense, but when I think of LA scenesters’ whips, Chevrolet isn’t top of mind. This “Electric Juice” draws you in with its vibrant hue, but leaves us scratching our heads as to what either brand got out of it… besides Erwehon feeling like a sellout, and Chevy desperately trying to reach a more affluent market.
SCRUB DADDY: Extend your POD with meaning & longevity
A great example of how using partnerships can take even the most specific, non exciting use case brand into exciting new spaces in consumers minds’ and homes.
AMAZING: Benefit Pore Scrub Kit
From the kitchen sink to the bathroom mirror, this partnership shows how Scrub Daddy’s brand and unique scrub benefit can extend naturally into other parts of our lives.
GOOD: Donut Day Dunkin’ Scrubbers
For one of those obviously made up holidays, National Donut Day has a lot of fans - because who doesn’t love donuts? And cute donut shaped stuff? This was a nice little partnership to give Scrub Daddy something to talk about, but doesn’t really build lasting equity.
MEH: Spongebob Scented Scrubber
They’re both sponges… kinda? But Scrub Daddy’s whole thing is that they’re not just any sponge. So making their scrubber smell like pineapple and sticking an overly extended character on the pack is just making them feel like any other weak sponge. And kids still aren’t gonna want to help with the dishes.
VACATION: Sensorial vibe pairings
A masterclass in matching scent, texture, and cultural throwbacks, Vacation uses partnerships to deepen its retro escapism. The brand isn't just selling SPF — it's bottling a vibe, and the best collabs feel like they were plucked straight from a poolside daydream in 1993.
AMAZING: Arizona SPF Lip Balms
Dating myself, but the feeling I get remembering $.99 cans of Arizona is the same nostalgia Vacation is trying to tap into - those 90’s smells, tastes and snapshots that take me back to simpler times.
GOOD: Prince Tennis Ball-scented candles
Not only is Prince an icon of the era Vacation is tapping into, the smell of opening a fresh can of tennis balls is hard-wired to transport your brain to the resort clubs our parents dumped us in when they needed a break from the family vacation.
MEH: Le Puzz Vacation Snapshot jigsaw
I suppose the leisure time of vacations lends itself to doing jigsaw puzzles with the fam. But as the cool, fresh, modern take on a classic the Le Puzz brand feels less in line with Vacations’ retro cliche vibes than their other partnerships.
HOUSE WINE: Pair with & enhance your core experience
House Wine isn’t trying to be fancy; it’s here for good times, not tasting notes. The best partnerships don’t stretch the brand. They sit right beside it at the table, making the core drinking experience feel even more fun, familiar, and fuss-free.
AMAZING: Boxed Wine & Cheez It’s Pairing
From breaking out of the bottle to shunning traditional variants for easy ‘red’ or ‘white’ options, House Wine is all about making wine feel less stuffy and more everyday. So instead of the traditional charcuterie board, they paired an easygoing box of wine with an equally easygoing box of Cheez Its.
GOOD: Essentia for a water between glasses
We all know from experience that the key to hangover free wine is to alternate a glass of wine with a glass of water. With their dual-box, House Wine & Essentia made that even easier… although it reinforces the hangover risk in every pour of wine!
MEH: Baggu Pride
House Wine famously launches rainbow cans every June, and is a vocal supporter of LGBTQ+ rights - which we absolutely love. And we love the message on this Baggu tote. But the paper-thin, structurelessness that makes Baggu so convenient to keep on you for a grocery run also make it the worst possible way to transport bulky, heavy liquids.
HISMILE: Make it make sense
Often the biggest waves come from totally unexpected entities coming together - the job of the partnership is to make it feel like a duh for them to come together.
AMAZING: Lollipop-inspired oral care
Full-sugar lollipops: a dentists’ biggest enemy. But boring old mint flavored oral care is HiSmile’s enemy. So their partnership with Chupa Chups, while surprising with every piece of dental advice we’ve ever gotten, makes total sense with the brands’ enjoyment-first take on tooth care.
GOOD: Wonka’s chocolate for your teeth
A timely partnership promoting the new Wonka movie along with extending HiSmile’s indulgent flavor palette. This might not have legs beyond the movie’s launch, but it made waves at the right time.
MEH: The Simpson’s Squishee random tie-in
In its 36th (!) season, The Simpsons is beloved but not especially news-worthy equity. So this partnership seems random, but not necessarily in a good way. Why now? Why Squishee flavor?
HONORABLE MEH-NTION: Fried chicken fresh??
We still can’t tell if this is an April fools joke, even though they’ve doubled and tripled down that it’s for real. Either way, it’s funny and weird, but that’s still not enough to make me want to try it.
HEINZ: Elevate your icons
There aren’t many more iconic brands than Heinz out there - and through strategic partnerships, they make more of their most famous assets with partnerships that let them show up in new places.
AMAZING: Paint your house ketchup
In their partnership with Lick paint, Heinz translated their famous Pantone red shade beyond the bottle and onto your accent wall.
GOOD: Condiment accessorizing
In partnering with Kate Spade, Heinz’s most famous colors, shapes & packs became even more iconic, ready-to-rock accessories. (Less clear what Kate Spade got out of the deal!)
MEH: Another Barbie tie-in
Pink sauce was trending, everyone & their mother did a Barbie edition. But in losing their iconic colors in place of a gimmicky pink & blue tie-in, they lost points on originality AND appetite appeal.
LIQUID DEATH: Bring your edge to unexpected places
Liquid Death broke the mold of water, and they continue to use their dark humor and macabre aesthetic to partnerships that stand out in a way no other brand could.
AMAZING: Murder your dreams with Mary Ruth’s
A happy-go-lucky, crunchy health tonic brand X Liquid Death = clown-killing fever dreams and a great nights’ sleep.
GOOD: elf death metal makeup
Makeup collaborations are easy wins for any brand with a recognizable color palette. But elf moved away from their pretty side with the death metal-inspired looks inspired by this partnership.
MEH: Keeping it safe with Van Leewen
The concept is there… but without seeing any of the dark side from Van Leewen, it just seems like a new flavor in the Liquid Death lineup.
In summary, some partnership do’s and don’t’s for success:
- Keep it aspirational, don’t sell out
- Extend your difference meaningfully, don’t settle for low hanging fruit
- Look for like-vibed partners to complete your story, don’t slap your aesthetic on a random brand
- Enhance your core experience, don’t dilute it
- Make random make sense, don’t feel like an April fools joke
- Elevate your icons, don’t lose your brand
Want to build desire into your brand and category? Get in touch! halo@sistermary.nyc
