Brands around the world collaborate with others to grab attention and generate more profit. There are classic collabs like Coca-Cola and McDonalds, or Red Bull and GoPro, but some of the more unknown ones have been just as incredible.
For example, when you think of Nike do you ever think of ice cream? Maybe not but, in 2020, Nike collaborated with Ben & Jerry’s to create the Skateboarding Dunk Low “Chunky Dunky” shoe, a basketball spin on Chunky Monkey ice cream. Who would expect that a sweet treat would be paired with something that goes on your foot? But it worked!
Even before it was released, it was projected to be the biggest shoe of the year for Nike’s skateboarding division. The Nike SB Dunk Low, the shoe that inspired the Chunky Dunky, had already become extremely popular, and even before the collab, it had won the prestigious Shoe of the Year award at the Footwear News Achievement Awards.
People across the US saw this unique shoe across social media and immediately bought it. In just a few minutes, the shoes were sold out on every Nike website and store. This led to crazy resale prices, with some reaching over $2800 from the original $100 that it retailed for.
Next, tomato sauce and vodka. They together make no sense, except for one thing: pasta alla vodka. Heinz and Absolut launched a Tomato Vodka Pasta Sauce in the UK in April of 2023. This partnership was genius because pasta alla vodka’s two most important ingredients, other than the pasta, are tomatoes and vodka.
The Heinz and Absolut partnership created a mini 350g jar of Tomato Vodka Pasta Sauce for only around $2.80, much less than a bottle of vodka. All people now had to do was add some of this to pasta and voilà, a creamy and flavorful pasta sauce.
Another unexpected collaboration was combining two foods that are almost complete opposites. Potato chips: one of the most mundane foods in the entire world. Caviar: one of the fanciest foods in the entire world. How on earth would they go together? Well, in September of 2023, this crazy concept came true when Pringles partnered with Caviar Co.
Before this happened, a trend of caviar and chips surged across social media, specifically TikTok. Pringles capitalized on this and reached out to Caviar Co. who thought it was a great idea to create the Caviar Pringles flavor.
Cans flew off the shelves almost instantly, not because of how popular the trend was but because people began enjoying it. People and even some famous chefs said the chips’ crunch and slight saltiness go perfectly with the smooth taste of the caviar.
Last but not least on this list is KFC and Crocs. Food and shoes… sound familiar? What is it with the marriage of food and shoes? In July 2020, KFC and Crocs released their limited-edition Crocs that featured a fried chicken print and a KFC chicken scented Jibbitz.
The idea is honestly not far from what KFC already sells with sandals, hats, socks, and even backpacks. Why people would want their feet to smell like fried chicken is a mystery, yet it was a hit. Like the “Chunky Dunky” shoes, these $60 Crocs completely sold out within 30 minutes of launch.
Maybe unique collaborations really are the best way to attract attention; all press is good press, after all. For me, the next big thing has to be Adidas and Dunkin’ Donuts. What’s more mouth-watering and fashionable than chocolate cinnamon rainbow sprinkle donut shoes? •