Some of the greatest partnerships are surprises. It’s not always about peanut butter and jelly—just ask Martha Stewart and Snoop Dogg.
However, normally there’s more that goes into an unlikely marketing partnership than one might expect. The best ones generate buzz, may promote innovation and even spur sales. In some unlikely collaborations, each partner's reach expands as the promotion touches previously untapped audiences.
Take the e.l.f. Cosmetics and Dunkin', formerly Dunkin' Donuts, collaboration. Coffee and makeup? Well, a limited edition, six-piece makeup collection created to look, feel and smell like a Dunkin’ experience sold out in 10 minutes.
Finding Inspiration Through a Platform
However random e.l.f. and Dunkin' appears, it was actually data-informed. Indeed, the e.l.f./Dunkin’ promotion materialized from a noticeable spark on social. “What worked for e.l.f. was tapping into their community to see what resonated and where it originated," says Liza Suloti, co-founder and chief communications officer at We Are Shadow, which worked on the unlikely partnership.
During e.l.f.'s reality show, “Eyes.Lips.Famous,” on TikTok, audience members were challenged to submit a Dunkin’ makeup look. It was a hit. As a result, "[e.l.f.] knew that there was something to lean into,” Suloti says.
In addition to the odd pairing of coffee and donuts with makeup, the numbers cast doubt on the pairing. Dunkin’ boasts 3.1 million TikTok followers, e.l.f. has just 46,300 followers. However, each saw an opportunity to reach new communities.
e.l.f. partnered with beauty influencer Mikayla Nogueira (12.4 million TikTok followers) as the official e.l.f. X Dunkin’ ambassador. Nogueira hosted a TikTok live shopping event on her channel, created a TikTok video, static posts for Instagram and YouTube content for e.l.f.’s channel.
Reaching Current Customers
While reaching new audiences is a benefit of unusual partnerships, in some cases, loyal followers of brands expect unusual campaigns.
For example, Cheetos' fanbase thrives on fun and creativity, demanding exciting marketing. Followers look forward to Cheetos' next big thing, says Jessica Spaulding, senior director of marketing, Frito-Lay North America.
“Whether it’s a fashion collab, a makeup line or an innovative tech experience, these types of partnerships allow us to activate in different industries while creating new fans along the way,” Spaulding says.
But when thinking about fashion or makeup AND Cheetos…you may wonder: How can we grab a t-shirt or apply lip gloss with all that cheesy orange powder, aka Cheetle, on your hands?
Enter a hands-free solution. In collaboration with Amazon, Cheetos created a Hands-Free House. Unveiled at SXSW 2022, its goal was showing fans how they could live their best hands-free life.
As such, the House was completely Cheetle-on-the-fingers friendly. It included tech-enabled entry, smudge-free remote controls and voice-activated appliances, courtesy of Amazon's Alexa devices. Every room was designed to showcase technology that can power activities normally requiring hands.
And for those who didn't attend SXSW, Cheetos offered a digital version of the House.
Similar to e.l.f.'s collaboration, Cheetos' audience inspired the unusual tie with Amazon. “They rock Cheetle on their fingertips as a badge of savory honor,” Spaulding says.
In addition to delighting Cheetos’ consumers, the activation had an added bonus. It put Cheetos on the radar of tech and innovation-forward media, who normally don't report about the crunchy snack.
Leaning Into Trust
And while off-the-cuff partnerships can be buzz-worthy, the examples presented above were intentional and illustrate brands treading carefully. Spaulding says “it’s easy to fall into the trap of becoming a stunt. [It’s important to] find synergies between both partners to create something longer lasting.” Spaulding encourages those involved to confirm they have a matching purpose and goals for not only the campaign, but their overall product.
Making sure you start with similar beliefs can expand on successes and ideas for the future, as Cheetos discovered through their partnership with Amazon.
"The Hands-Free House [brought] together hands-free technology and innovation, culture and food, showcasing how technology can be used to power everyday activities," Spaulding says.
Suloti agrees that any partnership ultimately needs to make sense for the brands involved, as the goal is not just an out-of-left-field relationship.
"When considering partners, there need to be shared values and ethos, with a mutually beneficial goal," she says.
In 2019, Adam Ritchie Brand Direction (ARBD) conceived a risky, yet rewarding campaign for Summer, which sells products for some of the most precious consumers—babies. Ritchie tapped digital artist Stephen Crowley, aka Photoshop Dad, for the gig.
Years before, Crowley went viral photoshopping his baby daughter into realistic-looking precarious situations. These included his daughter appearing to hold a kitchen knife or looking like she was climbing a tall ladder.
“He was called 'the worst dad ever' until people realized these were all digital creations, made to mark his infant daughter's return home from a bone marrow transplant,” says ARBD principal Adam Ritchie.
Still, Crowley might not have been the first pick for a company launching an HD baby monitor. However, Ritchie thought differently.
He tasked Crowley with creating images on the Summer monitor. The photos were scenes "parents never saw before they had this high-definition look into their nurseries," Ritchie says. Again, Crowley showed babies doing improbable and dangerous things. For instance, there's one of a baby appearing to climb a bookshelf. Another has a baby seemingly perched on the edge of a crib.
The collaboration of Summer and Crowley worked. A bonus, the effort raised thousands for a bone marrow registry.
“Unlikely partnerships require a leap of faith," Ritchie says. "But when they come together, [they] make complete sense as a finished package.”