Brand Collaborations /
This article appeared in Contagous issue Eighteen.
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global marketing communiy focusing on
non-tradiional media and emergng technologes
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expert opinion / brand collaborations /
Brand Collaborations / The days of temporary,
tacical pairings are over. Today’s alliances are
mutually beneficial, and built to las / By Tom Morton /
Recent examples of proper synergy, where two brands’ strengths
years have seen a remarkable courtship
multiply. Pairing a chic brand with a mass brand, such
ritual in marketing. Brands and media that had kept
as Matthew Williamson’s range of Sky Plus PVRs, might
their distance in fear of competition or blurring their self-
create temporary buzz, but it’s the marketing equivalent
image have started to pal up with each other.
of a trophy marriage. As utility becomes a stronger
Fashion and luxury brands led the charge. Theo Fennell
concept in marketing, a true collaboration should lead
crafted silver lids for Marmite; Karl Lagerfeld created
to the creation of a new form, something that would not
dresses for H&M; now Diesel is designing a version of
exist without the two brands. Lego’s collaboration with
the Fiat 500.
Star Wars created a range that was far more playful
Partnerships put brands into new people’s hands. In
and had more character than a typical collectable figure,
luxury travel, Virgin Atlantic, Scott Dunn and Descent
and generated over a billion dollars of sales for the two
struck exclusive deals with marques to supply guests
brand owners. The rationale for any partnership is to
with chauffeured cars. On a less grand level, everyone
create something you could not achieve alone. Brand
could enjoy Walkers’ Heinz Ketchup flavour crisps. In
collaborations are no different.
media, Publicis Groupe opened a joint venture with
The biggest factor driving brand collaborations is
Google, an organisation that Sir Martin Sorrell described
technology, as splicing software together is often easier
as a ‘frenemy’.
than changing the run on a production line. And we are
Suddenly Hunter S. Thompson’s description of
seeing more tech brands using collaborations as a route
something looking ‘as out of place as a pair of cashmere
to market. Google boasts a series of collaborations,
Levi’s’ sounded like a decent marketing idea.
lending its Maps and Earth technologies to enhance
An early issue of Contagious called these matings other brands. Yahoo! has been revitalised as the
brand alliances. It’s apt to choose a word from diplomacy iPhone’s default browser. Premier Inns built details of its
rather than marketing, because the weak versions of hotels in to TomTom satnavs. Expect many tech brands
these pairings can owe more to the calculation and to distribute themselves through other brands.
image management of diplomats than to the imagination
If collaboration is such a commercial opportunity, brand
of brand builders. Alliances can be tentative toes-in-
management needs to open up to it. The old ‘target
the-water, where brands pull back as fast as they go
audiences’ are better understood as real audiences.
in. They can be dynastic marriages, where a big ugly
They might be interesting for another brand. Their other
partner searches for a mate to bring some looks and life
interests might be a source of inspiration for a new
to the family. They can be trade deals, where bagging
business. Likewise, the notion that a single brand has
exclusive rights is a bigger consideration than giving
one key message is limiting, when a successful marque
value to the public.
connects with people through a cluster of activities.
The significant and lasting pairings are more than Here, its actual strengths and assets become more
alliances. They are brand collaborations. If alliance is useful than a dry list of values and personality attributes.
a diplomatic term, collaboration is a creative term: two Conversely, brands will need a new modesty about what
parties working together to make something new. The they can and can’t achieve on their own. Brand owners
real opportunities lie here. can stop protecting the white space around their brands
Collaboration brings two brands’ strengths together. and start looking for what they can achieve when they
Partnerships such as My Coke Music and Nike+ are blur it.
almost as familiar as individual brands. These are

contagious 66 / 67
TiVo + Domino’s Pizza
PlayStation + Nissan
Digital recorder TiVo collaborated with Domino’s
Gran Turismo is one of PlayStation’s biggest
to present an interactive ordering system, where
franchises. The game enables players to drive
Domino’s pizzas can be ordered, selected to be
real cars on real racetracks around the world. Its
delivered or collected, and then tracked all through a
high-definition outing on PlayStation 3 is the most
remote control /
realistic driving simulator available. Nissan’s new
GT-R supercar promises Porsche-challenging Choosing a Build-Your-Own-Pizza option, TV viewers
performance / can choose the crust type, plus select type and number
of toppings all from the comfort of their sofa.
My agency TBWA\\London and our sister company
The remote control becomes a journeying device
Stream saw an opportunity to promote both brands by
between the two services. For example; advertising
bringing real and virtual racing together.
points provide access straight from the advertisement
We created the GT Academy, a programme to recruit
into the digital ordering. The user need only click ‘I want
real racing drivers from the ranks of Gran Turismo fans.
it’ displayed on the ad with their remote control to be
Players from across Europe registered through Gran
redirected to the order. Subscribers of TiVo can even
Turismo Prologue’s online game on PlayStation 3. The
create a user ID to order their pizzas even more speedily
fastest gamers competed in national Gran Turismo
by visiting the Domino’s website and setting up a user
championships for a place at a rallying academy at
name and password, which will then provide them with
Formula One’s Silverstone racetrack. The academy
an account number. Thus the website and interface
then selected two drivers who underwent professional
work together to direct the consumer between the two
training to take part in the Dubai 24 Hour endurance
brands.
race in January 2009. 450,000 people followed the GT
The service function, which was launched in November
Academy online, while 25,000 gamers entered the initial
2008, is free of charge to all broadband connected TiVo
competition. Sales of Gran Turismo peaked during the
subscribers. Crispin Porter, the agency responsible,
competition period: Nissan’s GT-R built a waiting list of
claims that this led to an additional $100m in online
over a year.
revenue.
The journey from gamer to rally driver will be the subject
Heightening experiences is a natural area for brand
of a five-part TV series later this year, syndicated around
collaborations. When entertainment brands combine
Europe to channels including RAI Sports in Italy and
with food and drink brands they create a new area of
Dave in the UK.
‘couch commerce’.
www.granturismoworld.com/en/gt_academy
http://tinyurl.com/6g54rh

expert opinion / brand collaborations /
AC/DC + Rock Band
CNN + Facebook
Brand collaborations offer particular appeal to
President Obama’s inauguration gave CNN and
properties that need new routes to market. Recording
Facebook the opportunity to pool resources – CNN’s
artists will benefit especially from collaborations
live coverage and Facebook’s social network – to
that help them bypass conventional album releases.
create an online social event for the occasion /
Wired magazine reported that Aerosmith earned
Facebook users were able to talk to each other online
more from Guitar Hero: Aerosmith than any single
through the application, while from the same forum
album in the band’s history. Another fine example is
watch a live streaming of the event. This created a live,
AC/DC who presented an exclusive album through
dynamic social space where people could, virtually,
the popular Rock Band computer game /
watch and talk about the inauguration together.
The album, which contains the songs from AC/DC’s
During the event, Facebook reported that 600,000 users
famous 1991 Monsters Of Rock gig at Castle
updated their status during Obama’s speech through the
Donnington, was remixed specifically for the game,
CNN.com live Facebook feed. This had a competitive
offering game players over 99 minutes of play for each
edge over other networking sites in that, through the
instrument. As you might imagine, the collaboration
CNN application, viewers could communicate at the
is something of an endurance test. The difficulty of
same time as watching, providing a sense of immediacy
the game then reinforces the band’s status as skilled
– being involved directly in the moment as it happened.
musicians and true rock performers. AC/DC gained a
Both brands benefited from their joint creation. Facebook
wider, younger audience, many of whom were not born
became a channel for important shared experiences,
when the band was in its heyday. Rock Band gained
while CNN reached a younger audience than its usual
credibility and publicity as a game, as well as 99 minutes
35+ demographic.
of hard rock assault course gameplay.
www.facebook.com/cnn
MTV’s Paul DeGooyer captured the appeal: ‘An
unforgettable concert is now an ultimate at-home
entertainment experience.’
www.rockband.com/games/acdc
LoveFilm + Guinness
and the wider in-home film community,
The most basic brand collaborations
Guinness has positioned itself beyond its
give brands access to new markets
natural heritage at the bar and in to the
and audiences. Guinness and LoveFilm
growing home drinking market. The offer,
joined together to offer customers a
which ran in November 2008, was part of
free Guinness Choice DVD box set of
a larger campaign in which Diageo sought
film collections such as the Tarantino
to place Guinness at the heart of home
set, The Godfather Collection, Monty
entertainment. The bigger opportunity would
Python and Robert De Niro and Al
be for Guinness to create an ongoing
Pacino movies, when signing up for a
DVD rental property in order to cement its
month’s subscription to LoveFilm /
position in home entertainment and give
The promotion, found on multipacks
LoveFilm access to a new audience.
of Guinness, introduced the idea of
http://tinyurl.com/acffm2
‘Guinness Time’. By linking with LoveFilm

contagious 68 / 69
adidas + Stella McCartney
Doritos + Xbox
adidas has a long heritage of making shoes and
Technology can add engagement and audiences to
clothes for specific sports. Athletes as diverse as
almost any brand. Doritos and Xbox launched the
Jesse Owens, Muhammad Ali and David Beckham
challenge for fans to submit designs for an Xbox
have competed in adidas gear. While the wider
Live arcade game that somehow reflected Doritos’
sports industry clothes men well, women’s sports
brand character /
enjoy less of a profile and women’s sports clothing
This would be the first game created by the consumers
sees less brand innovation /
themselves. Tips for participants were to consider
adidas’ link with Stella McCartney marked the first time
aspects such as the intensity of the taste, the iconic
that a high-end fashion designer had created a functional
shapes or the bold packaging design.
performance range for women. Collections include Gym
Through the nature of the competition, fans were then
Studio, Tennis, Running, Golf, Gym Yoga, Gym Dance,
given a large expanse of time in which they had the
Swim and Cover Ups. The collection is available through
chance to engage and converse with both brands.
600 stores worldwide, including high-end department
Further interaction was also encouraged through invites
stores such as Harrods, and Nordstrom, as well as
to test five other games, and a forum for discussing and
adidas Sport Performance stores and selected sports
voting on their experiences with these games. Finally,
retailers worldwide.
fans were able to download and play the winning game
Both adidas and Stella McCartney benefit from reaching
without any cost.
new audiences and helping women who participate in
The winning game, Doritos’ Dash of Destruction,
sport.
features a Doritos delivery truck and a T-Rex dinosaur in
McCartney said: ‘I really wanted to change what I saw
a high-speed chase. The goal of the truck is to reach the
out there. Sports clothing for women, in particular
tunnel at the other end of the map, while the goal of the
sports performance was such an ill-dressed subject.
dinosaur is to eat the truck. Players can choose to either
The colours were very basic and hardly any variations in
be the dinosaur or truck.
design. I saw this as a real opportunity to put that right
The campaign generated one million Doritos site
and offer women something they could work out in and
visitors, of which 72% were newcomers. Time spent on
still feel good about the way they look.’
the site also increased to 11% during periods where
adidas claim the collaboration has exceeded their
users reviewed the games. Further, Xbox Live! saw more
expectations for sales, margin and image. As the range
than 160,000 Doritos theme packs downloaded, well
enters its fourth year, sales are growing by an annual
exceeding the known benchmark of 50,000.
rate of 20%.
Andy Roberts, reviewing the game at www.teamxbox.
www.adidas.com/stella
com, believes: ‘The coolest part of Doritos Dash of
Destruction is that you get to see what a unique project
it has been – where a non-professional designed a
game and won the contest, then saw it come to life
as an established developer built that game for public
consumption.’
Tom Morton is executive planning director
www.unlockxbox.com
at TBWA\\London
www.tbwa-london.com
Thanks to Mark Earls, Richard Huntingdon (Saatchi &
Saatchi London), Gareth Kay (Modernista!), Adrian
Langford, Ben Malbon (BBH New York), Frank Striefler
(TBWA\\Chiat Day\\Los Angeles), Silvia Bartels (Tequila\\
London) and Faris Yakob (McCann Erickson New York)
for offering examples for this article.