Blood, Beer, and Shots in my Shoes
We’ve all heard about a new collaboration coming out from two of our favorite brands and thought, I just need to get my hands on those, no matter how impractical it may be. Other times we’re walking down the aisle of our local grocery store and see the weirdest collaboration, and no matter how unappetizing it may sound, it still ends up in our cart cause you just HAVE to try it.
These products are limited editions or even only have a handful that was ever made, but they still get the job done. That is because their only job is to shock the public and get people talking. Plus, the fact that there are only so many of them makes people want them that much more.
Can you think of the weirdest brand collaboration you have seen recently? I’m going to guess it was pretty easy as it has become trendy for brands to make a product with another well-known brand that, in reality, does not have much to do with their company. Doing this gets people talking about both brands and even creates a lot of sales simply because people are drawn to weird things. Whether it is a clothing item or food, chances are a lot of people will try to get their hands on it. A company that is very well known for this is Crocs; two of their most notable weird collaborations are Balenciaga and Margaritaville. While I don’t need crocs with heels or a shot glass on them, I will admit I spent much more than it is worth to get my hands on those Margaritaville Crocs cause I just had to have them. Another odd clothing item made through collaboration is Legos and Levi’s denim jacket. Now I don’t know about you, but stepping on a Lego is one of the most painful things, so why would I want to wear a jacket with Legos all over it? Well, because it's cool. Most times, these products end up being sold out in seconds and then resold for way more than the original price because people just cannot get enough of them.
Blood and beer, it’s all just liquid, right? Wrong; some more odd collaborations include Heineken x the Shoe Surgeon and the infamous Lil Nas X and Nike “collaboration,” more popularly called the Satan shoes. Heineken’s shoes, which have beer inside the sole, had a very similar story to the Crocs and sold out extremely quickly, still reselling for hundreds over the original price today. However, before these trendy Heineken shoes, another shoe had a liquid in the sole. Lil Nas X decided to sell a bunch of Nike shoes titled “The Satan Shoes” with human blood inside them; you heard me right, human blood. Now Lil Nas X did not have permission from Nike to do this, and frankly, it’s a bit unsanitary. So these shoes that sold out in seconds were recalled in a massive lawsuit. So, for goodness’ sake, please do not put blood in your shoes, and always have permission from another brand when collaborating!
Did you think weird collaborations stopped at shoes? Well, you are wrong; it has also spilled over into food and cosmetics. From mac and cheese flavored ice cream to bologna face masks, it's all over. As cheese has become very popular, Kraft decided to collab with Van Leeuwen Ice Cream to create a buttery, slightly cheesy ice cream flavor. Velveeta followed suit with Nails Inc., creating a cheese-scented nail polish; appetizing, right? Although one of the best weird food collaborations came from Cards Against Humanity and Target. They decided on a great way to sell their new cards; they would submerge them in a container of Clam-O-Naise. Yep, clam flavor mayonnaise, and somehow, they got Target to carry this product. This collaboration was so well done because it is such a weird product that, in reality, no one is buying for the product itself but for what is hidden inside. There are countless videos all over the internet of people opening up this Clam-O-Naise, so the brand itself does not need to do much advertising; the internet is doing it for them.
Are you still thinking of doing a weird collaboration after this? I hope so because this strategy has done so much for so many companies. It will get people talking about your brand in ways that would not happen without doing this and simply creates revenue. I know, as many others were, I was more than just shocked by Lil Nas X’s shoes, but I did say, “Did you see those shoes” about a hundred times when they first came out. I know I did not need a pair of Crocs with a shot glass and parrot on them, but I have them in my closet, unworn, might I add. So, go for it; try the weird collaboration; it will increase your sales and generate overall clout for your brand. Plus, customers like it when brands do cool and funny things; it makes them like the brand cause they feel more relatable and keeps them coming back, which will create brand loyalty for you. Plus, as we saw with Clam-O-Naise, this strategy creates free advertising for your brand, and you know the saying, ‘anything free is for me.’ Overall it will just help you stand out against the already overly saturated market for the product you are providing. Just remember, please get permission, and really, do not put human blood in anything.
AUTHOR: Natalie Prescott