Collaborative Marketing is So Much Fun ... But it Gets to a Point.
Collaborative marketing used to feel like magic. Two brands came together, smashed their creative worlds into one beautiful, fun little product, and audiences genuinely got excited about it. Think early 2000s McDonald’s x Disney collabs, or Adidas x Star Wars, or even the OG Taco Bell x Doritos Locos Tacos moment that literally rewired society. Collabs were fun, fresh, and meaningful. They made sense. But then something happened.
Brands realized that collabs equal buzz, buzz equals sales, and sales equal CEOs getting their (additional,) holiday bonuses. Then, suddenly the entire world turned into a weird, nonstop crossover episode that nobody asked for. At first, it was amusing. Then ... deeply confusing ... and now? Honestly? Exhausting.
When Creativity Turns to S%$t
Brands today treat collaborations like Pokémon, they want to collect all of them, even if the match-up makes zero sense. The logic feels like:
Does it spike engagement? ✔️
Will it go viral on TikTok? ✔️
Will it get press coverage because of how insane it is? ✔️
Does it actually serve customers in a meaningful way? … we’ll deal with that later. ✔️
The result? A flood of products that feel less like thoughtful marketing and more like fever-dream merchandise conjured in a stuffy boardroom at 3 a.m.
Let’s revisit some gems.
Rugrats x Grillo’s Pickles
Yes, “Pickles” is the Rugrats family name. Yes, pickles as a food item exist. But did we really need the worlds to collide?
Look, I love Rugrats as much as the next 90s kid, but even Tommy Pickles would crawl away from a branded dill spear. This collab wasn’t whimsical; it was wordplay stretched to its breaking point. Like … you’re uncharging us a few since because you slapped Phil and Lil on the label? Love me some Phil and Lil, but go away.
Goosebumps x BeautyCreations (2025)
Ah, yes. The jump-scare nobody needed.
Goosebumps was iconic as a book series and a TV show that traumatized an entire generation in the best way possible. But blending 90s tween horror nostalgia with makeup? It feels like someone said, “What if we made childhood fear … wearable?”
Cute packaging? Sure. Target audience alignment? Questionable. Will 12-year-olds buy it ironically? Idk?
Did society as a whole need a Goosebumps eyeshadow palette in 2025? That's between you and R.L. Stine.
Shrek x Dolls Kill
Shrek is a cinematic masterpiece. This is not up for debate. But … a Shrek-themed fashion line? With swamp-core aesthetics, questionable green mesh, and a “Donkey but make it e-girl” energy?
This collab screams, “We ran out of ideas, but this IP was affordable.” Wait, that should actually be Dolls Kill’s tagline. Shoddy if u see this, u can PayPal me my money.
KFC x Crocs
Crocs… that smell like fried chicken.
SHOES.
THAT.
SMELL.
LIKE.
FRIED.
CHICKEN.
Colonel Sanders did not fight his way through chicken recipes for this.
If your footwear experience includes “crispy scent notes,” please go stand in the corner and reflect.
Minecraft x Swarovski
Minecraft: blocky little digital worlds where everything looks like it was made in Microsoft Paint.
Swarovski: luxury, glittering, bougie crystals that scream “please don’t touch me with your greasy hands.”
Why are these two brands holding hands in public!? I love the commitment, but also... get help.
This collab SCREAMS “this solely exists as a pseudo-Mother’s Day gift where kids convince dad to buy mom something she might like (crystals? I guess?) with a tinge of a reminder they’re the mom of an iPad kid.” Like who else would this be for?
More Collabs Nobody Asked For
Let’s rapid-fire some equally baffling ones, because the list truly never ends:
Flamin’ Hot Cheetos x Mountain Dew — because apparently heartburn needed an expansion pack.
Star Wars x Le Creuset — cook your soup in Darth Vader, I guess?
Spam x Figgy Pudding — this was real. I wish it weren’t.
Crocs x Lightning McQueen — people bought these, with real money. These are the least offense on this list though, like I get it, but we have enough shit.
Brands are playing Mad Libs and calling it marketing.
Where Is All This Stuff Going?
Here’s the bigger problem: these collabs don’t just disappear when the hype dies.
They become:
thrift store shelves cluttered with novelty garbage
landfill fillers
products that literally nobody wants six months after launch and can’t even get sold on sale
impulse purchases that feel cute in the moment and embarrassing later
We’re living in a world drowning in overproduction, clothes, trinkets, themed makeup, plastic accessories, collectibles ... and brands keep adding more because the formulas “work.”
But “working” doesn’t mean “beneficial.”
It just means “profitable for like … 15 minutes.”
Why Brands Keep Doing It
Because collabs create:
Viral content. People love showing off weird products online.
Instant nostalgia. Even when it doesn’t make sense.
Low-effort novelty. Slap two logos on something and boom … innovation!
FOMO-driven purchases. Limited editions make people irrational.
The thing is … marketing isn’t just about being loud, it’s about being intentional.
Not everything needs a crossover.
Not everything needs to be merch.
Not everything needs to be “collectible.”
(Especially when it will be listed on Depop for $8 in a month.)
Collabs Can Be Great, When They Make Sense
Let’s be fair: good collaborations exist! Some are actually incredible:
Fenty x Puma — cultural reset.
LEGO x Adidas — cute, on-brand, great execution.
VS Pink x Love Shack Fancy — comfy cute heaven.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons x Seattle Aquarium — gaming meets educational that doesn’t feel forced.
These work because they meet at the intersection of:
aligned audiences
shared creative direction
quality designs
authentic brand values
Nothing feels random. Nothing feels thirsty.
Brands Need to Be More Intentional, Period.
We don’t need more landfill-bound ish.
We don’t need more novelty for novelty's sake.
We definitely don’t need a Pepto-Bismol x Bath & Body Works collab (but don’t give them ideas).
Brands should be asking:
Does this add value?
Does this serve our audience?
Does this product deserve to exist?
Are we creating items responsibly?
Is this sustainable, or at least not environmentally desctructive?
Consumers are getting smarter.
People are tired of clutter.
Most people can spot a cash grab from outer space.
The Bottom Line
Collaborative marketing can be amazing. It can spark creativity, nostalgia, and cultural moments that actually matter ... but brands have gone off the rails, and most modern collabs feel like parody versions of what the industry used to be.
We deserve better than made-for-clicks branding.
We deserve thoughtful, intentional, meaningful partnerships.
We deserve products that last longer than the trend cycle.
At the end of the day, we deserve fewer Shrek-themed crop tops, perhaps even none at all.
