Ford team up with Sydney Sweeney
If 2023 had been anointed with a marketing theme it would have been 'collaboration'.
Partnerships and collaborations were everywhere this year - the main point for it was really for brands to team up with a 'creative muse' of sorts to push the brand narrative forward. To drive the brand story into new areas of exploration - offering audiences and fans new excuses to pick up merchandise and collectables.
The latest one to catch our eye - Ford x Sydney Sweeney (Euphoria star and Ford enthusiast).
Sweeney hosts a very popular car restoration channel on TikTok - so it made sense for Ford to deepen their bond with her, and clothing brand Dickies and get her to also design some branded clothing as a part of their arrangement.
@syds_garage meet and greet with my mustang, britney! can’t wait to get back in the shop and start on all the restoration work i have planned. ps even the jacket we made has racing stripes inspired by her color... #ad
♬ original sound - SYD
The new collection includes a dark indigo zip-up coverall, a tan unlined work jacket with light blue racing stripes on the back, and a cropped T-shirt. Pieces are finished with a “Syd’s Garage” custom patch and a Dickies logo patch. A corduroy hat and keychain are also available. - via
We can't help but have a bit of a chuckle at case studies like this because what it indicates to us is that modern brand building is very much about finding new avenues to entertain and tickle the 'cerebral delight centres' (our term) of audiences. As much as technology is changing the landscape, old processes of crafting the minds of the marketplace still very much have a place.
Marketers might do well to take a few classes in musical theatre, set design or 'how to stage a broadway show' to pick up some new skills to help with their future efforts.
These are indeed exciting times to be exploring the futures of brands.