04.07.24: Edition #2

Halfway through the year ?? here's some exciting campaigns to take note of ??

Cool Brand: REFY & their Group Chat

• Refy have shown how brands should and could be using the new IG feature Instagram broadcast channel to build connection and community. The brand has been super innovative and has given its loyal community exclusive previews of collections, new drops, and exclusive competitions. Brands take note - it's a lesson in community building. Look out for a Papier one coming soon ???

Cool Partnership: Van Leeuwen Ice Cream x Sabrina Carpenter Espresso Ice Cream?

• Jumping on the song-of-the-summer, this partnership further proves the growing food and music synergy trend. I think this is really fun, simple & brand elevating for both - "Is it that sweet? We guess so" and even better, 50% of profits from the flavour’s sales will be donated to the Ali Forney Center. This organisation protects LGBTQ youth from homelessness.

Cool Partnership: Glossier, Inc. x USA Basketball teams for the Olympics??

• This is the brand's second foray into basketball partnerships and follows four years working with the WNBA. During this time, they highlighted players in campaigns and storytelling, including courtside signage, content collaboration, product gifting to players, and influencer events. This partnership emerges as US women's basketball enjoys incredible global popularity and unprecedented attention (Skims also did a partnership with WNBA this year). For Glossier, this is a great move at a significant sporting time and, as always, so aligned with Glossier’s community & brand strategy.? Read more BOF

Cool Partnership: The Bear x J.Crew

• The Brad got on The Bear hype as season 3 launched and created a workwear-inspired capsule emblazoned with the fictional Matter of Fak company logo. This isn’t the first time The Bear has worked with J.Crew - some of the show's creators & cast were part of a l campaign last year. This came about because in season one Carmy wore a J Crew cashmere sweater which fans were keen to get hold of. Another example of brands turning to TV to drive cultural relevance. I hear that it’s close to selling out, so go go go. Her

Cool Campaign: 宜家 “ Here Comes The Sun”? Billboard

• New OOH campaign from Ikea: This innovative installation aims to brighten the days of café dwellers—quite literally. The campaign utilises a GPS-controlled billboard to reflect sunlight into shaded areas, helping café-goers stay warm even in chilly weather. This creative approach is a brilliant example of how campaigns and products can be used interestingly—why stick to a billboard???Here

Cool Reads

• Which Fashion Brands Are Most in Tune With Their Customers? by The Business of Fashion is an interesting article that creates a matrix of buzzy brands by analysing the similarity between brand-produced content and user-generated content to show which Fashion brands balance consistent brand identities with cultural engagement.