Stop, Collaborate & Twist ’Em
Enter the weird and wonderful world of unexpected brand collabs
Anyone noticed how bizarre and downright bonkers some brand collaborations have got recently?
Brand collabs have long been a staple of the brand world mix – we know that when you combine two brands or products in a meaningful way it can significantly increase interest, credibility and relevance for both. But when two seemingly unexpected and left field brands get together, it can generate the sort of viral buzz and shock factor PR other marketing ploys can only dream about.
Of course, that’s almost certainly the point. To introduce each other to a totally different audience, demographic and cultural mindset. And break the internet.
Recently, it seems, absolutely anything goes – the weirder the collab the better, in fact. Here are some we’ve enjoyed the most over the last year or so. Feel free to share any other good ones you’ve seen recently!
IKEA x Chupa Chups
This is crazy. IKEA and Chupa Chups have teamed up to create a Swedish meatball-flavoured lollipop (complete with gravy and lingonberry notes). A gloriously weird 2026 collision of two recognisable products – exactly the sort of thing that makes people stop scrolling and start sitting up.
Heinz x Heineken
As a World Cup collab, Heinz and Heineken finally joined the same team. They created a limited-edition six-pack containing five cans of Heineken and one bottle of Heinz Ketchup, alongside a co-branded football shirt – a great example of a partnership built around an existing cultural habit.
Liquid Death x Spotify
Liquid Death and Spotify went all the way to the afterlife with the Eternal Playlist Urn – a limited-edition funeral urn ($495!) which doubles as a wireless Bluetooth speaker, so you can play your faves after you're gone. Spotify even created an Eternal Playlist Generator, turning your listening history into a musical time capsule and giving the phrase ‘music for life’ a slightly darker meaning.
Domino’s x Garlic & Herb Ice Cream
OK, OK, more a brand stunt than a collab – but fun nonetheless. Domino’s has turned its cult Garlic & Herb Dip into a limited-edition ice cream, served on Brighton seafront to see whether beachgoers would swap their usual scoop for something more savoury. A gloriously unexpected way for the pizza brand to turn one of its iconic products into something to get people talking about.
KFC x Chicken Wine
This August, KFC has teamed up with France’s La Vieille Ferme (aka ‘Chicken Wine’) to open a four-day wine bar experience in Shoreditch, pairing fried chicken with wine. From popcorn chicken and sparkling rosé to hot wings and La Vieille Ferme Rouge, it’s a gloriously literal chicken-and-chicken pairing – or coq au vin if you will!
DASH x Pink Lady
DASH has teamed up with Pink Lady to turn one of Britain’s most recognisable apples into sparkling water, made with real Pink Lady apples and no sugar or calories. For Pink Lady, it’s a smart way to take a familiar fruit brand into a completely new category, reaching new shoppers and giving the apple a fresh, contemporary role beyond the fruit aisle.
London Museum x Morley’s
Not every collaboration results in a product. London Museum teamed up with iconic London chicken shop Morley’s to create a Sound of London DJ Collective, bringing together 12 London DJs for a programme of late-night events at the museum’s new Smithfield site. A wonderfully unexpected pairing of two very different kinds of London institution.
Pringles x Burger King
Pringles and Burger King decided not to settle for one crossover, creating a two-way snack swap. Burger King’s Chicken Royale and Bacon Double Cheese XL became Pringles flavours, before Pringles Sour Cream & Onion returned the favour by becoming a flavour for Burger King Chicken Fries – even inspiring a bizarre London ‘Snackout Booth’ designed to make people concentrate on the flavours.
And that, perhaps, is the secret to a great brand collaboration. It doesn’t necessarily need to make obvious sense on paper. In fact, sometimes the opposite is true.
Because when two brands from completely different worlds collide, they create something neither could have created alone – and, crucially, something people can't help but talk about.
What’s the weirdest brand collaboration you’ve spotted recently?