The Pitch: 5 Brand and Musician Collabs We Want to See
- Designer Emily Zhang
In an effort to reach devoted fans and assert their place in the culture economy, brands have a long history of tapping musicians for interesting collaborations to iconic—and often lucrative—results. From throwback hits like Britney Spears, Pink and Enrique Iglesias’ blockbuster commercial for Pepsi to Lil Yachty’s “Cold Like a Sprite Soda” jingle, adding a fresh take on a product for consumers and ensuring the musician is a fan of the brand is key—and if the collaboration comes with a jingle, good luck getting it out of your head.
For this edition of The Pitch, where we turn our cultural insights into creative ideas that are just wild enough to become real, we dreamt up five brand and musician pairings we’d like to see. As always, this is still pending review by our legal team.
Drake x Orville Redenbacher
The king of popcorn meets the king of corny lyrics like, “You toying with it like a happy meal”. The cornball Canadian rapper has graced our timelines most recently with the “Drake The Type of Guy” meme, and, of course, heated discourse around his latest surprise album, Honestly, Nevermind. We’d love to see our favorite movie night snack partner with the Toronto native on a limited-edition bag of popcorn. Pop some for your next listening party. Best served hot.
Olivia Rodrigo x the Department of Motor Vehicles
Fewer and fewer teens are getting behind the wheel and opting for public transit due to environmental concerns, among other reasons. Olivia Rodrigo has emerged as a role model for young fans, speaking out on voting as well as the importance of getting vaccinated against Covid-19. Perhaps the “drivers license” singer can give the ol’ Department of Motor Vehicles a refresh with an update on the classic public service announcement. After all, she did just have her NPR Tiny Desk performance at one.
PinkPantheress x Minute Rice
This British singer-songwriter-producer shot to fame when her song “Break It Off” went viral on TikTok. At just 22, the up-and-coming artist is about five decades younger than infamous instant rice brand Minute Rice. So why collab? The length of PinkPantheress’ songs all average out to about a minute and change, and by the time you finish one of her tunes, your Minute Rice will be ready. The perfect microwave meal (and soundtrack to bide your time while it cooks).
FKA twigs x Duraflame
No need to chop wood or gather twigs for your next fire. The FKA twigs x Duraflame “Firestarter” package is specially made to produce the most beautiful flames for an outdoor soirée or cozy night in. Watch the flames dance and set the mood with the accompanying dreamy, limited-edition vinyl.
BTS x I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter!
“Smooth like butter, like a criminal undercover.” BTS, the biggest K-Pop group in the world with a Billboard-charting hit “Butter”, goes non-dairy with America’s favorite butter alternative. And with tubs designed in BTS’ signature purple aesthetic, the ARMY (their fanbase) will be sure to sweep every supermarket for the exclusive drop. The margarine containers will do numbers in the eBay resale game, too.
