Best Major Brand Collaborations of All Time (McDonald's & Burger King)

Partnerships between brands typically occur for strategic reasons and bring several benefits to each when executed correctly. By colliding each brand’s unique insights, perspectives and creativity, companies can gain access to uncharted segments of potential clients, gain strategic brand positioning and enhance the overall brand image.

Nike & Sharpie

Nike and Sharpie’s collaboration based around the iconic Nike Air Force 1s was a huge success! These iconic shoes come with a twist - a sharpie marker for you to personalize your pair! The collaboration was inspired by a campaign called “More Than an Athlete” started by NBA player, Lebron James. Throughout the campaign, wearers were encouraged to write about themselves on the shoes, and tell their story.

Doritos & Taco Bell

If you were one of the billion people who purchased a Doritos Locos Taco from Taco Bell in 2012, same. The demand for this collaboration exceeded all expectations, so much so that Taco Bell had to hire 15,000 extra employees just to keep up with demand. Upon its initial release, it quickly gained popularity and eventually prompted the brand to add a second flavor, Cool Ranch.

Years before this partnership was launched, Taco Bell and Frito-Lay had been discussing something along these lines during a meeting, and although the two companies both wanted their products to taste the same, early taste tests did not reveal positive results. After years of contemplation, this collaboration became a success because it met and exceeded the public’s expectations because of the patience and attention to detail throughout the execution.

McDonald's & Burger King

The initiative was implemented for only one day, with McDonald's donating $2 for every Big Mac purchased to childhood cancer charities. The twist was revealed when Burger King announced that in order to encourage customers to buy the Big Mac instead, they would be removing their best-selling burger from the menu on "A Day Without a Whopper." The campaign not only helped raise money for charity, but it also got 206 million organic impressions from potential customers.

Uber & Spotify

This collaboration enabled Uber passengers to listen to their own Spotify playlists while riding. After the ride has been requested from a selection of enabled Uber drivers, riders were able to control music through both the Spotify and Uber applications.

Both parties were able to benefit greatly from this partnership in different ways. As riders are encouraged to sign up for paid subscriptions, Spotify gained the opportunity to acquire an entire segment of potential new subscribers. The results came back profitable, as passengers had overall better Uber experiences, therefore giving drivers higher ratings and increasing the chances of becoming consistent platform users.  

How Effective Are Brand Collaborations?

By leveraging strategic partnerships, brands can work together to benefit one another in many ways.  A successful brand collaboration can result in market expansion by the introduction of products or services to new audiences. Partnerships can also potentially lead to increased brand recognition and image through the cross-contamination of fan bases and assets, which can further lead to overall profitability for the involved parties.

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