It might feel like the brand collaboration space is an overwhelming blur right now amid Barbie-mania and the Women's World Cup, but there are still some releases managing to attain internet virality.
Comic art collective Mschf, as per usual, is leading the way with a yellow Crocs version of its meme-worthy Big Red Boots, which have been cemented on everyone's news feeds since February. Despite not even officially launching yet, the chunky footwear is already listed on resale site StockX at a 306 percent price premium.
Another internet-breaker is music artist Travis Scott's custom merchandise for his new, already chart-topping album Utopia, made in partnership with Givenchy creative director Matthew M. Williams. Plus, Omega and Swatch are back with another timepiece following the hype of their last collaborative MoonSwatch — though, this time, consumers are voicing split opinions. More on that later.
Read on for our verdict on these brand collaborations. For this and more on brand collaborations in China and the rest of the world, be sure to subscribe here to receive the Collabs & Drops newsletter straight to your inbox every Tuesday.
Mschf x Crocs#
Date
August 9
Product Big Yellow Boot
Social context
The first Instagram post by Mschf (739,000 followers) gained 129,000 likes, and the second with Paris Hilton received 99,900 likes. Crocs' official Instagram post has 98,500 likes.
Verdict
- Crocs has recognized Mschf's ability to instantaneously break the internet with tongue-in-cheek designs that disrupt the norm — which is pretty much what the famously ugly footwear brand does itself.
- If you haven't seen Mschf's Big Red Boots all over social media, then you probably haven't been online.
- The Big Yellow Boot is already listed on resale site StockX at a 344 percent price premium. Enough said.
Travis Scott x Givenchy#
Date July 28
Product Custom Givenchy Utopia merchandise
Social context
Despite neither Travis Scott nor Givenchy posting about this collaboration, the post by Instagram user @hidden.ny gained 17,811 likes and the one by Matthew M. Williams has 27,700 likes so far.
Verdict
- Revealed via designer Alex Milsom's Instagram account, the custom Utopia Givenchy merchandise has received amazing feedback from fans online for its design.
- Givenchy creative director Matthew M. Williams has a close relationship with the music artist, which perhaps explains why the designs were posted on Williams' personal account and not the Givenchy brand account.
- Travis Scott's questionable reputation following the Astroworld tragedy in 2021 has made brands apprehensive to work with him, but his Utopia album proves the "cancellation" is behind him. Nine out of the 10 top songs on the Apple Music charts right now are from Utopia.
Omega x Swatch#
Date August 1
Product Moonshine Gold MoonSwatch timepiece
Social context
There are 63,161 posts with the hashtag #moonswatch on Instagram, and 20,390 posts of #omegaxswatch — Swatch's post has 15,376 likes. On TikTok, Omega x Swatch has 14 million views.
Verdict
- To celebrate Swiss National Day, Omega and Swatch have joined hands again for another MoonSwatch.
- Despite retailing for much less than a classic Omega timepiece, the new MoonSwatch is a collector's item because it's available for only one day in stores.
- It's all in the details: Each MoonSwatch comes with a certificate to prove that it was manufactured under a full moon in July.
- Consumer responses on social media are divided. Quite a few netizens are complaining about the quality of the watch, with some commenting that it is the "worst thing ever" and "getting ridiculous."