The Marketing Mixtape: Big Wins and Bold Moves (August 18 to 25, 2025)
Rare Beauty x Tajín, Gap x KATSEYE, Pharrell x adidas and more: the standout campaigns of August 18 to 25, 2025 and the strategy behind each win.
The best campaigns this week did not just borrow fame. Rare Beauty x Tajín, Gap x KATSEYE and Skims x Post Malone each matched a partner to a real cultural habit, then gave fans a reason to join in.
About the Mixtape
The Marketing Mixtape is our running commentary on campaigns worth studying. The brands featured are not The Vibe Curator co. clients. We highlight them because the strategy behind the work is worth learning from.
Rare Beauty x Tajín: Authentic Cultural Fusion
Win: This limited-edition drop brought two icons together: Selena Gomez’s Rare Beauty and Tajín, the go-to Mexican seasoning. More than a themed collab, it’s a celebration of heritage, warmth, and zest, wrapped in bold cheek and lip hues. The campaign’s win is its authenticity: leveraging culinary and emotional nostalgia, plus a charitable edge, while inviting fans to share their own #RareRoutine. Culture, cause, and color converge in every post and purchase.
Gap x KATSEYE: Dance-Enabled Denim Dominance
Win: Gap’s campaign rides the viral wave by pairing with global girl group KATSEYE and their choreography to Kelis’s “Milkshake.” Gap said the campaign drew 20 million views in its first three days (Modern Retail). The win? Denim goes from basics to must-haves via TikTok dance challenges, street-savvy styling, and seamless social integration. Gap amps up relevance by meeting Gen Z where they live (music, moves and peer-powered momentum), all while giving the brand’s heritage products fresh new swagger.
818 Tequila: Fashion Meets the “Little Treat” Craze
Win: 818 Tequila leans into Gen Z’s “treat yourself” mantra, launching playful merch and collaborations that make small joys taste (and look) extra special. This win is all about tapping lifestyle, turning tequila into a mood and leveraging FOMO with limited drops, influencer support, and social buzz. It makes the brand part of everyday happiness, not just special occasions.
Millie Bobby Brown x Crocs: Star-Powered Play
Win: Crocs puts Millie Bobby Brown front and center, winning young hearts (and feet) by combining celebrity credibility with mix-and-match charm. This move makes creativity, comfort, and individual style the campaign’s calling cards, amplifying Crocs as a Gen Z badge brand with major mainstream heat.
Gentle Monster x Tilda Swinton: Avant-Garde Alignment
Win: Tapping Tilda Swinton for the “BOLD” campaign is a style coup, fusing fashion, film, and art. Gentle Monster wins by using high-concept visuals and cinematic star power to position eyewear as statement-making identity pieces, not accessories. This is cult luxury at maximal impact.
New Balance Clubhouse Berlin: Community in Action
Win: New Balance stakes its claim in urban culture by opening a Berlin kiosk turned sports clubhouse. The win? Transforming retail into interactive space, bridging IRL community, gamified experiences, and the brand’s sport/style fuse. Loyalty follows where memories are made, not just shoes sold.
Tyler, The Creator x Golf Wang: Nostalgia Reimagined
Win: Honoring “Cherry Bomb’s” 10th with a Golf Wang collab, Tyler shows that looking back can leap a brand forward. Nostalgia, music, exclusive merch, and physical pop-ups supercharge fan engagement and cement Golf Wang’s place as a culture maker, not just a label.
Pharrell x adidas Jellyfish: Imaginative Storytelling
Win: Pharrell and adidas create a universe, not just a sneaker. Surreal visuals, artsy storytelling, and creative tech make the shoes must-see (and must-WANT). The real win: positioning product launches as immersive, narrative-driven occasions, fueling community and conversation.
Post Malone x Skims Men: Bodywear Gets Real
Win: Skims doubles down on inclusivity, casting Post Malone to give men’s basics a dose of wit, grit, and authenticity. The win is twofold: star power equals awareness, but the unfiltered campaign voice turns followers into loyalists, making Skims a staple for all identities and body types.
The takeaway
This week’s mixtape is proof: behind every cool creative is a strategy that turns brand moments into brand wins.
Go deeper
Want the full playbook behind this? Read Brand Collaboration Examples: 12 Partnerships and What Small Brands Can Learn. 12 recent brand collaboration examples, from Gap x KATSEYE and Rare Beauty x Tajín to Pop-Tarts x Liquid Death, and the lessons small brands can use.
Keep reading
Brand Collaboration Examples: 12 Partnerships and What Small Brands Can Learn 12 recent brand collaboration examples, from Gap x KATSEYE and Rare Beauty x Tajín to Pop-Tarts x Liquid Death, and the lessons small brands can use.
How to Market to Gen Z in 2027: What Actually Builds Loyalty How to market to Gen Z in 2027: what the latest research says about discovery, trust, AI content and loyalty, plus a practical playbook for small brands.
Food and Beverage Brand Collaborations: Examples and How to Pitch One Food and beverage brand collaboration examples from 2026, why mashup flavors go viral, and a step-by-step guide to pitching and launching your own collab.
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Erika Gardner, Founder and Chief Strategist, The Vibe Curator co.
Erika Gardner founded The Vibe Curator co. in 2016. She leads brand strategy, websites, email and SMS, and fractional CMO work for growing brands from offices in Houston and Atlanta.
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