exploring the Powerful Partnerships Shaping Culture Vol. 17
From Lime Bikes reimagining TfL’s “Good Service” updates into a witty London transport moment, to MAC’s viral Doja Cat chocolate lipstick stunt, brands are proving that cultural resonance drives attention. Crocs turns its iconic clog design into a phone case for the fashion-tech generation. Rhode’s Sephora launch shows how beauty can scale through community spectacle, and Apple levels up by dropping a Dua Lipa tour-life mini doc to showcase the iPhone 17 Pro.
Each case study highlights how smart cultural strategy—whether through wordplay, spectacle, collabs, or experience keeps brands relevant, shareable, and magnetic.
LIME BIKE
Tube strikes? Nothing to worry about.
Lime smartly positioned itself as part of London’s transport system by reworking TfL’s familiar phrase “Good Service on All Lines” into “Good Service on All Limes”. This tapped into cultural recognition, built trust by signaling relatability, and differentiated Lime as the everyday mobility solution that keeps the city moving.
A simple wordplay—swapping “lines” for “Limes”—turned a routine service update into a witty brand message. It was timely, instantly recognizable, playful, and perfectly reinforced Lime’s promise of always-on availability with a distinctly local twist.
What does one of the world’s biggest food creators and Doja Cat have in common? 🍫💄
An unexpected partnership that got everyone talking.
Mac tapped Amaury Guichon - yes, the viral “chocolate guy” - to craft an edible lipstick bullet for Doja to bite into on their latest campaign.
MAC’s Doja Cat ‘chocolate lipstick’ stunt at the VMAs wasn’t just a clever gimmick—it was a case study in how brands can win in the attention economy. By turning a beauty ritual into a shocking twist—lipstick as edible spectacle—MAC collapsed the boundaries between product, performance, and pop culture.
Three things make it especially smart:
Edible spectacle as cultural currency: In a scroll-driven era, the bizarre and unexpected are what cut through. A chocolate lipstick is not just surprising—it’s irresistibly shareable.
Pop star as performance partner: Doja Cat’s persona thrives on unpredictability, making her the perfect co-architect of this playful disruption. The act felt authentic to her, not forced by the brand.
Reframing the brand’s relevance: Rather than announce a new ambassador with a standard press release, MAC engineered a viral moment that reframes the brand as culturally sharp, experimental, and unafraid to shock.
This is how beauty brands stay at the forefront of culture: by creating moments that feel less like marketing, and more like living memes.
Rosalía Turns It Up | Calvin Klein Fall 2025 Campaign
Calvin Klein’s campaigns endure as some of the most effective in fashion because they sit at the intersection of cultural provocation and timeless minimalism. The brand has built a global identity on a stripped-back aesthetic that is instantly recognizable, while using bold, often controversial imagery to spark conversation and embed itself in pop culture. The Grammy Award-winning Spanish singer and songwriter is the star of the brand’s fall 2025 campaign, photographed by Carlijn Jacobs.
By consistently aligning with icons, Calvin Klein keeps its relevance anchored in the zeitgeist. Campaigns like #MyCalvins extend this further, turning self-expression into a participatory movement and amplifying the brand across social platforms.
Crucially, Calvin Klein doesn’t just market clothing or fragrance - it sells an attitude: confident, sensual, and boundary-pushing. This strategy has allowed the brand to own the underwear and fragrance categories, sustain global consistency, and remain culturally magnetic across generations.te
Crocs has teamed up with Seoul-based label SLBS to transform its signature clog into an unexpected arena: the phone case.
More than a quirky collaboration, this move taps into one of the fastest-growing lifestyle categories - phone cases as fashion accessories. No longer just about protection, cases have become daily statements of identity, the “new handbag” for a generation that rarely lets their device out of sight. Think Hayley Bieber’s now iconic lip balm case.
By extending its iconic perforated design into this space—complete with charm-ready holes and playful pastels—Crocs cleverly translates its most recognizable asset into a form factor people interact with hundreds of times a day.
Launching first with the Galaxy S25 Ultra and now for iPhones, the case reinforces Crocs’ brand DNA of customization, self-expression, and functionality while ensuring relevance in a fashion-tech crossover culture. It’s not just about carrying Crocs in your pocket—it’s about carrying the Crocs spirit into one of the most visible accessories of modern life.
RHODE X SEPHORA LAUNCH
The Rhode x Sephora launch wasn’t just about skincare. It was a case study in cultural growth, proving that beauty brands today must be more than products; they must be moments, experiences, and symbols of identity. Rhode’s ability to blend celebrity influence, experiential marketing, retail power, and digital virality positioned it not only as a skincare brand but as a cultural force.
As consumer attention becomes harder to capture, Rhode has set a new bar: launches are no longer just about shelves and stock—they are about spectacle, community, and creating history in real time. Rhode proved that with smart experiential strategy and digital virality, a brand can scale exclusivity while reshaping the conversation around retail launches.
When your new phone drops alongside a Dua Lipa mini documentary, that is strategy 🤝
Apple didn’t simply announce the iPhone 17 Pro. They dropped a Dua Lipa mini-documentary on the very same day.
Dua took a break from her extended birthday celebrations to collaborate with Apple on its newest Iphone17 release, documenting a day in her tour life. Apple’s latest Shot on iPhone 17 Pro film follows Dua Lipa through the highs and chaos of her Radical Optimism tour.
It’s more than a product demo — it’s culture in motion. By embedding the phone into the behind-the-scenes grind and the on-stage spectacle, Apple isn’t just showing off specs like 8× zoom or 48MP cameras. They’re aligning with the energy of global pop, the artistry of performance, and the intimacy of storytelling. Dua’s world becomes proof that the iPhone is the tool for creators at every level - whether you’re selling out arenas or capturing your own everyday stage.