Brands blur boundaries to tap new consumers

BRANDS ARE TRYING TO CREATE A SENSE OF FRESHNESS. SOMETHING THAT FEELS CURRENT, NOT FORCED

- Charles Assisi

It's curious the way brands have started pairing up these days. You look away for a moment and find that things which once belonged to completely different worlds are now sharing the same sentence. Formula 1, long associated with speed, science, and swagger, now has KitKat on the side of its cars.

It makes you stop and think. Not in a dramatic way, but in that quiet, head-tilting sort of way. Why would a chocolate bar want to be seen on a racing machine? And why now? At first, it feels like a random branding experiment. But when you pull back and look at the broader pattern, something else begins to take shape. These aren't isolated gestures. There's a method behind the surprise.

What we're seeing is a kind of courtship. Not between people, but between brands. And it's not superficial. These partnerships are deeply calculated, with each brand reaching for something the other has.

Take Apple and Hermès. At first glance, it's an odd fit. One is a minimalist tech company known for its clean lines and clinical product design. The other is a French luxury house, steeped in old-world craftsmanship and leather. But place them side by side, and the intent becomes clear. Hermès gets to enter a world of younger, tech-savvy consumers. Apple gains something more subtle. It borrows an air of timeless luxury, and quietly nudges its smartwatch into the world of fashion accessories.