Photo by Calle Macarone on Unsplash
February 26, 2024
Is Campbell’s Exclusive Fashion Collab With Parks Project a Good Move?
Campbell’s is teaming up with Parks Project, an outdoor lifestyle brand that advocates for people and parks, to release a limited-edition capsule collection of winter-themed apparel bundles. This special release is dubbed the Campbell’s x Parks Project “Winter Warmth” collection. Each bundle will contain a reversible fleece — red reminiscent of Campbell’s soup cans on one side and an outdoor camouflage pattern on the other — with a matching beanie, available in various sizes for both children and adults.
Additionally, according to Campbell’s press release, “Each purchase will be accompanied by the original winter warmth go-tos for generations: Campbell’s Chicken Noodle Soup and Campbell’s Tomato Soup.”
“At Parks Project, we are very selective with our brand partners – Campbell’s is an iconic brand that is an authentic part of a camping and park experience. We’re excited to work with them to help us amplify our Leave It Better mission to inspire a new generation of conservationists.”
Keith Eshelman, Parks Project CEO, via Campbell’s
What sets this collection apart is its limited attainability. With only 75 bundles available, snagging one of these sets fosters a sense of exclusivity and community among buyers.
But it’s not all about fashion; it’s also about giving back. This exclusive line of outdoor apparel is focused on sustainability and support for public lands, and it’s available only on the NTWRK app. A portion of the proceeds will go to the Trust for Public Land nonprofit, which helps protect and preserve parks and public lands across the country. Campbell’s, Parks Project, and NTWRK have also announced that they made a donation to the Trust for Public Land and plan to participate in a park cleanup in Camden, New Jersey, “the proud home of Campbell Soup Company for the last 155 years.”
Furthermore, “Parks Project and Campbell’s are both committed to a sustainable future for generations to come,” according to the press release. “Parks Project is on a mission to inspire everyone to Leave It Better Than You Found It™. This mission is exemplified by over $2.5 million given to fund habitat restoration, advocacy, education, and volunteering projects in parklands across the nation since 2014 – a testament to Parks Project’s dedication to environmental stewardship.”
The current trends in the industry highlight the growing significance of collaborative fashion partnerships, emphasizing the potential for brands to unite and craft distinctive collections tailored to specific consumer groups. Limited-edition capsule collections are gaining traction, serving as a means to generate excitement and foster engagement among fans through their exclusivity. Furthermore, socially conscious collaborations are on the rise, with brands joining forces to support charitable causes and raise awareness about social issues.
These trends hold various implications across different sectors. Fashion retail can leverage collaborative partnerships to stand out and captivate customers with exclusive offerings, while the outdoor apparel sector explores innovative collaborations to develop functional yet fashionable clothing for outdoor enthusiasts. Additionally, e-commerce platforms are increasingly facilitating limited-time launches and exclusive drops to drive user engagement and enhance the overall shopping experience.
Since Feb. 22, fans have been able to enter the NTWRK app drawing to buy one of 75 Campbell’s x Parks Project “Winter Warmth” bundles. Winners will be announced on Feb. 27 at 8 p.m. EST, 5 p.m. PST via the app.
Discussion Questions
How can collaborative partnerships between iconic brands like Campbell’s and Parks Project redefine the concept of experiential retail, particularly in terms of fostering a sense of exclusivity, community, and social responsibility among consumers?
In an era where sustainability and social impact are increasingly important to consumers, how do limited-edition capsule collections like this serve as a vehicle for brands to communicate their commitment to environmental stewardship and charitable causes while also driving sales and brand loyalty?
What strategies should CEOs and industry leaders adopt to utilize e-commerce platforms like NTWRK to create limited-edition collaborations that resonate with audiences and drive engagement in the evolving digital retail landscape?
Poll
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Parks Project is a solid little brand and has some cute and quirky products for those interested in outdoor life. The collaboration with Campbells seems nice enough, but it’s very small scale – just 75 bundles are available. I guess this creates scarcity and urgency. However, having to register to be picked in a draw in order to make a purchase – and having to do all of that on the niche NTWRK app – is a complete faff. I can see that this might create some nice exposure for Parks Project and might draw a few people to the NTWRK app, but I fail to see how this does all that much for Campbells. In short, the whole thing seems very over-engineered.
Mmmm…
goodweird.So Campbells = sustainability ?? Who knew (who’d even guess)? I will admit I was puzzled by the headline, and, unfortunately, that puzzlement only grew after reading the article. I’ll forego my usual criticism here – I thought about saying it was “interesting”, but that might seem overly harsh – and just concede I don’t get it. (After it’s explained to me, maybe then I’ll think it interesting.)
The Campbell’s + Park Project fashion collab brings unique collections to a niche segment. Making it extremely limited to 75 bundles creates exclusivity and artificial scarcity. Topping the collaboration off with a socially conscious angle ticks off all the boxes. With proper segment identification and targeting, such a creative combination can add engagement tools for brands to consider using unique and limited-run collections. The third leg of this stool is the engagement venue. In Campbell’s and Park Project’s case, they chose NTWRK, the platform for “live auctions, exclusive drops, and curated collections from trusted sellers.” NTWRK is a mobile-first marketplace that emphasizes fresh content.
I see how Park Project and NTWRK benefit in this triad, but I am less sure about Campbell’s direct benefits. Given the volume here, it is not even a drop in the bucket for the company; they are using it as a learning experiment with the potential for new consumer insights.
Campbells and Parks Project have done a few smart things to make this partnership successful. First, it’s limited production, which for the consumer boost exclusivity but for retail, helps ensure sell-thru. Second, the buy season is early enough that if the collection does sell out, it’s early enough in the year where they may be able to produce more if they wanted to. Third, and important with partnerships, the collection is relevant and authentic to both brands and will be seasonally relevant, if not inspirational, to target consumers.
This is a good way to test a different type of partnership, a different retail/commerce channel and perhaps open up new revenue streams. For example if the Winter collection is successful, perhaps a Spring collection featuring Campbells Snacks could be successful tool.
Only 75 are available? Really, what’s the point?
I love collaborations. And one of my mantras is “create and manage scarcity”. So I should be applauding this whole scenario. But it’s more of an “A” for effort and a “huh???” for outcome. It’s a bundle of good ideas and intentions but I’m still scratching my head. The connective tissue just seems weak, capped with a distribution of 75 units. Odd. But then again, maybe this is some kind of Andy Warhol moment and I’m just not connecting the dots.
“With only 75 bundles available, snagging one of these sets fosters a sense of exclusivity and community among buyers.” Really? Just 75 bundles? Not sure it’s even worth the effort at that level.
I think Hefty Bags would make more sense than Campbell’s soup. This is a head-scratcher.
So Parks Project (PP) takes the former Boy Scout Motto (“Leave No Trace”), tunes it up a bit, and the registers as a trademark. And Campbell’s Soup decides sustainability has some legs so they come together with PP and make a bundle that is limited to 75 or so.
And it is way more than just a bundle! You buy it with the knowledge that you are “giving back”! Creative, for sure. Beyond that, it cannot be about the money, with only 75 available (am I reading that correctly?).
Sorry, but this just looks like more corporate virtue signaling to me. Go make better soup.
I think we are united in “this is an oddity.” And launching at the END of winter when it is 58 degrees in New York today only adds to “who thought of this?” Sounds like a C-level passion project pushed down to CMO.
Aren’t we on the tail end of winter? I question the timing…among a few other issues called out by ptger BT members here.
Such short-term associations are not new in the industry and often are tactical, striving for short-term brand recall and association while generating slightly more revenue. I fail to see anything beyond the aforementioned.