Food and beverage marketers are using fashion collaborations — specifically handbags — to build emotional connection with consumers beyond the moment of eating. Here's what recent launches show.
Chipotle debuted the limited-edition "Big Ass Chipotle Bag," a 3-foot-wide, 170-liter version of its takeout bag that riffs on the oversized-bag trend.
"We took one of the most recognizable parts of the Chipotle experience, gave it an outsized upgrade, and created something that's impossible to miss," said Chief Brand Officer Fernando Machado.
Unreal partnered with designer Rachel Comey on the Coco Bag, which debuted at Comey's Spring/Summer '27 show during New York Fashion Week.
Unreal chose fashion because its core audience of millennial women values curation and self-expression. The brand is using tie-ups to attract first-time buyers and measures results through immediate consumer response and earned media.
Alongside a packaging refresh, Betty Crocker released three cake-slice handbags inspired by popular flavors, with details like its signature red spoon as a zipper pull.
Poppi worked with designer Grace Ling on a 3D-printed can bag, and Cadbury partnered with Luar on a crystal-clad, insulated clutch for chocolate bars.
Not every extension works. For limits, read When Your Brand Can Do Almost Anything. For another route into culture, see Gen Z Marketing Lessons From Smirnoff and Hinge.
To become part of consumers' daily lives and self-expression beyond eating, and to reach new audiences. Unreal uses them to attract first-time buyers.
The first drop on Aug. 25 at $89 sold out within a day, and a second drop on Sept. 10 drew thousands of shoppers queuing at once.
Unreal tracks immediate consumer response and earned media. Tying the item to loyalty sign-ups or a specific product, as Chipotle did, adds a sales signal.
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