👉 Background: Crocs is the extremely comfortable, extremely ugly-looking sandal company that took the world by storm back in 2002. And, don't even forget the "Jibbitz" accessories that clip on to the sandals too.

👉 What happened: While Crocs has had an up and down history, it's really made its mark since collaborating with Justin Bieber in 2020. More recently, Crocs has partnered with a range of big brands and celebs to roll out new collections of their foamy shoes. And now, Crocs have announced a new collaboration with Maccy D's.

👉 What else: They've got Maccas sandals that are coloured in McDonalds' yellow and red colours. And, they've also got Jibbitz of Big Macs and Fries to extend their brand into a new vertical.

What's the key learning?

💡Brand extensions help companies expand their market reach and appeal to a broader audience. While on face value these partnerships seem a bit odd, they can help brands front of mind in another industry and generate additional revenue.

💡There has been a number of food brands that entered quirky partnerships like this:

• Oreo collaborated with Nike on a line of sneakers that were inspired by the cookie.
• In Australia, Vegemite partnered with Big W to create a line of clothing inspired by the spread.

💡But it's important for brands to choose the right partner that will actually appeal to consumers. A failed example was when Forever 21 partnered with the Atkins weight-loss brand in 2019. But Forever 21's target market of young, fashionable women did not appreciate being sent weight loss bars.