No one creates great work alone. It takes a good idea, creative synergy and hours of collaboration to produce something —a product, campaign, execution—that grabs the Internet’s attention. Over the years, iconic collaborations and crossovers have dominated pop culture, like H&M x Maison Martin Margielia, Ghetto Gastro x Crugg, and Game of Thrones x Bud Light. When the right parties come together, at the right time, it makes magic. In this year’s Webbys, we saw an explosion of creative partnerships with brands tapping into new audiences through collaborations with creators, celebrities, large budget shows, and game creators. Whether their focus was bringing back Taco Bell’s Mexican Pizza, turning luxury luggage into NFTs, or unearthing corruption in the 2022 World Cup, the inaugural Webby Nominees for Best Partnership or Collaboration brought plenty of sparkle and shine to the Internet.
Explore the 2023 Webby Nominees for Best Partnership or Collaboration across Advertising, Media & PR; Metaverse, Immersive & Virtual; Podcasts and Social Podcasts. Explore the rest of this year’s nominees and vote for your favorite projects in the Webby People’s Voice Awards by Thursday, April 20th!
Advertising, Media & PR
These are the advertising campaigns and executions that packed the biggest punch through collaborations.
By pop culture standards, Taco Bell removing Mexican Pizza from its menu was one of the worst things to happen in 2022. However, Doja Cat bullying Taco Bell to reinstate Mexican Pizza was one of the best things to happen in 2022. By letting Doja Cat tell followers that her Taco Bell jingle is “contractual,” writing it live on Instagram, and then releasing it, this marked a new era for brands using celebrity influencers. Vote for them here, and get into it (yuh.)
Coors Light and Mischief @ No Fixed Address tapped Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes to promote their brand, without realizing that he cannot, in fact, promote their brand. To work around this, Mischief created a Coors Light flashlight for Mahomes to promote, coincidentally the same size as a beer can. Vote for them here!
To excite fans about the upcoming season of Ted Lasso, and reach a new audience of gamers, Apple spearheaded FIFA 23 x Ted Lasso. Since the launch of the Apple TV series, Ted Lasso’s marketing team has treated AFC Richmond, the show’s fictional football club, as a real team. And like all real football teams, being included in FIFA is a massive win for the team and for promotion. The partnership, and its culminating campaign film, marked the first fake team to enter FIFA. Vote for them here!
In honor of “Stranger Things” fifth season, Netflix and Domino’s created a new kind of crossover, giving fans the opportunity to order pizzas with their mind. Inspired by Eleven, a character with telekinetic powers, they used eye tracking, facial recognition and gyroscopic technology to create on-screen commands in the Domino’s app that responded to eye and facial expressions. These technologies let consumers use “real” telekinesis to enter the Hawkins Lab and order Domino’s right to their doorsteps. Vote for them here!
In 2019, Duolingo and HBO launched the High Valyrian course for fans of Game of Thrones to learn the series’ signature language. Ahead of House Of The Dragon’s premiere, HBO and Duolingo partnered again to give High Valyrian speakers a way to apply their new language skills — using an augmented reality-enabled app that let fans raise virtual dragons at home. Each dragon only responds to commands in High Valyrian. Vote for them here!
Metaverse, Immersive & Virtual
This year, consumer goods and food brands broke into virtual worlds with incredible Metaverse or Immersive collaborations.
Responding to a greater desire by gamers for mixed-reality self-expression, Burberry and Minecraft came together to launch a special collection that brought the brand’s outerwear to a fast-paced in-game adventure. Burberry: Freedom to Go Beyond turns players into a modern explorer on a mission to restore harmony, offering players Burbery icons, and creating immersive retail experiences at select flagships. Vote for them here!
McDonald’s partnered with creative director and content creator Karen X Cheng to celebrate the 2023 Lunar New Year. Known for sharing her experiments with digital technologies, Cheng created exclusive AR-powered designs for the Year of the Rabbit. The full collaboration features Cheng’s designs in an immersive 3D puzzle, and other experiences powered through Instagram’s AR Filter. Vote for them here!
AMBUSH, a luxury streetwear label by Yoon Ahn, teamed up with General Mills and creative digital production studio Active Theory to launch a limited-edition Reese’s Puffs cereal box, exclusive bag, and interactive experience dubbed the Breakfastverse. Tapping into AMBUSH’s signature colorful, intergalactic branding to redesign the cereal box and manufacture the Chrome Puff, a bag that doubles as a cereal bowl (spoon included). Using emerging technologies, they launched the Breakfastverse, an immersive game that lets players experience breakfast in a different dimension. Vote for them here!
German luxury travel brand RIMOWA brought their expert craftsmanship to the metaverse in a collaboration with RTFKT. They turned the unmistakable RIMOWA original aluminum suitcase into a collection of 888 NFTs and 888 limited-edition physical suitcases. Additionally, they released 2222 co-branded and co-engineered Workebot avatars for Web3 enthusiasts to begin exploring the Metaverse. Vote for them here!
In June 2022, Adobe dropped a David Bowie toolkit to honor the 50th anniversary of the late-rock star’s album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars. All of this was made in partnership with Bowie 75, the official campaign celebrating what would have been Bowie’s 75th birthday. As a part of this tribute campaign, Dentsu Creative Amsterdam helped launch Adobe X Bowie, an immersive gaming experience that lets fans explore Bowie’s dressing room and collect special items. Vote for them here!
Podcasts
The podcasting industry has also embraced the magic of collaborations. These Webby Nominees represent individual episodes or limited series made in partnership with brands and organizations.
Two well-known podcasts came together to tell the story of World Corrupt, an examination of the political complexities and corruption surrounding the 2022 World Cup. As a joint effort from Men in Blazers’ host Roger Bennet and Pod Save the World host Tommy Vieotor, World Corrupt takes listeners through the unethical work conditions and bribery present in FIFA, and asks what it means to be a soccer fan during the most fraught global sporting event. Vote for them here!
Houston’s Museum of Natural Science wanted to share the wonders of natural science with a wider audience. To achieve this, they partnered with content marketing agency Texas Monthly Studio, to produce a show for science enthusiasts to enjoy. In Naturally Curious, hosts Jodi and Own Egerton unearth the amazing exhibits and experiences the Museum of Natural Science has to offer. Vote for them here!
Intelligence Squared U.S. Debates is the premiere podcast to eavesdrop on the brightest minds in journalism. As part of a collaboration with the Homeland Security Experts Group, Unresolved: Information Disorder takes listeners through the “age of the information disorder,” and what can be done in the private sector to combat false information. Vote for them here!
As an artist, Iceland native Björk stands in a class of her own with albums that are hard to define. Made in collaboration with with Talkhouse and Mailchimp, Björk: Sonic Symbolism dives into the deep, and abstract yet emotional waters of Björk’s discography. Philosopher and writer Oddný Eir and musical curator Ásmundur Jónsson use each episode in the nine-part series to dissect an album with Björk, starting with her 1993 album “Debut.” Vote for them here!
In one of the year’s most wholesome collaborations, Headspace and Sesame Street came together to help young ones count sleep. Winding down for bedtime can be difficult for young children, who are infinitely curious and have endless energy. In Goodnight, World!, listeners can hear host Alan and Sesame Street characters embark on a journey to calm themselves down for better sleep. Vote for them here!
Social
Social content, campaigns or videos that stood out with their brand collaborations.
To promote season 3 of LEGO MASTERS, the hit reality game competition, FOX partnered with some of the world’s leading brands. They launched LEGO MASTERS: Tap to Build, a weekly social content series where fans could engage to make their own Lego creations. Using LEGO’s virtual kit building software, they focused on brands and programs like NASA, The Masked Singer, Marvel and NASCAR. Vote for them here!
Metallica already cemented itself in the “Stranger Things” universe after actor Joseph Quinn, who plays Eddie Munson, performed the band’s classic “Master of Puppets.” Netflix and Metallica built on this iconic season 4 finale scene by having Quinn join Metallica at the Lollapalooza music festival in Chicago. Netflix shared video of this special moment, and rehearsal’s leading up to it, with fans across social and sold Hellfire Club merch to commemorate the moment. Vote for them here!
JW Marriott collaborated with Lily Kwong, a landscape designer and influencer, to reimagine the outdoor spaces of their locations in Orlando, Palm Springs and Manhattan, with a focus on holistic wellbeing. The result was JW Garden, three unique botanical art installations that helped guests connect to local ecosystems. To promote both the partnership and opening of these gardens, they launched a social campaign featuring Kwong, and supported community garden efforts in the three cities. Vote for them here!
YouTube was looking for a sure-fire way to get people using YouTube Shorts. Naturally, they reached out to BLACKPINK, the world-dominating K-Pop group. In collaboration with the group, YouTube tapped into stans’ favorite pastime: dance challenges. In coordination with the release of BLACKPINK’s latest single “Pink Venom,” fans were encouraged to share participate in the #PinkVenomChallenge happening exclusively on YouTube Shorts. Vote for them here!
Business leaders and decision makers often lack trust in IT service providers, but trust brand recommendations from peers on platforms like Reddit. This insight inspired Dell Technologies and Intel to launch I.T. Squad, an animated comedy series that brought Reddit avatars to life. The series based on real Reddit conversations was not only a hit with Reddit users, but also brought Dell into this space with authenticity. Vote for them here!
Who will win the title “Best of the Internet?” See all of the 2023 Webby Nominees and vote for your favorite projects in the Webby People’s Voice Awards! Voting is open from April 4th through Thursday, April 20th at vote.webbyawards.com
