For a column called Print Innovations, you’d be forgiven for thinking collaborations between brands don’t necessarily fit in the bill.

For years, amusing and surprising campaigns between brands have been clever ways to deliver products to new audiences and breathe a new life into brands looking to do something a bit different.

However, what is noticeable is the growth in collaborations in news brand advertising across print and digital — particularly ones tailoring their messages to the format and space they find themselves in.

Collaborations in news brands take advantage of highly engaging environments that provide context to campaigns lying beyond the boundaries of a brand’s normal positioning. In doing so, these collaborations can help advertisers signal anything from support for causes readers care about to cheeky, fun partnerships across industries that give their favourite product a new flavour.

Here are just a few examples of recent news publisher collaborations that take brand messaging to the next level.

Buxton and Mind

Mental health has become less stigmatised in recent times, with many advertisers launching specific campaigns to help readers overcome their struggles through awareness and support. However, with many still unable to access treatment, charities such as Mind are reliant on donations and awareness to continue the fight for better mental health.

This collaboration between Buxton Water, Mind, and The Independent does both. As well as raising awareness about the positive effects of exercise on mental health, Buxton and The Independent collectively raised £125,000 for Mind through the promotion of the campaign.

Aldi and Team GB

Supermarket Aldi is leaning into sport.

With the 2024 Olympics in Paris just around the corner, the supermarket teams up with Team GB and ParalympicsGB to bring shoppers’ kids a taste of sport this summer with free sessions at their local leisure centres.

What’s more, the contextual power of news brands has allowed Aldi to place the campaign in the sports section, right where readers are primed for its message.

Persil and Knorr

This is a particularly fun campaign from two Unilever stablemate brands: laundry detergent Persil and food stock staple Knorr. Doing away with the idea that dirt is bad, Persil encourages readers big and small to enjoy making a mess as it takes the work out of laundry.

Häagen-Dazs and Pierre Hermé

The dessert of the summer lands in this beautifully designed digital wrap. Häagen-Dazs brings a touch of the Champs-Élysées to pudding, giving macaron fans a new sweet treat to try.

Lloyds Bank and Crisis

Another advertiser using news brand advertising to highlight important causes, Lloyds Bank continues its long-standing association with homelessness charity Crisis to highlight the need for more affordable housing in the United Kingdom.

Disney+ and Uber Eats

Possibly the barmiest collaboration of the lot, streaming behemoth Disney+ goes to tiny lengths to promote its latest Marvel film, “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.”

Appealing to the classic night in of a film and a takeaway, Disney+ partners with food delivery company Uber Eats to bring readers a feast fit for an insect. Let’s hope they’re not too hungry.

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