The year 2025 marked a significant evolution in brand collaboration, moving beyond simple co branding to strategic, culture shaping partnerships that effectively “broke” social media algorithms. These campaigns were characterized by their ability to generate immense Media Impact Value (MIV), drive high user engagement, and dominate online discourse. The most successful collaborations focused on fashion and beauty, leveraging celebrity power, cultural relevance, and unexpected product crossovers to achieve virality. Our analysis, based on a weighted methodology of media coverage, engagement, and discourse intensity, identifies the Levi’s x Beyoncé “ReiiMAGINE” campaign as the top ranked partnership of the year.
Methodology
This ranking is based on a quantitative and qualitative assessment of ten high impact retail partnerships in the fashion and beauty sectors during 2025. The final ranking score is a weighted average of three key performance indicators, designed to reflect the user’s request for a methodology based on media coverage, engagement, and online discourse.
| Metric | Definition | Weight | Rationale |
| Media Coverage Score | Based on estimated Media Impact Value (MIV), press mentions, and global reach. | 30% | Measures the sheer volume and value of external attention generated by the campaign. |
| Engagement Score | Based on social media interactions (likes, shares, comments, saves), sell out speed, and the creation of viral content (e.g., TikTok trends). | 40% | Reflects the active participation and resonance of the campaign with the target audience, which is the core of “breaking the algorithm.” |
| Online Discourse Intensity | Based on the volume and sentiment of online conversation, cultural relevance, and the ability to spark widespread discussion or debate. | 30% | Captures the depth of the conversation and the campaign’s ability to become a cultural moment. |
Each partnership was assigned a score from 1 to 10 for each metric, and the final score was calculated using the following weighted formula:
Final Score = (Media\ 0.3) + (Engagement\0.4) + (Discourse\0.3)
The Top 10 Brand Partnerships of 2025
The following table presents the top 10 fashion and beauty collaborations of 2025, ranked by their Final Score.
| Rank | Partnership | Sector | Final Score | Key Viral Driver |
| 1 | Levi’s x Beyoncé | Fashion | 10.0 | Cultural Icon + Heritage Brand + Massive MIV |
| 2 | Bad Bunny x Calvin Klein | Fashion | 9.4 | Viral “Thirst Trap” Imagery + Global Latinx Reach |
| 3 | Nike x SKIMS | Fashion/Athleisure | 9.3 | Discourse on Inclusivity + Performance Fashion |
| 4 | Rare Beauty x Tajín | Beauty/Food | 8.4 | Unexpected Crossover + TikTok Food Beauty Trend |
| 5 | Sabrina Carpenter x Dunkin’ | Beauty/Food | 8.4 | Pop Culture Alignment + “Espresso” Virality |
| 6 | Fenty Beauty x Sephora India | Beauty/Retail | 8.3 | Major Market Entry + Global Brand Expansion |
| 7 | Starface x Heaven by Marc Jacobs | Beauty/Fashion | 8.1 | Niche Streetwear Nostalgia + Cult Following |
| 8 | Rhode x Tate McRae | Beauty | 8.0 | Gen Z “Cool Girl” Aesthetic + Skincare Focus |
| 9 | Ariana Grande x Swarovski | Fashion/Beauty | 7.4 | Luxe Pop Diva Glamour + Limited Edition Drop |
| 10 | Venus Williams x Dior Beauty | Beauty/Wellness | 7.3 | Sports Sophistication + Luxury Skincare Bridge |
The Top 10 Brand Partnerships & Campaigns
1. Levi’s x Beyoncé: The “ReiiMAGINE” Effect
The collaboration between the heritage denim brand Levi’s and global superstar Beyoncé was the undisputed champion of 2025. The campaign, titled “ReiiMAGINE,” transcended a simple product launch, becoming a cultural event that dominated all three metrics. The partnership generated an estimated $65 million in Media Impact Value and over 4.3 billion impressions. The campaign’s success was not just in media buzz; it translated directly to business results, with Levi’s reporting an 8% sales surge in the women’s business following the launch. The high quality, aspirational nature of the campaign sparked massive online discourse about the intersection of fashion, celebrity power, and cultural influence.
2. Bad Bunny x Calvin Klein: The Power of Authentic Sensuality
Calvin Klein’s Spring 2025 underwear campaign featuring Latin music icon Bad Bunny was a masterclass in leveraging celebrity authenticity and viral imagery. The campaign generated a staggering $8.4 million in Media Impact Value in less than 48 hours. The images, shot by Mario Sorrenti, were instantly viral, generating a high volume of engagement across platforms like X (formerly Twitter) and TikTok due to their raw, sensual, and culturally resonant nature. This partnership successfully positioned Calvin Klein at the center of youth culture and global music discourse.
3. Nike x SKIMS: Redefining Activewear for Inclusivity
The launch of the collaborative sub brand Nike x SKIMS was a highly anticipated and heavily discussed event. This partnership scored exceptionally high on Online Discourse Intensity due to the conversation surrounding inclusivity, body positivity, and the merging of a performance focused giant (Nike) with a shapewear focused, body positive brand (SKIMS). While the launch faced initial production setbacks, the sustained media coverage and the massive, engaged following of Kim Kardashian and SKIMS ensured the campaign remained a dominant topic, redefining the future of performance fashion.
4. Rare Beauty x Tajín: Flavor Forward Makeup
In August 2025, Rare Beauty and Mexican seasoning brand Tajín launched the limited edition Rare Beauty x Tajín Cheek & Lip Set, bringing food inspired color cosmetics into the spotlight. The set includes a Soft Pinch Liquid Blush in a spicy new shade, Chamoy, and a Positive Light Luminizing Lip Gloss in Clásico, designed to evoke Tajín’s iconic flavor profile while delivering blendable pigment and hydration. Industry coverage noted the collaboration as part of a broader “gourmet cosmetics” trend, with brands tapping sensorial, flavor inspired designs to capture Gen Z attention and cementing Rare Beauty’s status as a leading innovator in playful, culturally rooted beauty storytelling.
5. Sabrina Carpenter x Dunkin’: Turning “Espresso” into a Beverage
Ahead of winter 2025, Dunkin’ unveiled a menu collaboration with pop star Sabrina Carpenter, leveraging the runaway success of her hit single “Espresso.” The tie in introduced Sabrina’s Brown Sugar Shakin’ Espresso, an iced drink combining rich espresso, brown sugar flavor and oat milk, alongside a refreshed winter menu that included a Lava Cake Signature Latte, Chocolate Whoopie Pie Donut, Hash Brown Brisket Scramble, and bakery items like an Almond Croissant and Iced Lemon Loaf. The partnership anchored Dunkin’s seasonal marketing and set the stage for a Valentine’s Takeover on January 29, demonstrating how music driven celebrity energy can translate directly into beverage innovation and in store footfall.
6. Fenty Beauty x Sephora India: A Landmark Market Entry
On August 7, 2025, Fenty Beauty and Fenty Skin officially launched in India, in partnership with Sephora India and Tira Beauty under Reliance Retail. The rollout brought Fenty into more than 50 physical stores across 16 cities, along with online availability, marking one of the most significant prestige beauty entries into the Indian market in recent years. Known for its inclusive foundation range and high performance textures, Fenty’s arrival was widely reported as a milestone for shade diversity in India and gave Sephora/Tira a high profile anchor brand in the booming premium beauty segment.
7. Starface x Heaven by Marc Jacobs: Pimple Patches as Streetwear
In May 2025, Gen Z skincare label Starface teamed up with Heaven by Marc Jacobs for a limited edition pimple patch capsule that blurred the line between skincare and accessory. The drop centered on a mirrored compact filled with 32 tattoo inspired hydrocolloid pimple patches, created by a roster of artists and designed to be worn visibly like jewelry rather than hidden. Each patch uses 100% hydrocolloid to draw out fluid and calm whiteheads while sealing them from bacteria, showing how a collab can combine genuine skin benefits with fashion forward aesthetics that speak “fluent Gen Z.”
8. Rhode x Tate McRae: Pop Girl Glaze
Hailey Bieber’s skincare brand Rhode tapped pop star Tate McRae in 2025 to front a campaign that expanded Rhode’s presence in the music driven beauty conversation. While specific sales figures were not disclosed, the collaboration leaned into Rhode’s signature “glazed” aesthetic and leveraged McRae’s rapidly growing fanbase, reinforcing Rhode’s positioning as a celebrity backed brand that can connect across both TikTok beauty and pop charts. Editorial coverage and social chatter framed the pairing as a smart move to keep Rhode fresh with younger consumers who discover products through music driven content cycles.
9. Ariana Grande x Swarovski: Crystals, Pop and Metamorphosis
For Spring Summer 2025, Swarovski released its third major campaign with ambassador Ariana Grande, crystallizing their ongoing collaboration into one of the year’s standout fashion jewelry moments. The capsule drew inspiration from 1960s pop culture and modern internet aesthetics, presenting vibrant, color saturated crystal pieces that Grande described as “uplifting and joyful,” and as part of a larger “metamorphosis” storyline in her partnership with the brand. The campaign helped Swarovski maintain strong relevance with younger shoppers and demonstrated how music celebrity collaborations can keep a legacy crystal house plugged into contemporary visual culture.
10. Venus Williams x Dior Beauty: Sport Meets Haute Skincare
Tennis icon Venus Williams continued her role as Capture Totale Ambassador for Dior Beauty into 2025, with a spotlight moment around Dior’s Spring Summer 2025 couture show in Paris. Coverage detailed Williams’ behind the scenes routine with Dior Capture products and her commentary on the show’s floral mythology theme, underscoring how Dior uses athletic ambassadors to give its high science skincare line a modern, performance oriented edge. The partnership exemplifies the growing trend of pairing elite athletes with luxury beauty houses to merge narratives of performance, longevity and glamour.
Conclusion
The most successful retail partnerships of 2025 demonstrated a clear strategy: cultural relevance over mere product novelty. The campaigns that broke the social media algorithm were those that tapped into major cultural figures (Beyoncé, Bad Bunny, Sabrina Carpenter), created unexpected, highly shareable content (Bad Bunny’s imagery, Rare Beauty’s food crossover), and drove meaningful conversations around topics like inclusivity and market expansion (Nike x SKIMS, Fenty Beauty in India). For brands aiming for algorithmic success, the lesson of 2025 is to invest in partnerships that are not just visible, but deeply resonant with the current social and cultural zeitgeist.
