As history proves time and again, brand collaborations work when products or people find new audiences and both sides benefit. Think Taco Bell and Doritos. Think Nike and Off-White. And think when, with good intentions, the NBA paired with TikTok influencers Charli D'Amelio, Dixie D'Amelio, and Addison Rae last week at the All-Star game, but missed the shot.
 

Chasing Gen Z (who isn't?), the league's TV broadcast featured the girls on the court and in the booth. Later, the broadcast had them in Bulls gear. None are Chicago fans. They were also asked to show off a dance they didn't invent. That was Jalaiah Harmon. Meanwhile, the NBA’s older-skewing TV crowd and the younger TikTok audience were told to care about the other, but not shown why. Instead, the league in those moments treated itself as an afterthought, spotlighting not the game but adjacent props whose collective 60-million-follower-shine didn't return its glow, to no fault of the girls. Both products were siloed. For better or worse, brands and influencers will continue to help shape the next decade. For these mashups to work, a commonality must exist alongside what's for sale (food, shoes, music, personalities, etc.) by way of smart, orchestrated crossover that connects worlds and creates shared experiences. It requires authenticity and a thoughtful exchange of brand equity. And it means not blindly chasing the coolest new thing.