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She explains Tony’s Chocolonely views itself as “an impact company that happens to make chocolate”, a vision which is very similar to how Ben & Jerry’s sees itself. She describes how the two brands “dated” for a time before deciding to embark on the collaboration to ensure they were a right fit for each other. The starting point for Primark in approaching its collaboration with Greggs was also creating joy among its consumers. Primark’s social media account also mysteriously displayed a Greggs receipt alongside a quizzical emoji. Ben & Jerry’s describes its approach to everything as combining “joy and justice”, meaning its brand partnerships need to provide one or the other, says Thorpe. The company has previously partnered with Netflix on a “Netflix and Chill’d” flavour, something she says tapped into the “joy” side. It might seem counter-intuitive for brands to partner up to stand out, but distinctive collaborations can generate buzz for those involved. Recent examples include Primark launching an apparel range with bakery chain Greggs and sportswear brand Adidas collaborating with fashion brand Gucci.

Raymond Reynolds, the Greggs business development director, said that customers had “continually asked” for Greggs branded clothing. “Fans can quite literally show their love for Greggs on their sleeves,” he said. Lees advises that before brands embark on partnerships, they must look at their existing and target customers to understand their habits and which other brands “are in their ecosystem”. Seemingly unlikely partnerships are the bread and butter of fashion collaborations. “Whether it’s Burberry x Vivienne Westwood, Supreme x Louis Vuitton or Balenciaga x The Simpsons, it’s all about catching the customer unawares,” says Anthony McGrath, course leader in fashion marketing at London College of Fashion and founder of the Men’s Style Blog. A seemingly unlikely collaboration, but one that made perfect sense to the city's Greggs fans who excitedly bought up the entire range within hours of it going on sale in Newcastle on Saturday, February 19.

A match made in heaven?

Greggs has yet to reveal the clothing line, and whether it will feature prints of its iconic baked goods, however one PR image shows a simple hoodie featuring the Greggs logo. The limited-edition range of 11 pieces will be available in 60 stores. By redesigning and relaunching the uniforms as part of a subversive ’Street Meats’ collection, we were able to elevate what was already a core asset for the brand into a modern and future-facing piece of collateral that could be used to connect with younger audiences in an authentic way. Repurpose old ‘hype’ tactics to create a new kind of cool What are your opinions on this collaboration, will you be rushing to a Primark near you to buy something?

While this trend is only in its infancy in the UK, collaborations between FMCG, F&B or CPG brands and the world of fashion have become almost de rigueur over the pond. From Panera’s ‘soup’ swimsuits and SunnyD’s bold bobble hats, to the release of Oscar Mayer’s revamped ‘Hotdogger’ uniforms to the public [which BrandOpus worked on], the ‘merchi-fication’ of brands is one of the more humorous marketing trends to evolve in the last few years. While in the fashion industry brands have been grabbing attention through collaborations for years, recent times have seen some more unexpected tie-ups.

Choosing a partner wisely

Those wearing the Greggs label ‘can poke fun at high fashion and be proud of who they are’. Photograph: Greggs/Primark

The clothing line developed between the two brands will include 11 pieces sold across sixty stores. Greggs business development director, Raymond Reynolds explained that customers had “continually asked” for Greggs branded clothing. He highlights that now: “Fans can quite literally show their love for Greggs on their sleeves.” Alex Econs, merchandising expert and founder of printing company, ICON Printing, said: "With a large number of merch released over the past year and from the news coverage and social media storm we’ve seen it generate, it’s undeniably a great marketing tactic for brands. Tim Kelly, the director of new business development at Primark, said the retailer was looking to team with brands “we know [our customers] love” on clothing ranges and in-store experiences. Take a look at the full collection below and see if there’s anything you’ll be rushing to buy this weekend. The hype was to create impact for the launch of a planned fashion line on 19 February, coinciding with London Fashion Week.Yet I’m loath to put Greggs in the same box as Wetherspoons and Primark. There is a nostalgia to Greggs pastries, born of after school treats and work breaks and a national consensus on the merits of sausage, bean and cheese melts. What’s more, the business is committed to causes and communities local to its branches, and has been since 1939 – and god help me, it’s pastries are good; hot, flaky, the pasty just the tiniest bit squidgy on the inside, the warm buttery aroma emanating through that paper bag, with its familiar blue and orange lettering. I’ve been there; I’ve eaten it – and whilst I draw the line at buying the t-shirt, I rather suspect this will be one of the most iconic collabs of all time. However, for Ben & Jerry’s the object of the partnership is not driving sales or buzz, but impact. The partnership focuses on the cocoa supply chain and sees the ice cream brand join Tony’s Chocolonely’s mission to make chocolate 100% slave free. For Ben & Jerry’s and Tony’s Chocolonely that synergy is the shared commitment to values, for Primark and Greggs it’s great value and a sense of humour.

The starting point is always our values,” she adds, saying that discussions around how the partnership would come to life in terms of marketing and communications came about after the two brands decided they were a good fit in terms of purpose. We were challenged by our chief executive Paul Marchant to find exciting and new ways to delight our customers in every store every day,” says Lapwood.

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We looked at the chocolate industry and saw that it can be a very inequitable place for cocoa farmers,” says Kerry Thorpe, Ben & Jerry’s head of communications.