When one of the world’s most iconic beverage brands set out to ignite fresh excitement among urban Gen Zs, it meant leaving old playbooks behind and leaning into a bold new direction. Cue Lipton Ice Tea’s first-ever foray into fashion: a 90s-inspired streetwear collection conceived in collaboration with Cruel Pancake and guided by global creator agency, Billion Dollar Boy.
In this exclusive interview, Victoire Binet, Lipton Ice Tea Global Head of Brand Engagement & Europe Sr Marketing Director at Unilever, reveals the spark that triggered this unexpected mash-up of nostalgia and cutting-edge style—and how it’s propelling Lipton Ice Tea from “paying for attention” to truly earning it.
What was the brief?
Increasingly at Lipton Ice Tea we’ve found that the traditional ad model - of paying to interrupt consumers’ attention through mainstream channels such as TV ads - wasn’t cutting through the noise anymore.
We briefed global creator agency, Billion Dollar Boy, to support us as we evolve our model towards earning attention instead of buying it. Part of that process is building Lipton Ice Tea as an entertainment and lifestyle brand. Lipton Ice Tea has been a household staple for over 150 years which has its benefits but also its challenges - we’re well known but opinions of Lipton Ice Tea as a heritage brand can be hard to shift, especially when connecting with younger demographics.
The brief was open but specific - we wanted urban, European Gen Zs to be seen with Lipton Ice Tea. Billion Dollar Boy helped us to plan a fashion collaboration that would help Lipton Ice Tea to stand out culturally and position itself as a lifestyle brand.
How did the initial pitch/brainstorming phase go?
Lipton Ice Tea had been looking into this idea for almost two years. Eventually we found the perfect partner at the very end of last year (27th of December!!). When we officially met with Hugo Philip, one of France’s top make influencers, and the founder of streetwear label, Cruel Pancake, there was an instant chemistry and both of our brand worlds aligned rapidly, and to perfection.
What was the process behind ideating the concept?
The goal was to launch an original limited edition collection inspired by a 90s aesthetic. The collaboration is informed by consumer nostalgia for Lipton Ice Tea as a fridge staple during the era and its natural association with summer. We went back to the archives of Lipton Ice Tea and the evolution of the logo over the years - including in past advertising in the 80s, 90s and 00s.
We found in those assets a lot of humour, which we’ve lost in the past few years because we’ve become a mainstream brand. We’d lost an element of fun in our advertising, it had become boring and we wanted to bring back some sparkle. We saw launching a clothing collection as an unexpected and quirky way to do that.
What was the production process like?
The vintage collection focuses on high quality produce with vibrant designs including: Harrington jackets, shorts, bandanas, visors, towels and beach bags. We then appointed photographer, Ludovic Zuili, to highlight the campaign with a photoshoot on the sunny French Riviera.
The collection launched on July 13th with ‘Thirsty’, a co-created pop-up, held in Paris (3, rue Molière, 1st arrondissement). Creators and consumers were invited to visit from 10am to 6pm, with the chance to win exclusive items from the collection and the opportunity to explore the collaboration through the photo campaign, while enjoying iced donuts and signature drinks by Lipton Ice Tea.
For those unable to visit, a competition was launched on Cruel Pancake's Instagram page on July 5th, 6th and 7th for fans to play a Lipton-branded online game.
What was the biggest challenge during production? How did you overcome it?
As Lipton Ice Tea’s first ever venture into the world of fashion, we were in uncharted territory which brought its own challenges - it was a learning curve for us.
It also required us to let go of the brand guard rails and hand over control to a fashion creator - a high risk strategy with Cruel Pancake barely three years old. But we also knew that Hugo Philip’s intervention in the project and clothing designs was crucial. His vision helped us down from our traditional corporate standpoint.
The designs themselves were also challenging. They needed to be instantly recognisable, but with the logo stripped back. We returned to our archives to explore earlier brand codes with current typography.
Legal roadblocks also created hurdles to even getting the project off the ground.
What is one funny or notable thing that happened during production?
The launch of the exclusive fashion range has created excitement in the eco-system that we could never have anticipated. We started seeing pieces of the collection sold on Vinted, a sign that it’s already becoming iconic.
What’s the main message of this project and why does it matter?
Lipton Ice Tea stands for sunshine in a bottle, tangy colours and a passionate community which inspired the ‘That Summer Feeling’ campaign name and the clothing line.
This messaging aligned perfectly with Cruel Pancake’s DNA whose mantra is 'Give this World good energy'.
How long did it take from inception to delivery?
It was very quick, especially by our standards! After our initial meeting with Hugo Philip in January 2024, there was an instant spark and we connected creatively very quickly. We officially launched the 25-piece collection just a few months later, on July 13th 2024.
Can you describe the creative spark or inspiration behind the initial concept? Was there a specific moment or insight that ignited the idea?
At Lipton Ice Tea, we also take pride in our legacy of supporting creators. We recognise their amazing ability to reach audiences in entertaining and innovative ways that brands simply cannot replicate. They also understand their audiences better than any brand can, so are able to sculpt the partnership in a way that they know will resonate.
Hugo Phillip was our creative spark. He has an extraordinary eye for fashion and design, and his popularity meant we were able to amplify the reach of our fashion launch. Developing strong relationships with creators yields strong ROI, and creates the ultimate foundation for creators’ partnerships to thrive.
How did you ensure that the concept aligned with the brand's values, goals, and target audience?
The campaign messaging aligned with Lipton Ice Tea’s sunny brand profile, and continued our historic support of creator talent.
But, crucially, the campaign was actually very different to our usual approach, sharing our message in a new and unique way - that’s why it was a great campaign, it was designed to shake up perceptions among our target audience.
Were there any alternative concepts or ideas considered during the ideation phase? If so, what led to the selection of the final concept?
I’d spoken to partners about the concept on countless occasions but hadn’t ever felt like it was the right fit or the right time for the launch.
Can you discuss any collaborative or interdisciplinary aspects of the ideation process, such as working with other departments or external partners?
As well as our collaboration with Cruel Pancake, we executed a creator campaign to sustain buzz around the collection’s launch. In total, eight campaign ambassadors modelled the collection, sharing key campaign messages across Instagram Reels and Stories.
The ambassadors were supported by an influencer gifting programme with almost 200 gifted talent across France, the UK, Netherlands, Belgium, Australia, Poland, Turkey and the US. Additionally, 30 influencers wore the collection at Sziget Festival 2024, the second most attended festival in Europe which Lipton Ice Tea sponsored for a second consecutive year.
The creator campaign is designed to build awareness and talkability around the clothing line, expand reach, engage communities and assert the brand’s uniqueness, personality, and values among a younger generation of consumers.
What role did consumer research or market analysis play in shaping the concept and its execution?
It informed the strategic approach and the final look and feel of the designs. We know awareness of the Lipton Ice Tea brand is at 96% in France, so it’s difficult for us to get more awareness - but what we needed was to appeal to younger consumers.
Can you discuss any unique or unconventional production techniques or approaches used to bring the idea to life?
The photoshoot saw 92-year-old model Andres Garcia-Carro Crespo, ‘The Spanish King’, pose alongside Gen Z models to capture the nostalgia of the partnership.
How did you ensure that the concept remained innovative and stood out in a crowded marketplace?
We launched the collection as a limited edition range. The exclusivity element helped to create more of a buzz around the launch which was important for driving attendance at the physical pop-up.
It also created intrigue around a brand which is considered highly accessible to the average consumer. Exclusivity helped to position the Lipton Ice Tea brand in a new way - pushing the boundaries of our identity.
We didn’t want it to feel too exclusive though, so we did create an opportunity for fans who couldn’t attend the pop-up to win merchandise via an online game.
What do you hope it achieves for the brand?
With the campaign now complete we can reflect on some hugely positive results. Without any advertising, the pop-up was attended by more than 1,500 visitors during its six hour opening period, driven largely by Lipton Ice Tea and Cruel Pancake’s loyal fan-bases. Some fans stayed for the entire day and left with the entire collection.
More than 12,000 people have played the online game to win some elements of the collection.
The campaign also had other less expected benefits. It allowed us to speak to new audiences, including Elle and Grazia’s readership who were interested in covering the clothing collection. It also let us speak with different creators too, opening doors to some huge talent like Lena Situations, one of France’s top influencers!