Marc Ecko vs. Iron Chef America

Last Sunday, the Food Network aired a special Thanksgiving episode of Iron Chef America that featured the work of Marc Ecko. The fashion designer frequently judges the show, but this time he created custom uniforms for each of the Iron Chefs.


My Take
As lifestyle brands, streetwear labels use collaborations as a way of showing off their dynamic, flexible brand characters. I've seen lots of unusual collaborations, but this one is stands out because I love food culture but rarely see it cross over into youthful, urban territory. I'm not sure how much this helps Ecko or The Food Network, but it doesn't hurt it either.

This an excellent example of how lifestyle brands can use their instincts to make successful business decisions. From a traditional marketing perspective, the idea of pairing Marc Ecko with Iron Chef feels awfully forced, but the execution is natural and actually pretty cool. That's because Marc Ecko is genuinely interested in food culture.

With this successful partnership, I'd love to see The Food Network continue to experiment with lifestyle marketing as a way to engage the younger piece of their core audience.