The State of Brand Partnerships, Activations & Influencer Impact: 2025 Market Trends

1. Headline Brand Partnerships Redefining 2025

This year saw a surge of boundary-pushing moves as brands teamed up for memorable, sometimes culture-shifting collaborations. These weren’t just business decisions—they generated genuine buzz, built communities, and set new expectations.

Balenciaga’s Under Armour collaboration — or “series,” as the Demna-helmed brand is calling it — has finally touched down in its entirety, and with it comes a sporty, slow-motion campaign lensed by photographer and videographer Joseph Kadow.

• Balenciaga x Under Armour: High-fashion met high-function, launching a collection blending performance and couture.
  Read more

• Ariana Grande x Swarovski: Pop icon meets iconic crystals for a line that sold out in hours.
  Source

• Formula 1 x KitKat, Bad Bunny x Calvin Klein, Sabrina Carpenter x Dunkin’ Donuts: These diverse collabs generated headlines and new audiences for each partner.
  See more 2025 collabs

2. Brand Activations: Immersive and Experiential

As the world finds a new “normal” post-COVID, brands are doubling down on experiences that genuinely resonate with audiences—going far beyond the digital.

Notable 2025 activations:

The Criterion Mobile Closet at TIFF

• Criterion Collection Mobile Film Closet: Bringing nostalgia and unique pop-ups to SXSW.
  Full story

• M&M’s at the Australian Open: Over a million visitors enjoyed prize games and exclusive flavors.
  Details

• Aveeno “Oat Oasis Café”: Wellness meets skin care—with sensory stations and custom oat lattes.
  See more

• Lush’s “Bloom a New Day”: Art, activism, and immersive art for social impact.
  Article link

3. Influencer Participation & Market Impact

Influencer marketing is bigger, riskier, and more nuanced than ever:

• The market hit $266.92B worldwide in 2025 and is expected to keep climbing.
  Data Source

• Micro- and nano-influencers are driving higher, more authentic engagement than “celebrity” creators. Brands are tracking real impact, not just vanity metrics.
  Trends & stats

• Still, pitfalls abound: poorly chosen partnerships have fueled backlash and eroded trust. When aligned well, influencer voices have created viral growth and new customer pathways.
  October 2025 trend recap

4. Key Takeaways for Brands in Our Markets

• Authenticity is everything: Successful partnerships feel organic—forced or fame-chasing moves don’t land.

• Create real moments: Invest in tactile, real-world activations that evoke emotion and inspire shareability.

• Niche > Mass: Smaller, engaged communities will outperform broad, generic influencer programs.

• Learn from failures: Track outcomes, gather honest feedback, and let data refine your partnerships.

Want More?

Contact us to discuss how these trends can translate into real results for your brand and how we can steer your next successful partnership, activation, or influencer campaign.

You can view full campaign videos, download reports, and see more photo highlights on our insights page at www.noahloveassociates.com

Sources & Further Reading:

• Best Brand Partnerships in 2025 (WCFA Global)

• Top Brand Activations 2025 (National Event Connection)

• Brand Collaboration Trends 2025 (Sky Society)

• Influencer Marketing Benchmark Report 2025 (Influencer Marketing Hub)

• State of Influencer Marketing 2025 (HypeAuditor)

• Trends in Social Media & Influencer Marketing, Oct 2025 (The Motherhood)

• Wildest Brand Collabs of 2025 (cuservi.com)