Why Are Luxury Brands Playing with Food? The Marketing Trend You Need to Know

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Hello Everyone,

Lately, food isn’t just about what’s on the menu—it’s becoming a marketing powerhouse for brands across industries. From Rhode’s viral donut collaboration to GUCCI’s luxury gelato, even non-food brands are cooking up creative campaigns to capture audience attention.

But why is food the new branding strategy? And how can startups tap into this trend?

Let’s dig in.

Why Are Brands Using Food in Marketing?

1. Emotional Connection – Food evokes nostalgia, joy, and comfort. Associating your brand with these feelings enhances brand recall and emotional engagement. A well-designed food experience can create a lasting impression on consumers, making them more likely to develop a positive association with your brand.

2. Shareability & Virality – Food-based campaigns are Instagrammable, making them highly shareable. Who doesn’t love snapping a picture of aesthetically designed food? The rise of TikTok and Instagram Reels has made visually appealing food campaigns a sure way to generate organic buzz.

3. Cross-Industry Collaboration – Partnering with food brands or creating a limited-edition edible product allows non-food companies to reach new audiences. This helps brands break into different customer segments and leverage the loyal followings of food brands.

4. Experiential Marketing – Pop-up cafes, interactive tastings, and food-based branding create immersive experiences that go beyond traditional advertising. People remember experiences more than ads, and food-based activations are a great way to make your brand memorable.

5. Multi-Sensory Engagement – Unlike traditional marketing that relies mostly on visuals, food-based marketing engages multiple senses—sight, taste, smell, and even touch—enhancing consumer interaction and making your brand experience more immersive.

Brands That Got It Right

Rhode Beauty x Krispy Kreme – Hailey Bieber’s beauty brand launched a strawberry-flavored peptide lip treatment, alongside custom Krispy Kreme donuts. The result? A viral campaign that sold out in minutes. The collaboration also cleverly tied into Rhode’s pink and glossy branding, making it a seamless marketing move.

GUCCI Gelateria – GUCCI took its luxury lifestyle branding to the next level by opening a high-end gelato shop in Italy. Customers didn’t just buy ice cream—they bought into the GUCCI experience. This initiative reinforced GUCCI’s exclusivity and gave fans an accessible way to experience the brand.

Jacquemus Café & Pop-Ups – The fashion brand transformed food into fashion by opening limited-time Parisian cafés. The aesthetic lattes and pastries aligned with Jacquemus' chic minimalism, making it a social media sensation. Fans flocked to the café not just for the food, but for the brand experience.

Balenciaga’s ‘Margarita Glass’ Handbags – A cheeky nod to cocktail culture, Balenciaga’s launch of margarita-glass-shaped handbags turned heads, proving that food-themed products work beyond actual food. This type of conceptual product marketing blurs the line between fashion and lifestyle branding.

Glossier’s ‘You Look Good’ Fruit Stickers – The beauty brand added fun fruit-themed stickers to their packaging, making their unboxing experience interactive and personal. Small, thoughtful details like this increase customer engagement and encourage social sharing.

How Startups Can Leverage This Trend

1. Collaborate with Local Food Brands – Partner with a trendy bakery, coffee shop, or restaurant to co-brand a limited-edition product. This can be as simple as a special drink named after your brand or a co-branded snack pack.

2. Design Shareable Packaging – If your brand sells physical products, integrate food-inspired designs, scents, or textures for a fun twist. This works especially well for skincare, wellness, and fashion brands looking to add a playful edge.

3. Host a Pop-Up Experience – Whether it’s a pop-up coffee bar at your store or a tasting event featuring your brand, immersive food experiences drive foot traffic. Even a temporary food experience can generate long-term buzz.

4. Play with Sensory Branding – If food aligns with your brand’s essence, incorporate flavors, scents, or themed merch (like scented candles, custom drinks, or edible product samples). A candle brand, for example, could introduce coffee-scented candles to evoke the same comfort and warmth as a morning brew.

5. Make It Social Media-Friendly – Encourage UGC (user-generated content) by designing visually appealing food items that customers will naturally want to share online. Think colorful cocktails, quirky latte art, or limited-edition snacks that create FOMO.

6. Offer a ‘Taste of Your Brand’ – If you run an online business, consider including branded edible treats with purchases—such as a mini chocolate bar with every order. This small touch makes the customer experience more memorable and encourages repeat business.

Food For Storytelling

Food is no longer just about eating—it’s a storytelling tool. Whether you're in beauty, fashion, tech, or wellness, adding a sensory, edible, or experiential layer to your brand can enhance its engagement, shareability, and cultural relevance.

Big brands are proving that food is the ultimate marketing hack, and there’s no reason startups can’t get in on the action. The key is to make it authentic to your brand and offer something that delights customers in unexpected ways.

Startup News and Updates

Following are some of the startup news and updates that made headlines this week:

• By the end of April, Lucid will increase Gravity SUV client deliveries. Link

• Based on valuation, these are the largest startups in Africa. Link

• A new book excerpt describes the drama surrounding Sam Altman's termination. Link

Until next time,
The Startup Stoic Team