Prada x Axiom Space x NASA
This week in Milan, the fashion house Prada Group and Axiom Space have revealed how astronauts will be decked out on the lunar surface during the NASA – National Aeronautics and Space Administration Artemis 3 mission, in 2026. Now that’s a heady mix of brands collaborating that warrants our attention.
Lorenzo Bertelli, Chief Marketing Officer of Prada, said “[This] is not a commercial or marketing issue. We will eventually think about those later, but overcoming our limits is one of the values that best reflect the spirit of Prada.” He may not consider it a commercial or marketing issue now, but collaborations and co-branding – when done right – are about as good as it ever gets in marketing terms.
Co-branding describes the strategic combination of different brand equities to generate synergies. Prof. Mark Ritson said “Indeed the first rule of successful co-branding is exactly that. For a brand marriage to work it should be built on contrasts, not similarities. When co-brands with similar brand equity combine the results are usually disappointing. It’s only when brands with different equities combine that the co-branding impact will prove impressive. Ideally you are looking for a partner that will not only add some new associations to your existing brand equity, but those new associations will confer strategic advantages as a result.”
Additionally your co-brand partner ideally should have a different target audience from your own. And it should be also be authentic. The brands must also have a legitimate fit within the product being created. Let me explain.
Prada Group‘s design and product development teams, with their 20 years of research and billions of Euros of investment that’s been devoted to its Luna Rossa America’s Cup team and related Linea Rossa apparel line, have amassed real high-performance sports chops. Armed with this expertise they’ve worked with Axiom Space staff on suggestions for specially designed materials and solutions that will not only protect astronauts from the challenges of a hostile lunar environment, but also inspire future extra-atmospheric exploration. Prada’s know-how with innovative stitching methods helped reconcile highly engineered functionality with the aesthetics of the white jacket, resulting in a boost in both comfort for astronauts as well as performance.
The positive results of a great collaboration are multi-dimensional. Firstly, you generate enormous amounts of brand-centric communications. There’s been copious amounts of coverage – see The New York Times “Space: The Final Fashion Frontier.” Secondly, both co-brand partners learn from each other. Who wouldn’t want to learn from NASA. Thirdly, and often most impressive impact, is on brand equity. For brands in need of awareness, revitalization or a change in association, a successful co-brand strategy can work miracles in a relatively short space of time.
Prada x Axiom Space x NASA = The right brand stuff.