This summer has been chock-full of clever co-branding efforts from companies from Mattel to Guinness – and ASI Media has clocked all the best ones. Welcome to Best in Branding, our series that spotlights the clever, goofy and just downright wacky promo moments brands are making in the wild.

Hot Wheels x 7-Eleven

Classic convenience store chain 7-Eleven recently partnered with Mattel to produce the convenience store chain’s very own branded Hot Wheels racer. The car is a Silver Series Toyota Supra covered in 7-Eleven’s easily recognizable green, red and orange branding, including a big logo on the front hood. 7-Eleven fanatics (or extremely dedicated Hot Wheels collectors) can find the collab in participating store locations or online – who knew the store had its own merch site?

Promo Takeaway: Being able to say you’re the “first” of anything is typically a massive marketing win – and this collaboration was just that. Outside of partnerships with car brands or other Mattel toy properties, the die-cast car is, shockingly, the first Hot Wheels toy branded with a retail name. While the company’s choice of partnerships in 7-Eleven may seem random, it was actually fueled by one of marketing’s most powerful tools: nostalgia. “Whether you grew up racing Hot Wheels cars or grabbing a Slurpee drink after school,” said Marissa Jarratt, executive vice president and chief marketing & sustainability officer at 7-Eleven, “this collaboration kicks things into high gear by bringing together two culture-shaping brands to create something nostalgic, unexpected and undeniably fun for all ages.”

Guinness x Van Leeuwen Ice Cream “Pintmobiles”

Another unlikely collab? Van Leeuwen ice cream and Irish staple Guinness beer. The brands co-launched a “Lovely Day for a Guinness”-flavored ice cream, complete with chocolate chunks, inspired by the ad campaigns of the same name from the 1950s. Van Leeuwen has long been known for its quirky collaborative flavors, though – from Kraft Mac & Cheese to Hidden Valley Ranch – so maybe the partnership isn’t too unlikely after all.

Promo Takeaway: The reason this collab works so well, in this writer’s opinion, is because both brands leaned into the experiential element as well as co-branded packaging. In addition to offering free samples at select Guinness and Van Leeuwen locations around the country, Guinness also rolled out custom branded retro vans – aka Pintmobiles – that traveled around the country offering treats, pints and sometimes merch everywhere they stopped. A grown-up version of an ice cream truck? Yes, please. (And I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the fitting nature of this collab, simply because when do you get a pint of anything except ice cream and beer?)

Chipotle Goes Back to School

Amid recent sales struggles, Chipotle launched a rewards campaign aimed at college students, just as they’re all headed back to school and starting classes. The Chipotle U Rewards program promises extra rewards drops and giveaways during key times during the academic year (like game day or finals) – and the celebration wasn’t complete without a corresponding merch drop in partnership with Urban Outfitters, including such iconic pieces as a burrito throw blanket or doormat that reads “Leave My Chipotle Here.”

Promo Takeaway: Chipotle has long been a source for quirky merch drops – remember this absurd costume lineup, anyone? – but this particular campaign proved the company had its eye on audience. More than 250 of the fast casual chain’s restaurants are located on or near college campuses, and the drop was perfectly timed to coordinate with move-ins and back to school. Whether or not college students actually want to deck their dorms out with a Black Bean Bag Chair or a Chip Bag Lamp – even if they’re Urban Outfitters-branded – remains to be seen. But the pairing of this merch collection with the launch of the Chipotle rewards program specifically for college kids means that hungry students already sick of the dining hall might be more likely to think of Chipotle for their take-out orders during the first weeks of class.

Aldi x Labubu

Aldi X Labubu pic.twitter.com/7SXZl3T3tI

— Labubu Drops & Restocks (@labubudrops) July 10, 2025

In an epic continuation of the recent trend toward grocery store merch, budget grocer Aldi has, yet again, dropped a merch sweepstakes meant to go viral: Aldi-branded accessories for the currently-everywhere Labubu dolls. The drop started as perhaps a joke last month when Aldi posted an image of the full miniature lineup, stating that they’d make it a reality with 20,000 likes. Though the company did face a bit of backlash over using AI to generate the image, the sweepstakes went forward, with 75 Aldi (or Labubu) fanatic entrants winning a mini-hat, tote bag, shirt or pants for the tiny dolls.

Promo Takeaway: I’m the first to admit that I don’t understand the Labubu craze (though my colleague Olivia Borgula did an excellent job explaining why blind boxes can be so enticing here). But there is certainly something to be said for jumping on a trend, even if it’s a little goofy. Clearly, if the post – which has, unfortunately, since been taken down – hit enough likes for Aldi to actually go through with the sweepstakes, there was enough social media buzz to make it worth their while.