Monica Lewinsky x Reformation and the power of unorthodox celebrity collabs

Monica Lewinsky is making headlines again. Almost three decades after the one-time White House intern became a household name amid explosive revelations about an affair with President Bill Clinton, Lewinsky has unexpectedly returned to the spotlight. This time, however, she’s stepping in front of the cameras on her own terms.

Within its first 48 hours, the Reformation campaign featuring Lewinsky, which is titled “You’ve Got the Power”, generated more than $2m in media exposure. In addition, Reformation’s Instagram post about its new partnership with Lewinsky generated $96,000, according to a measurement known as Media Impact Value (MIV), which is based on a proprietary algorithm developed by Launchmetrics that’s meant to measure and benchmark the impact of media placements.

“By teaming up with Reformation for the ‘You’ve Got the Power’ campaign, Monica Lewinsky brought an astonishing level of attention and gravitas to the sustainable brand,” said Stacy Jones, who has years of experience matching names and faces to brand advertising placements as the CEO and founder of Hollywood Branded, a Los Angeles marketing and content agency. “This campaign wasn’t just about fashion; it was a call to action for voter registration, showing that when a brand and its spokesperson share authentic values, the impact can be monumental.”

In addition to perhaps completing the transformation of Lewinsky’s narrative – from the centre of a scandal to a force for empowerment, advocacy and activism – the Reformation campaign’s success is emblematic of a broader trend in marketing through which brands align with public figures who, at first glance, may seem an unconventional choice for their ads, says Jones.

Yet it’s precisely that element of surprise that helps amplify a campaign’s reach and allows it to resonate deeply with audiences. 

Lewinksy donning a $798 Reformation trench coat and talking about the importance of voting is merely the latest unexpected pairing between celebrity and brand.

Other notable examples include Matthew McConaughey’s collaboration with Lincoln Motor Company (which repositioned the brand as a symbol of cool sophistication) and 88-year-old actress Maggie Smith being engaged to model for Loewe’s Spring 2024 pre-collection campaign, which was lauded by fashion industry critics as a “breath of fresh air”. And the public agreed, taking to social media to rave about Smith in the role with one X (formerly Twitter) user saying: “dame maggie smith as the new face [of] loewe??? Somebody pinch me I simply must be dreaming.”

“Bic took a regular, everyday item and used it to spark conversation by bringing these two together for a bunch of hilarious short videos,” said Miles Marmo, co-founder of the advertising and marketing company Agency Squid, which has run a few of its own unexpected celebrity campaigns. “It was a clever way to shake things up and get everyone talking and laughing, with clever innuendos and puns sprinkled throughout.”

“People loved it, the videos racked up millions of views, and suddenly, everyone was talking about Bic lighters,” Marmo added.

These collab successes are catching the attention of brands far and wide, encouraging more companies to dabble in the unexpected celebrity pairing strategy. It’s a trend that we can expect to see far more of, says Marmo.

But why exactly have unexpected celebrity-brand pairings often proven successful? Allen Adamson, co-founder of marketing collective Metaforce and author of Seeing The How, a book about gaining market advantage, says it’s all about rising above the noise.

“Reformation’s choice of Monica Lewinsky as spokesperson/model was unexpected and bold, enabling the brand to break through and generate media and social media buzz,” said Adamson, adding: “If a campaign does not successfully break through on social media, it will likely remain primarily invisible to large portions of the market, especially critical younger consumers. The simple rule for success on social media is that no one shares ‘ordinary’. So, expected messages, models and celebrities remain invisible.”

Marmo concurs, adding that the strength of such pairings lies in the novelty and intrigue that they bring to the overcrowded brand and advertising space. The strategy taps into the power of surprise, capturing the audience’s attention in a cluttered advertising landscape. And that element of surprise encourages people to talk, share and engage with the campaign across various platforms, increasing its visibility and impact.

“This choice often leads to more discussions and engagement from the audience compared to selecting a celebrity with a more predictable connection to the product, such as LeBron James endorsing Nike, for example,” said Marmo.

As an added bonus, the juxtaposition of an unexpected celebrity with a product can also refresh the brand’s image, making it more relatable, or even reposition it in the minds of consumers. “It can also attract new customer segments who follow or admire the chosen celebrity for reasons outside the brand’s typical market,” Marmo noted.

That was the case with the Lewinsky brand partnership, which Marmo says “totally blew up”. In the campaign, Lewinsky, 50, models work wear that ranges in price from $58 to $798 while offering up quotes such as, “If you wanna complain for the next four years, you gotta go out and vote.”

“For a lot of young folks on TikTok, Monica is popping up as this unexpected icon – someone who has been able to turn a massive scandal into a powerful message about resilience and speaking up through her career as an activist and now, a model,” he explaind. “Modelling workwear while pushing people to vote hits different because it’s Monica.”

While the potential payoff can be huge, celebrity brand partnerships are also a balancing act for both the star and the brand. Too much exposure for a celebrity can lessen star power. And for the brand, selecting a celebrity who’s the right fit for the brand and its message is critical.

“Navigating this approach requires careful consideration of potential controversies and ensuring a genuine match between the celebrity’s public image and the brand’s identity,” explained Jones. “The alignment is crucial; a mismatch can detract from the campaign’s message or even draw negative attention.”

But as both Marmo and Adamson indicated, when done right, these types of pairings have enormous potential and value for both parties.

“This strategy leverages the novelty of unexpected endorsements, the authenticity of the spokesperson’s alignment with brand values, and their capacity to engage and initiate dialogue on important social issues,” said Jones. “Such partnerships often come with an inherent media amplification courtesy of the spokesperson’s unique story or public persona… which can extend the campaign’s visibility far beyond traditional advertising avenues.”

It’s akin to a plot twist in a favorite series: an unexpected celebrity partnership keeps everyone on their toes and glued to what’s happening and what may be coming next. When the unexpected celebrity has a particularly unique story (or has managed to navigate a particularly tumultuous public life with grace), it brings yet another layer of intrigue that can significantly amplify a campaign’s reach. 

And when the values of each member of the partnership align as well as they appear to in the case of Reformation, with its longtime emphasis on empowerment, and Lewinsky, who has deftly turned herself into a champion for such causes, then it’s a “match made in marketing heaven”, said Jones.