Emily in Paris Hits the Shelves: But Are Cultural Collabs a Guaranteed Win for Brands?

Yes, you read that right! Emily in Paris has transitioned from television screens to our shelves, with brands leveraging this cultural phenomenon to boost visibility and awareness. For companies, aligning with cultural trends can be highly advantageous; moments in cinema, sports, and television present opportunities to engage consumer sentiments and emotions, generating excitement around new product launches and collaborations.

We recently witnessed this with the release of the Barbie movie, which prompted a wave of brands—including Heinz, which introduced a pink barbecue sauce—to capture consumer interest. Similarly, the recent Emily in Paris release has inspired a surge of themed offerings, from wines and Parisian-inspired flavours to pimple patches, as brands rush to capitalise on this trend.

However, at System1, we recognise that merely slapping a film or TV reference onto a new product won’t suffice. Despite the phenomenal success of Emily in Paris, which has become a household name since its debut in 2020—something I can attest to, as my 82-year-old father eagerly awaits each new season—brands must adopt key strategies and considerations when launching new products in the market. But, as the French say, “Vouloir, c’est pouvoir”—where there’s a will, there’s a way.

The Golden Ratio 

Launching a new product is a lot like baking the perfect croissant—flaky, golden brown, and balanced with just the right ingredients for success. In his book System1: Unlocking Profitable Growth, System1 founder John Kearon analysed 200 product launches across five markets, uncovering the key “ingredients”—or more precisely, the emotions—that drive in-market success. And voilà! He revealed a formula more closely guarded than Heinz’s ketchup recipe: the secret to thriving in the $6.7 billion innovation and product development industry.

Kearon identified a clear pattern: the most successful innovations combined 80% happiness with 20% surprise. In essence, products that leaned toward familiarity over novelty fared best, giving rise to the 80:20 golden ratio for innovation. This insight is crucial for brands looking to tap into cultural moments.

Kearon’s 80:20 rule highlights that simply creating a meaningful partnership isn’t always enough. While a collaboration between a French fashion brand and Emily in Paris may feel natural due to the show’s focus on influencer culture and style, that alone doesn’t guarantee success. To truly connect with consumers, brands must go beyond aligning with a cultural moment—they need to introduce something new in a way that feels familiar and reassuring.

This is where the 80:20 balance comes into play. It shows that while innovation and surprise are important, familiarity is what fosters emotional connection and trust. For example, a brand like Red Bull, with its deep roots in extreme sports, can easily tie its product to new sporting events or collaborations. Consumers already associate the brand with high-energy, adrenaline-filled experiences, making it easier to introduce something fresh while keeping the core identity intact. For brands without such a direct link, the challenge is to integrate the partnership seamlessly, ensuring the product feels authentic and recognisable to consumers.

Nothing Should be Left to Chance

The French have a fantastic saying, “Il ne faut rien laisser au hasard,” which translates to “nothing should be left to chance,” and at System1, we couldn’t agree more. That’s why we put the latest Emily in Paris innovations to the test, using our Test Your Innovation platform to harness the predictive power of consumer emotion. The results? Find out below…

In both the US and UK markets, the collaboration between Emily in Paris and Häagen-Dazs has been a standout success, with the new packaging design captivating consumers and showcasing significant market potential. The limited-edition products feature two classic flavours—strawberry and salted caramel—that maintain Häagen-Dazs’ signature aesthetic, subtly enhanced with design elements inspired by the hit show.

The simplicity of the offering has been key to its success. By focusing on familiar, beloved flavours rather than introducing complex “Parisian-inspired” concoctions, the brand avoids gimmicks and keeps its core identity intact. The real innovation comes from the refined packaging, which seamlessly blends the Häagen-Dazs look with the Emily in Paris theme, creating a visual connection without overwhelming the brand’s essence.

In both markets, the product has elicited a strong emotional response, with an 80:20 ratio of Happiness to Surprise, underscoring its appeal. This winning combination has resonated with consumers, making it a standout in the market. C’est fantastique!

Another standout contender is the Lancôme x Emily in Paris makeup collection, which ranked second in both the US and UK markets, performing especially well in the US. Described by some as a “match made in heaven,” the collection scored highly in key implicit measures, particularly for ‘brand fit’ and ‘recognisability.’

While the Emily in Paris influence is more prominent in this design, the partnership between a French beauty brand and a Parisian, fashion-centric show feels less like a novelty and more like an inevitability—it just makes sense! The combination of iconic French style with a beloved brand has resonated strongly with consumers, elevating its appeal. While the products themselves are aligned to the Lancôme brand, simply adorned in new pink Parisian packaging, maintaining familiar components at the heart.

Create New Innovations with Confidence

With a database of over 54,000 innovations to benchmark against, Test Your Innovation empowers brands to Create with Confidence. So, which idea will be your next star? Use Test Your Innovation to predict your winner from an early stage and finetune it throughout the innovation process. We can’t wait to help you bring it to market!