The brand crossovers are getting weirder

Kate Spade, Urban Outfitters, Tecovas, Tyler Le/BI

Kate Spade released crossbody bags in the form of giant Heinz ketchup packets. Urban Outfitters released a back-to-school dorm collection with Chipotle that included a lamp shaped like a bag of chips and a metallic blanket that lets you wrap yourself up like a burrito. And Tecovas released $345 cowboy boots made with the same red vinyl used for Chili's restaurant booths and stamped with chili peppers, of course.

While collaborations like this aren't new, branding experts said the recent — and unexpected — crossovers show just how hard it is for brands to break through the noise. Capitalizing on another brand's "cool" can up the cultural relevance of both — but they have to watch for pitfalls…

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