Brands this summer unleashed a wave of nostalgia marketing. Now, Puma and Kool-Aid are making their splash just before the season comes to an end. The two brands this week have partnered on an exclusive merch collaboration, taking fans back to elementary school lunches, where Kool-Aid juices were a must have. 

The apparel and footwear line includes a white hoodie  that can be paired with any of the three bright-colored tie-dye shirts with the memorable Kool-Aid smiley face printed on the front. The low-top footwear collection is available in kids and adult sizes and includes the clyde, suede and wild rider style of Puma sneakers. The collaboration is available for purchase at the New York City Puma flagship store as well as other sneaker retail stores nationwide.

The summer collaboration between the Kraft Heinz-owned kids' drink and the fashion retailer continues a trend of marketers collaborating on branded apparel aimed at loyal fans. Nostalgia is used to connect with younger and older demographics. Puma's longtime sneaker and sibling rival Adidas partnered with Cheetos and Bad Bunny to launch an exclusive fashion line that incorporated digital technology to unlock their own collection.  

Panera kicked off the summer trend with its scented soup swimwear collection while Pizza Hut took consumers back down memory lane with its old-school Pizza Hut streetwear collection. 

Puma’s Kool-Aid collab comes as the German sportswear brand is enjoying a hot streak, with second-quarter revenue up 96%.

High-quality journalism isn’t always free.
Subscribe to Ad Age now for award-winning news and insight.