69 Special Edition Foods and Drinks

Whether it's a Karl Lagerfeld-designed Diet Coke bottle or birthday cake Oreos, special or limited edition food and beverage products are a clever way to snag the eye of the discerning consumer.

Just as imagery is central in a brand reaching iconic status, subverting such imagery once it has a place in the collective consumer unconscious is a powerful way to present the brand as fresh and relatable.

Brands often use cultural events such as holiday seasons or major sporting events to tap into the consumer desire to be part of something larger than themselves. Offering a limited edition version of a product consumer's already love and that can be kept as a souvenir of that point in time is a way for brands to insert themselves in the lives of consumers in a nostalgia-driven manner.

Alternatively, collaborative partnerships between brands are a way to conflate corporate philosophies. An example of this type of collaboration is artist designed packaging for San Pellegrino by Bvlgari. Both brands are associated with a luxury lifestyle; San Pellegrino fans will be motivated to keep the beautiful bottle as a souvenir, while those who strive to afford Bvlgari will buy it and feel like the brand may be accessible to them.