It’s high summer. You’re melting away. And so are those little-town blues—if you’re willing to channel some big-city energy into your marketing strategy. Because the splashiest summer marketing initiatives currently on my radar are easily tailored to a small-town jeweler’s capabilities.
Granted, the marketing budgets that allowed for these moments probably weren’t tiny; even so, the approaches are robust in sophisticated thinking, high-production aesthetics, and ingenuity—and that costs you nothing. Read on for my recap of the summer’s best collaborations, and consider how you might make them work for you.
MEJURI x VAN LEEUWEN
In June, press and influencers gathered at the Van Leeuwen ice cream shop in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, where they enjoyed a little sparkle alongside their scoops, courtesy of Mejuri. To celebrate the drop of new styles within its best-selling Charlotte Collection—a new, slimmer Charlotte ring silhouette and hoop charms, all in pastel, gelato-inspired hues of enamel—the brand staged a weekend-long pop-up shop done in colors that align with the new Charlotte pieces: pistachio, sweet cream, lavender, and cappuccino. Van Leeuwen served up complimentary ice cream in special custom flavors for the celebration (looks like our lady up at the top is enjoying a scoop of Pistachio Picnic—yum!).
STEPHANIE GOTTLIEB x MAGNUM
This month, collaboration queen Stephanie Gottlieb got together with Magnum Ice Cream (known for its decadent bars layered with premium chocolate—available at most grocery stores) to reveal her new More Is More collection.
“The More Is More collection is an outstanding example of maximalism, creativity, and craft that can be customized to an array of styles,” Stephanie Gottlieb said in a statement. “Each piece is a subtle nod to Magnum ice cream’s iconic bars and will be sure to amp up any look this summer and beyond.”
How does an ice cream inspiration manifest in a jewelry design? The result is pretty…tasteful: six limited-edition jewelry pieces expressed in 14k gold with various combinations of chocolate and vanilla enamel, and caramel and white diamonds.
SYDNEY EVAN x THE SURF LODGE
Jewelry collabs centered on ice cream are pretty sweet. One more idea to try: collaborating with a local hotel. It’s a concept that worked well for jewelry brand Sydney Evan, which created a capsule collection with the Surf Lodge in honor of the Hamptons hot spot’s 15th anniversary.
The collection is inspired by the surf, sun, and laid-back vibes of the Surf Lodge’s location in Montauk, at the east end of New York’s Long Island: “Coming to the Surf Lodge is all about having fun and creating memories,” Jayma Cardoso, the hotel’s founder and creative director, said in a statement. “I loved the idea of designing a meaningful memento to share with our guests.”
Sydney Evan founder and designer Roseanne Karmas tells JCK, “Our collaboration with the Surf Lodge has performed extremely well, and I think it has a lot to do with the emotional aspect tied to the pieces. The jewelry serves as a a reminder of special moments they had in Montauk and at the property.”
The two brands found each other because they share a publicist. In your neck of the woods, give it a think: Who do you know who could connect you to a local purveyor of sweet treats or everyone’s favorite place for a night out on the town? Start forging those relationships now so that you can leverage them next summer, and if you hurry, maybe even for the upcoming holiday season.
Top: Jewelry brand Mejuri recently used its big-city marketing chops to stage a pop-up at a Brooklyn ice cream shop, but the concept is applicable to any milieu. (Mejuri photos: Zev Starr-Tambor)
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