Why Fortnite and Ferrari Became a Pair

A cookie and a video game selected a similar marketing tool.

Both are using collaboration to increase demand.

Oreo and Fortnite

Oreo

Oreo Thins is camouflaging its cookies. In a limited edition of just 3,000 that people win rather than buy, the cookie maker has changed its packaging. The promotion is targeting those of us who hide the food we want to eat so that our kids (and husbands) will not devour it. They figure that when Oreo Thins are in a Hanes T-shirt wrapper, no one will know they are hiding in plain sight. Other packages look like riced Cauliflower, a Ford manual, and a Better Homes & Gardens magazine:

I suspect that the lighthearted collaboration helps to sell both products.

Fortnite

Also pairing two very different items, Fortnite video gamers now can “drive” a Ferrari and buy a Ferrari Set composed of two skins and a back bling. The Fortnite Ferrari collaboration is limited to virtual cars and how players look. At 117 MPH, Ferraris are the fastest in the game.

But you do need to spend some money.

To buy the Ferrari Set, you use V-bucks. At $20 for the 2,800 V-buck package, you would have more than enough to make the purchase and boost Fortnite revenue. Meanwhile, I assume also that Ford likes being associated with a popular video game that can elevate its image to younger affluent buyers.

You might enjoy (as did I) seeing the Fortnite Ferrari in action:

And these are the Ferrari skins that players buy to change their appearance:

Other Fortnite collaborations include Halo and Mandalorian,

Our Bottom Line: Complementary Demand

When a change in demand (or quantity demanded) for one item encourages a similar response for something else, economists say that the two are complementary. If we want more peanut butter, then jelly sales rise. More takeout can benefit DoorDash.

Pretend for a moment that people who eat peanut butter have less heart disease. When crowds line up to buy more, their demand for jelly also skyrockets because the two are complementary products. More demand for peanut butter creates more demand for jelly:

So, where are we? Returning to the Oreo Protection Program and Fortnite Ferrari, we can just remember complementary demand. When paired, both brands get a boost.

My sources and more: Mashed and Fast Company told the Oreo story while again, thanks to my grandchild Mason for being my Fortnite expert. Finally, for more Oreo smiles, do take a look at their asteroid protection plan: