Havaianas joins forces with Fortnite for phygital collab

By

Robin Driver

Published
May 1, 2021

Iconic Brazilian flipflop brand Havaianas has teamed up with popular online battle royale game Fortnite for a collaboration featuring both physical footwear and digital in-game content. 

The Havaianas vs. Fortnite collection includes three colorful flipflop styles with prints referencing some of the most recognizable elements from the game, such as the Unicorn Llama Pickaxe and the Battle Bus. The collection is available in sizes 35/6 to 45/6.
 
As part of the partnership, Havaianas has also created its own flipflop-shaped map – the Havaianas Summer Island – in Fortnite, where gamers will be able to play hide and seek in a completely new environment.

Created by Brazilian marketing firm Agência Cheil, in collaboration with Fortnite creatives Alan “Shinohara” Garcia, Mateus “Derponce” Yoshitani, Mayara “Mei” Miranda and Victor Santana, the island features a Brazilian-inspired beach and a more built-up, urban zone that merges into an Asian-influenced space, before leading up to a forest and a European-style castle.

“We asked ourselves how to combine an outdoor and fun brand with a market environment that works with codes, indoor settings and talks about competitiveness,” said Douglas Santos, head of Cheil Gaming, in a release. “The answer for that was precisely to highlight the differences between these two universes at the time of the game with a reasoning that is true for both.”

First launched in 2017, Fortnite rapidly grew into a global gaming phenomenon and now boasts more than 350 million registered players around the world. The free-to-play game is no stranger to collaborations, having already hooked up with everyone from DC Comics, the NFL, and DJ Marshmello, to Nike Air Jordan and Uniqlo, for partnerships that have included in-game content, real-life products, or both.
 
Havaianas is also famous for being a serial collaborator and has already dabbled in the world of video games, with flipflops featuring Minecraft, Pokémon and beloved Nintendo mascot Mario in the past.
 
The phygital partnership with Fortnite, however, with its combination of physical products and in-game content, builds on a growing trend that has seen fashion brands carving out opportunities for marketing and more in the $162 billion gaming industry by diving headfirst into digital content creation.

Louis Vuitton, for example, designed skins for mobile game League of Legends in 2019, while hit Nintendo Switch island life simulator Animal Crossing: New Horizons has been graced with custom designs from the likes of Valentino, Marc Jacobs and Anna Sui since it launched in 2020.

 
“The online gaming industry is the second largest in the world in the entertainment segment. Havaianas is a brand that has been communicating with this audience for some time now, through other licensing partnerships,” explained Fefa Romano, CMO at Havaianas parent company Alpargatas. “We believe that, just like happened with these other partnerships, Havaianas Fortnite is bound to be a big hit.”
 
Havaianas vs. Fortnite flipflops are available to purchase online and in store from now. The Havaianas Summer Island map is already open for Fortnite players.