Good collaborations are art, great ones are kitsch

Dunkin’ Donuts collaboration with DTC wall paint brand Backdrop sounds like something out of MSCHF factory. Known for its purposefully absurd and random viral stunts, MSCHF is the creator of Nike sneakers filled with Holy Water, toaster-shaped bath bombs, and an app making stock investments based on astrological signs.

While it certainly wouldn’t look out of place next to the squeaky chicken bong popularized by the “factory”, the limited edition stain removal whitening toothpaste in fact dropped on StockX on October 27th. Asking price climbed from $15 to $27 via DropX and the toothpaste came in a limited batch of 350 items.

Collaborations like Dunkin x Backdop, MOON x Heron Preston, Aimé Leon Dore x Porsche 964, McDonalds x Travis Scott or White Castle x Telfar are often dismissed as stunt-y, tongue-in-cheek, garish and lowbrow. Be that as it may, most of them aim to be appreciated in an ironic and knowing way.

Good collaborations are art, great collaborations are kitsch. They fit into the definition of kitsch perfectly: a replica that’s purposefully fake, and that’s where the joke is. Take it seriously, and you are a goon.

There are already obvious parallels between collaborations and the world of art (and kitsch): there are auctions, collectors, dealers, critics, resale…