Jimmy Choo X Sailor Moon: a lesson in brand collaboration

In the name of the 'Moon', luxury footwear label Jimmy Choo has dropped a collaborative collection of special edition bags and shoes with the legendary manga series of the 90s Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon.

The crossover marks the 30th anniversary of Naoko Takeuchi’s phenomenal manga series which charts the adventures of wayward schoolgirl turned moon-guardian-goddess Usagi Tsukino and her magical black cat Luna. The collection introduces glossy shoes, blinged accessories that allow die hard Sailor Moon fans, a clique that includes the likes of Paris Hilton, Billie Eilish, Megan Fox among others, to level up their cosplay game.

Sandra Choi, Jimmy Choo’s designer has modelled the collection on shoes fancied by characters like Sailor Mars, Sailor Mercury, Sailor Jupiter, Sailor Venus, and the iconic Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon herself alongside her sidekick Luna the cat.

Hong Kong-based model Ayla Sham at the city's flagship Jimmy Choo store

Just (don't) do it like Tiffany X Nike

In a stark contrast from last month’s much-hyped Tiffany X Nike partnership which showcased an underwhelming black suede Nike Air Force 1s with the Tiffany Blue swoosh and received less-than-agreeable reviews, to put it mildly, Jimmy Choo X Sailor Moon seems to have hit the sweet spot for consumers of both sides and brand experts alike.  

Brand strategist and transformational leader Martin Roll tells Campaign that unlike the lost Nike X Tiffany opportunity, the Choo crossover stand outs because it is an example in equal empathy for both the end-users and the collaboration itself.

“Brand collaboration and co-branding are always tricky to get right so due diligence and brand assessments are critical leadership tools. It must be on equal footing of all parties coming together, both brands need to have something to offer and to gain, and the respective brands need to preserve and protect their equity. One does not want to leave any collaboration in a less attractive position,” he quips.

So how did both the brands achieve this?

“By crafting a line of footwear that is both a win for Sailor Moon fanbase and Jimmy Choo consumers. While one brand represents high fashion, the other is the pinnacle of popular anime culture, the collaboration empathises with both the audiences,” adds Roll.  

The end product is trendy, vibrant, sentimental whilst being functional and authentic to the identities of both the Jimmy Choo and Sailor Moon brands, respectively.

The rendition is already generating quite a buzz on social media. According to media analysis and intelligence agency, Carma, the collection has already garnered over 36,000 mentions on Twitter with largely a positive sentiment (22.7%) as netizens feel warmly towards the collection. A small percentage of negative sentiment (2.2%) is down to the exorbitant pricing, others were disappointed that the shoes sold out quickly, yet the brand continued to promote them.

Carma elaborates: “It is interesting to note that the negative sentiments don't indicate that the collection was largely problematic, but rather it picks up the overall tone, which is despair over not being able to get their hands on it.”

“An analysis of the Jimmy Choo brand revealed that the collection saw conversations peaking due to the collaboration, but the Jimmy Choo brand continues to experience high mentions online.
 

Commenting on the aesthetics of the design and cultural significance of the two brands coming together, Choi says,” Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon is a unique global phenomenon—a manga and anime that resonates, bridging cultures and languages, speaking to different generations and bringing us all together. That’s what drew me to this project. This collaboration underscores our shared values not just of female empowerment, but for fashion’s ability to inspire inclusivity and individuality through personality and self-belief.”

Sailor Moon creator, Takeuchi is pleased with the final artistic merits. She commented, “I’m extremely happy that the characters and stories that came from my imagination are now loved by many people around the world. What has always been truly important to me is the youthful, pure imagination and power of the young girls. I believe that the Jimmy Choo brand also has these qualities. It’s a cool brand that I love.”