You’re reading Talking Places, your creative briefing on how destinations talk, trend and grow.
Today, we explore Berlin with Columbia and Highsnobiety to understand how strategic brand partnerships can spotlight a city’s identity.
When Brands and Places Align
What happens when a hiking brand partners with a lifestyle magazine?
You get a trail that runs through Berlin — not mountains.
Columbia’s Hike Society redefines what outdoor means. In collaboration with Highsnobiety, the campaign turned Berlin’s brutalist corners and green stretches into a curated hike, mixing history, graffiti, and hidden city gems.
But the real genius lies in the partnership. Highsnobiety brought cultural capital, urban style, and a loyal audience. Columbia brought the gear, the outdoors, and a message: you don’t need alpine peaks to go hiking.
👉 For destination marketers, this is a sharp reminder:
The right collaboration can unlock new relevance, reach and resonance.
Ask yourself:
Who shapes cultural taste in your place?
What if your next tourism campaign wasn’t from a tourism agency — but from a fashion mag, a record label, or an artist collective?
Cities already live in the minds of locals and visitors alike.
The best collaborations help you reframe what’s already there.
Thanks for reading :)