Burberry’s Latest Campaign: What African Fashion Can Learn About Influencer and Strategic Collaborations

This week, British heritage brand Burberry released its latest campaign titled Back to the City. And it celebrates London as the nexus for diverse cultural expression and creative energy, starring a cast of creatives including the musician Jimothy Lacoste and viral social media sensation Bemi Orojuogun — who’s commonly known as “bus auntie” on Tik Tok — where she shares viral videos of herself posing in front of London’s iconic red buses.

Featuring Bemi Orojuogun is a calculated and unexpected move by Burberry that has contributed to the effectiveness of the campaign since its launch. Ms Bemi Orojuogun is not particularly a fashion influencer yet her audience and relatability offers brands scalable reach and a unique opportunity to appeal to her core community and beyond. This isn’t her first interaction with designer fashion either. In 2024, she also worked with Jacquemus. 

I found this move to be a powerful lesson for African brands. A collaboration doesn’t have to be within your niche or comfort zone to be meaningful, especially if the goal is brand awareness, audience growth or market penetration. Strategic partnerships like this one can assist designers and brands alike in reaching new audiences on top of reinforcing the ones they already have.

Another standout example of two worlds coming together with remarkable success is Nara Smith whose captivating cooking videos have led her to work with fashion’s biggest names. Once again, proving that fashion is a universal language that touches every industry because we all wear clothes whether or not we are into fashion. That’s a powerful advantage African designers should embrace and leverage when thinking about influencer partnerships.

This idea of cross-industry pairing also applies to brands outside of fashion. I’ve personally been in rooms where sports and top hospitality leaders for example hesitate to collaborate beyond their industry. Yet hospitality—like fashion, also isn’t confined to one sector. In today’s landscape, success lies in connecting the dots and daring to go beyond your niche. 

Thanks for reading this edition of Africa Fashion Decoded.