How Sabrina Carpenter has mastered subversive brand positioning

Although Sabrina Carpenter has been omnipresent in the entertainment industry, her recent superstardom has been marked by some unexpected, but knowing brand tie-ins: most recently a whisky brand.

Sabrina Carpenter’s breakthrough 2024 single, Espresso, saw the 4ft11 starlet hit the mainstream in End Boss form. Her pretty-in-pink persona, however, has been knowingly subverted by a series of carefully curated brand tie-ins, most recently via Scotch whisky brand Johnnie Walker.

Timed to coincide with the release of her seventh studio album, ‘Man’s Best Friend’ and the final leg of her ‘Short n’ Sweet’ tour, the campaign reimagines the typically masculine whisky culture through Carpenter’s lens of self-expression and unapologetic charm.

At first glance, pairing a 26-year-old pop star known for bubblegum hits with a 200-year-old whisky brand seems unconventional. 

Johnnie Walker, owned by Diageo, has traditionally appealed to older male demographics, but this collaboration targets Gen Z and Millennial audiences, particularly Carpenter’s predominantly female fan base.

The tie-in is typical of Carpenter’s unexpected, but in hindsight, on point, collaboration work. Johnnie Walker talked up Sabrina’s deep connection to younger audiences and her cheeky persona, while the star herself stated: “This partnership is about celebrating boldly, pushing boundaries, and moving forward with purpose.”

The Johnnie Walker x Sabrina Carpenter campaign, developed with creative input from director JJ Stratford and photographer Bryce Anderson, draws inspiration from the “golden age of spirits advertising” while infusing Carpenter’s retro-glam aesthetic.

The black-and-white imagery features Carpenter in a sophisticated backless black gown, posing on a grand piano with a bottle of Johnnie Walker Black Label, evoking classic Hollywood allure. Not her typical poise, sure, but Carpenter’s nothing if not chameleon-like.

Previously…

Carpenter’s Johnnie Walker partnership stands out for its bold departure from her previous brand tie-ins, which were irresistible given her beverage of choice. She teamed up with Dunkin’ Donuts’ coffee-themed drinks. Rather than simply slapping her name on a cup, Dunkin’ and Artists Equity Advertising crafted a cinematic ‘Dunkin’ Daydream Hotline’ ad, directed by Nadia Lee Cohen, where Carpenter plays a sultry matchmaker prescribing Refreshers to callers in.

Van Leeuwen’s ice cream, meanwhile, collaborated with the star in the same year, leaning into her youthful, dessert-like image, with half the proceeds going to the Ali Forney Center, supporting homeless LGBTQ+ youth, aligning with Carpenter’s Sabrina Carpenter Fund, which raised $1m faster than any other artist partnered with PLUS1.

Sabrina also teamed up with Pernod Ricard’s Absolut Vodka and Kahlúa for an ‘Espresso Martini’ kit in 2024: a venture into spirits that somewhat foreshadowed her alignment with Johnnie Walker’s global prestige: a multi-year commitment, incidentally.

Owning her signature look

Carpenter’s 2024 appointment as Redken’s first-ever Global Ambassador, meanwhile, was a coup for the haircare brand, given her formidable blonde locks. Unlike typical beauty endorsements that focus solely on product placement, Carpenter’s campaign leaned into her glamorous, youthful image, encouraging fans to recreate her voluminous hairstyles.

This partnership was fairly predictable, like her coffee-based tie-ins, yet it subtly defied expectations by aligning with a professional haircare brand rather than a mass-market beauty line, elevating Carpenter’s influence into a more sophisticated space.

Playing new audiences

In April 2025, Carpenter’s collaboration with Fortnite for Season 8 of Fortnite Festival featured her as a titular skin with branded emotes and music tracks. This move into gaming was unexpected for a pop star, yet it tapped into her Gen Z fanbase’s digital habits, extending her brand into a male-dominated space (again, foreshadowing her work with Johnnie Walker).

Skimming the surface

Perhaps Sabrina’s most memorable brand collaboration, however, was her work with Skims. I remember this as my intro to the singer, and looking back, it played perfectly into her persona.

Skims: Redefining Femininity in Fashion launched in April 2024, when Carpenter starred in Skims’ Fits Everybody and Stretch Lace campaign, generating $5.5m in media impact value within 48 hours.

She noted, “I loved the femininity of the whole creative”, and who could argue? The ads leaned into her confident, playful persona while avoiding the pitfalls of oversexualisation critiques.

What’s next?

It’s safe to say, lots. Carpenter has a knack for choosing partnerships that elevate her personal brand, while adding a twist to established products. She’s mastered using her sexuality, smarts and charisma to inject a much-needed sense of fun and controversy into the Adscape. For our money, she’s not put a stiletto heel wrong yet.