Brands are mixing talent from across entertainment to bring different audiences to the same campaign. Each partnership comes with its own following, while social media gives those consumers a direct way to participate.

Popsicle added reality television to its cross-entertainment lineup this summer with Vanderpump Rules alum and House of Stassi star Stassi Schroeder. She joined digital creator Drew Afualo and musician Ashlee Simpson as team captains for the brand’s fan-driven Flavor Feud campaign.

Popsicle declared Schroeder’s Team Cherry the winner of the competition in a statement released on Instagram on August 11, earning Cherry its own solo pack.

The Magnum Ice Cream Company announced the campaign in a July press release , positioning Popsicle’s Cherry, Orange and Grape flavors in competition. Consumers supported their preferred team and captain through votes, purchases and social media, where Schroeder, Afualo and Simpson engaged with their audiences throughout the campaign.

Bentley King , U.S. head of marketing operations at The Magnum Ice Cream Company, said to me in an email that working with three different talent profiles did not require Popsicle to approach each partnership the same way.

“Partners don’t need to look or sound alike to create a cohesive campaign,” King said, adding that the communities Schroeder, Afualo and Simpson brought with them “actually made the competition stronger.”

Within the same campaign, each captain had room to engage their audience differently. King said Popsicle gave the entertainment partners flexibility in how they rallied their teams, allowing their individual voices and relationships with their audiences to inform how they participated.

Popsicle had previously worked with Forbes 30 Under 30 alum and digital creator Jake Shane, whose “Popsipuss” TikTok series generated 26 million views before the brand partnered with him on an All Cherry box in 2025. This summer, Popsicle expanded its work with entertainment talent, with a musician and reality television personality alongside a digital creator.

Authenticity can also factor into whether talent takes on a brand partnership. Schroeder said to me in an email that Popsicle was already part of her household, making the partnership organic to her. She also pointed to the importance of her relationship with her audience when considering opportunities.

“My audience has watched me through so many versions of my life that they can tell when something actually fits me and when it doesn't,” Schroeder said. “I want partnerships that feel authentic.”

Popsicle considered the audience from the brand side of the partnership as well. King said the company began with consumers’ existing preferences for Popsicle flavors, which later helped advise its talent selection.

King said the company looked for partners who could “help activate distinct communities,” with social media providing a way to reach those different audiences. Across Instagram and TikTok, Schroeder has more than 4.4 million followers and Afualo 9.5 million, while Simpson has 1.1 million followers on Instagram.

King said Popsicle also worked with platform partners to understand how community-driven conversations were developing, which helped inform the campaign’s content and how it encouraged participation.

Brands across industries have paired talent from different areas of entertainment to reach different audiences for years.

More recently, according to Forbes contributor Dr. Marcus Collins , Levi’s February 2026 Behind Every Original campaign featured talent across music and sports, among them Rosé, Doechii and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Tommy Hilfiger similarly brought together actors, musicians, models and athletes for its Spring 2026 campaign .

Food and delivery brands have used similar casts. According to Forbes contributor Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner , filmmaker Greta Gerwig appeared alongside actor Matthew McConaughey in Uber Eats’ 2025 Super Bowl campaign. The campaign also featured talent from music and digital media, including Charli xcx and Hot Ones host Sean Evans.

Apple’s Shot on iPhone campaign, launched in 2015, provides an earlier example, featuring musicians, filmmakers and athletes such as Lady Gaga, Selena Gomez, Damien Chazelle and Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Popsicle uses a similar cross-entertainment format, adding a reality television personality alongside talent from other areas while making audience participation part of the campaign.

Brands can use cross-entertainment partnerships to reach new audiences that follow talent in different places. Each talent partner can connect with their own audience, introducing different communities to the same brand while giving them a shared way to participate.