Taylor Swiftmay have a perfectly curated image and doesn’t get involved in the same embarrassing sponsored content deals as her peers now… but there was a time when she promoted a range of products from perfume to pizza.
These are the cringe-worthy brand deals she’d rather her devoted fans forget, although some Swifties have kept the sneakers, fragrances, and greeting cards for decades.
The Blank Space singer is the first musician to become abillionaireexclusively based on her songwriting according to Forbes, and while they seem like a lifetime ago, her brand deals helped move the needle towards the beginning of her now two-decade long career.
Brand strategistReilly Newman told the Royale, ‘These earlier ads are simply more lore that adds to the “I remember Taylor when…”‘
Newman, based in California, explained that Swift was the perfect partner for brands because ‘nostalgia and memory reinforces the relationship.’
Swift, now 35, put out cards with American Greetings and had her very own dollover the years.In the beauty realm, she modeled for CoverGirl and released her Wonderstruck and Incredible Things perfumes.
At one point, the Shake It Off singer also had lucrative deals with AT&T, Papa Johns, Target,Samsung, and Sony.
While plenty of other pop stars have their own makeup lines (think Ariana Grande, Swift’s bestie Selena Gomez, Halsey, and more) or fashion collections (Rihanna, Jessica Simpson, Justin Bieber) Swift sticks to singing and songwriting. However, that wasn’t always the case.
Taylor Swift doesn’t get involved in the same sponsored content deals as her peers now… but there was a time when she promoted a range of products from perfume to pizza
Now, her 2012 Papa John’s pizza box re-sells on eBay for more than $500, while others for a slightly less expensive $300
Swift was at the helm of a handful of fashion campaigns in the past, and fans are still obsessed with them all.
Back in 2008, she was the face of the now-defunct Walmart brand l.e.i. and was behind a collaboration of sweet sundresses that retailed for around $14.
The Pennsylvania-born singer discussed the collectiona in an interview with New York Magazineat the time, explaining, ‘In the summer, I automatically want to look bohemian,’ which is a departure from her current peak millennial styling.
In the same interview, she gave insight into why she hadn’t truly entered the fashion world, saying, ‘I like people who have worked their entire lives to become designers.
‘I think that they have their place as designers and I have my place as a musician, and I’m going to pretty much stick to that.’
Now, the flirty frocks are available for triple their price oneBay, sold as ‘Y2K era vintage Taylor Swift dresses.’
That’s not the only item that Swift once had a hand in that now re-sells for an astronomical amount years later.
Swift’s 2012 Papa John’s pizza box re-sells oneBay for more than $500, while others for a slightly less expensive $300.
In 2015, Swift teamed up with classic shoe brand Keds on a fall collection with a kitschy campaign that appeared online and in New York neighborhoods
Swift, now 35, put out cards with American Greetings, many of which played music when they were opened
OnReddit, Swifties have celebrated buying up the pizza boxes in perfect condition for the low price of $150… although when they were first released alongside the Red album, fans ‘could get a CD and a large one-topping pizza delivered for $22 or a CD added to your order for $13.’
In 2015, Swift teamed up with classic shoe brandKedson a fall collection with a kitschy campaign that appeared online and in New York neighborhoods.
The collab perfectly coincided with her move to Manhattan in the spring of 2014, when she started recording her fifth studio album, 1989.
Swift’s now-vintage Keds collection is still beloved today, with Swifties onReddit revealing they’re wearing the shoes years later.
‘I still have a pair of Taylor Swift Keds. They date me and I don’t care,’ one woman proclaimed proudly.
‘They can pry my Keds out of my cold dead hands. I’m 37, I don’t really care if teenagers think I dress like a 37-year-old,’ another agreed.
The collaboration might be a decade old at this point, but it has been proven timeless and it shows that Swift is still relatable.
While other celebrities wear only designer outfits (and the Grammy winner certainly has plenty of high price items in her closet) Swift has mastered the art of high/low dressing, and her fans are still following in her sneakered footsteps.
Some fans still wear Swift’s Wonderstruck perfume. Above, Swift is seen promoting the fragrance during the launch at Macy’s Herald Square on October 13, 2011 in New York City
Swift has mastered the art of high/low dressing, and her fans are still following in her footsteps
Content creatorAnnalise Wood, 26, shared a viral TikTok recently reminiscing about many of Swift’s previous business ventures.
Since then, fans have been begging Swift to re-release her perfume… while others have revealed they’ve kept them all this time.
Many promised that her products held up over the years, with one commenting, ‘I still have my original Wonderstuck and it still smells good.’ Another said they kept one of her greeting cards and it still played music.
These days, it’s unlikely Swift will partner with a new brand. Newman said, ‘I don’t see her brand jumping for the dangling celebrity carrot of a makeup or tequila brand,’ especially since we’ve ‘seen far too many of these brands pop up then fizzle and only a few have been the true exception.’
Of course, partnering with the Cruel Summer songstress would be a wildly expensive endeavor and the brand would need to know they’d be getting in return.
Newman thinks it’s possible she could procure an NFL partnership, especially as rumors she’ll perform at the Super Bowl halftime showreach an all time fever pitch.
‘I do see her influencing the female demographic when it comes to the NFL as of late,’ Newman said, adding, ‘Who would’ve thought the young girl who sang about quarterbacks and cheerleaders would end up being the focus of a massive sports league?’
