When TV Meets Marketing: Elisabeth Moss and the Brand Collab Dilemma
So, I’ve been thinking a lot about how some shows we love—like The Handmaid’s Tale , The White Lotus , and Severance —are getting tangled up in these strange brand collaborations, and honestly, it’s wild how off-base some of them are. I came across this recent piece that really hit the nail on the head, especially when it mentioned Elisabeth Moss and the use of those iconic red cloaks from The Handmaid’s Tale . You know the ones—they symbolize oppression, submission, and a complete stripping of identity. So imagine this: those same cloaks… walking down a fashion runway. Yeah, that actually happened.
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And that’s not even the only example. Remember The Hunger Games ? CoverGirl once launched a makeup line inspired by the Capitol—the same Capitol that forced children into a televised death match while dressed in over-the-top makeup and costumes. Like, did they miss the entire point of the story?
Then there’s Severance , which literally critiques toxic work culture—and yet, the show’s podcast is packed with ads for productivity platforms. Kind of ironic, right? Instead of diving deeper into the show’s themes, it just ends up borrowing the clout without adding any value. It’s all surface-level and leaves a weird taste.
Experts in branding say that when these collaborations flop, it’s usually because brands don’t take the time to truly understand the emotional connection fans have with the content. They see popularity and jump on board, but they miss the nuance. Like one brand exec said, it’s not enough to just show up—you’ve got to show up with purpose.
But to be fair, not all collabs are disasters. The White Lotus partnering with the Four Seasons kinda makes sense. Despite the whole "someone dies every season" thing, the show still manages to make the resorts look dreamy. Some fans even book trips just because they saw the location on screen. And when a scene accidentally ropes a brand into dark plotlines—like when Coffee Mate’s pina colada creamer almost got used in a murder-suicide—the brand responded with humor: “Well, this is awkward.” That’s how you lean in without missing the moment.
At the end of the day, we’re in this age where brand partnerships are everywhere, and we’re not dumb about it. Viewers know when something feels fake. So if a brand wants to piggyback off the success of something like The Handmaid’s Tale , they better bring more than just a logo. They need to understand what it means, what it represents—and more importantly, how not to trivialize it. Otherwise, they risk turning powerful stories into just another marketing gimmick.
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