Why Luxury is Investing in Music Partnerships

The era of bombastic Pepsi ads, with Michael Jackson spinning to the glory of soda, feels like a distant memory. Despite the record-breaking $5 million contract at the time, these types of campaigns often revealed contradictions between the artist’s message and the brand’s philosophy (or lack thereof), turning off early fans and music lovers.

Today, major luxury houses appear to be moving away from these heavy-handed campaigns, choosing instead to align their image with the creativity of the artists they collaborate with.

The Latin music industry has seen a meteoric rise in recent years, with U.S. revenues hitting $1.4 billion in 2024 alone. Brazil’s music market generated $567 million in 2024, growing 21.7% year-over-year. Numbers like these create fertile ground for luxury brands seeking to partner with Latin American artists.

Louis Vuitton understood this early on, collaborating—often unofficially—with artists like Brazilian singer Anitta and Colombian stars Maluma and Karol G, who attended the spectacular “Paris to India” show at the Centre Pompidou. Their appearances at major runway events dressed in Vuitton support the brand’s strategy of tying Latin music culture to the world of luxury. Notably, Pharrell Williams had produced music for some of these artists prior to becoming Louis Vuitton Men’s Creative Director, giving these partnerships a spontaneous, friendship-based feel.

Catalan singer Rosalía, known for blending flamenco with trap (trap is a subgenre of rap music that emerged in the 1990s in the United States. It is often associated with inner-city culture and gangs, editor's note) and for her futuristic gypsy-inspired visuals, has also worked closely with Louis Vuitton. She’s often seen wearing the brand in bold, almost kitschy ways—with oversized logos and outfits reminiscent of knockoffs—, in sceneries involving bullfighting, motorcycles and caravans in stylized odes to Romani culture. Some of these costumes were actually counterfeit or “reinterpretations” by designer Etai Drori, which didn’t prevent the house from inviting her to perform live at its Fall-Winter 2023-2024 men’s show in the Cour Carrée of the Louvre, becoming the first female artist to perform live during a Louis Vuitton men’s show.

By blurring the boundaries between styles and pushing tradition towards an avant-garde hybridity, she brought a breath of fresh air to the brand and opened a platform to an audience far removed from its original classicism.

Meanwhile, Puerto Rican artist Bad Bunny fronted Calvin Klein’s Spring 2025 Underwear campaign. Photographed at home in Puerto Rico by legendary Mario Sorrenti, , the artist appears in relaxed, candid poses, showcasing his tattoos wrestling background. A simple, sincere way to tie the brand to everything the artist represents for his fanbase. The campaign generated $8.4 million in media impact within 48 hours, paired with a music video featuring his track “EoO.”

He also fronted Gucci’s luggage campaign alongside Kendall Jenner in 2023 and became Jacquemus’ muse for “Le Splash” in 2022 and “Les Sculptures” in 2024, posing as a living artwork in sculptural pieces. These campaigns unmistakably celebrated the artist behind the work.

African music is also on a meteoric rise. In 2024, Nigerian artists saw their revenue double to $38 million, while South African musicians earned $21 million—a 54% increase. Luxury brands were quick to take note.

Grammy-winning South African DJ Black Coffee, known for his Afro deep house, launched a high-profile collaboration with U.S. brand Amiri. In November 2023, he performed at the opening of the brand’s first South African boutique in Johannesburg’s elite Diamond Walk. He’s also been seen wearing custom Amiri looks at events like the Grammys, his historic Madison Square Garden show, and at the Spring-Summer 2025 Paris Fashion Week. He also gave a remarkable performance at the Parallel 2024 evening event organised by Audemars Piguet, global partner of the Montreux Jazz Festival.

Tyla, the South African singer who helped globalize the amapiano genre—a cousin genre of deep house, rooted in township culture—has also caught the attention of luxury brands. With over 1.8 billion YouTube views for her debut single “Water” and as the first solo African female artist to pass one billion Spotify streams, she’s worn Balmain’s iconic sand-cast dress at the 2024 Met Gala and partnered with Danish jewelry brand Pandora, known for its customizable charm bracelets.

Nigerian artist CKay also made history with his 2022 hit “Love Nwantiti,” the first African track to surpass one billion Spotify streams. In September 2023, he became the first African ambassador for Ralph Lauren’s Polo Oud fragrance. Known for pioneering the dreamy, melancholic “Emo-Afrobeats” genre, his romantic image fit seamlessly into Ralph Lauren’s marketing strategy—part of a $487 million campaign in 2023. That investment seems to have paid off, as the brand reported an 8% sales increase in 2025, reaching $7.1 billion.

Audemars Piguet has been a global partner of the Montreux Jazz Festival since 2019, supporting initiatives like the Montreux Jazz Digital Project, which archives and digitizes the festival’s legacy, recognized by UNESCO since 2013.

Moreover, the brand’s APxMusic program fosters crossovers between high end watchmaking and music through collaborations with icons like Quincy Jones, Mark Ronson, and most recently with the artist Raye, leading to original concerts and limited-edition watches. In 2025, Audemars Piguet will present a new series of secret, free concerts under its Audemars Piguet Parallel concept around Montreux.

Private bank Julius Baer, another global sponsor since 2022, supports MJF Spotlight (a digital platform for new music) and the Montreux Jazz Artists Foundation, which nurtures emerging talents through artist residencies.

Luxury’s presence at the 2025 festival is also reflected in the lineup: fashion-forward icons of soul and new wave like Grace Jones, Chaka Khan, and Diana Ross all feature prominently.

Rock, however, is very much part of the picture this year. Lenny Kravitz, who performed three times at Montreux, is the global face of Jaeger-LeCoultre watches since 2023. The brand chose his timeless, genre-blending style to highlight its iconic Reverso Tourbillon model—worth $139,000—in a campaign centered on artistry and inspiration. In 2023, Catherine Rénier, then managing director of the brand, stated: “With his creativity, ingenuity, and ability to transcend eras and genres, Lenny Kravitz embodies the values of Jaeger-LeCoultre.”

Kravitz has also been the face of YSL Beauty’s men’s fragrance “Y” since 2020—a campaign that leans heavily into the artist’s mixed background and cross-border music and lifestyle. The cinematic ads feature acoustic and bossa nova reinterpretations of his hits, filmed on his beloved Bahamas island.

Benson Boone will take the Montreux stage. Dressed in custom Dolce & Gabbana looks at Coachella 2025, the brand was quick to understand the quiet yet massive star power of the young rocker, who was joined for the occasion by legendary Queen guitarist Brian May for a breathtaking performance, and who many now hail as the new Freddie Mercury. It’s worth noting that Tag Heuer has been one of Coachella’s key luxury sponsors since 2016, investing $555,000 this year in youth-focused VIP activations.

From Rosalía’s bold pajamas to Bad Bunny’s stripped-down portraits or Lenny Kravitz’s barefoot wanderings in his homeland, gone are the days of unrecognizable spokespeople; here, the artists shape the brand— through a campaign, a concert, and beyond— and are celebrated not only for their art, but also their origins, personalities, paths, and struggles, getting to reach the human behind the persona. It is this full-spectrum approach that is winning hearts and resonating with the audiences today, and transforming the relationship between music and luxury into something far deeper than endorsement.