FEVER-TREE brand collab

When a gifted product collaboration becomes a strategic content partnership – proving that treating UGC like a true creative project delivers results brands can’t ignore.

Festive season content is everywhere. Drinks brands face the same problem every November and December: how do you cut through when every feed is screaming tinsel, glitter and maximum Christmas?

the challenge

When Fever-Tree sent me their Pink Grapefruit Soda for a festive collaboration, they were looking for content that would stand out during the busiest visual period of the year. Most gifted product collaborations result in quick smartphone shots – nice enough, but forgettable. The opportunity? Show what happens when you treat a brand collaboration with the same strategic thinking and creative rigour as a commissioned shoot.

The challenge was creating something distinctly festive without relying on the visual clichés that make seasonal content blend together. Content that could work as a collaborative post reaching my audience, extend through stories and prove valuable enough for Fever-Tree to use for their own seasonal storytelling.

The real brief I set myself: prove that strategic, story-led content outperforms festive noise – even when it’s UGC.

  • Fever-Tree Pink Grapefruit Soda bottle and two Paloma cocktails presented on a tray with pinecones and festive greenery, held by a host in warm winter light by Lou Carruthers Photography
  • Macro close-up of carbonation bubbles in pink grapefruit cocktail showing texture and detail, drinks photography by Lou Carruthers

The CREATIVE APPROACH

Rather than treating this as a quick gifted post, I approached it like a commissioned project – complete with mood boards, shot planning and multiple styling iterations. The difference? I invested the time because I wanted to prove a point: brand collaborations deserve the same creative rigour as paid work.

I reframed the brief around how the drink lives in a moment – the pause before the pour, the quiet ritual of hosting, the small details that make guests feel welcome. Not just product shots, but a story about hosting that happened to feature their product.

The shoot was built around three strategic pillars designed to create emotional connection while maintaining brand clarity:

  • Hosting and human presence anchored the content in a real moment – a tray-led hero image placing the drink within a hosting context, making it aspirational but achievable.
  • Texture and detail brought sensory depth through macro imagery capturing carbonation, ice and citrus – deliberately stepping outside my usual approach to add movement and tactile appeal.
  • Cinematic still life used low winter light, muted festive styling and restrained colour to ensure the drink remained the hero without visual clutter.

Shot in directional winter light, every image was designed not just to be seen, but felt – the kind of content that makes someone pause mid-scroll and imagine themselves in that moment.

“Absolutely stunning; we’re blown away.” – Fever-Tree team

The final deliverables went far beyond a single post: a collaborative Instagram carousel, supporting story content, macro detail shots and recipe-led slides designed to add value and encourage saves. Every piece worked independently while building a cohesive seasonal story.

  • Hand pouring Fever-Tree Pink Grapefruit Soda into cocktail glass with salted rim and fresh grapefruit garnish for festive Paloma drink, photographed by Lou Carruthers, drinks photographer
  • Two festive Paloma cocktails with dried orange slices and a Fever-Tree Pink Grapefruit Soda bottle styled among winter greenery and soft candlelight by Lou Carruthers Photography

The impact

Treating this collaboration like a true creative project didn’t just result in better imagery – it delivered measurable performance that proved the strategic approach worked.

The Numbers

  • 14,000+ views with 89% non-follower reach (the content broke out of my existing audience and found new people)
  • 39 comments showing genuine engagement,
  • 17 saves indicating lasting value worth returning to
  • 14 shares extending organic reach, and multiple story reshares from the Fever-Tree team amplifying the content across their channels.

The collaboration post significantly outperformed typical benchmarks for both reach and engagement. More tellingly, the content was shared internally by Fever-Tree’s team – proof that when you approach brand collaborations with the same strategic thinking as commissioned work, brands notice.

The macro carbonation image was even shared independently ahead of the main post, signalling genuine confidence in the creative direction.

What this demonstrates for drinks brands
You don’t need a five-figure budget to get strategic, high-performing content. But you do need to work with creators who treat collaborations as creative partnerships, not transactional posts. Story-led imagery elevates product.

Calm, considered visuals cut through seasonal noise. Strategic thinking drives performance, whether it’s paid work or a gifted collaboration.

  • Two festive Paloma cocktails with dried orange slices and a Fever-Tree Pink Grapefruit Soda bottle styled among winter greenery and soft candlelight by Lou Carruthers Photography
  • Festive Paloma cocktail with Fever-Tree Pink Grapefruit Soda, garnished with dried orange and served on a winter-themed table setting by Lou Carruthers Photography
  • Two festive Paloma cocktails with dried orange slices and a Fever-Tree Pink Grapefruit Soda bottle styled among winter greenery and soft candlelight by Lou Carruthers Photography

final thoughts

This collaboration reminded me why I approach every brand partnership, paid or gifted, with the same creative rigour. Fever-Tree didn’t just send product and hope for nice photos. They trusted me to bring strategic thinking to the brief, and I treated it like the creative project it deserved to be.

The result? Content that performed because it was built on strategy, not just opportunity.
Not louder, not more festive, not trying harder – just clear, considered and rooted in the quiet moments that make hosting feel special.

For drinks brands wondering whether creator collaborations deliver value: this is what happens when you partner with someone who understands that every collaboration is an opportunity to prove what strategic storytelling can do.

Ready To Explore Brand Collaborations That Deliver?

If you’re a drinks brand looking to move beyond transactional gifted posts and build creator partnerships that drive genuine engagement and measurable results – let’s talk.

Let’s make your brand partnerships impossible to scroll past.

lou x

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