Gap’s Banana Republic has teamed up with Condé Nast Publications’ Bon Appétit as well as with the online restaurant reservation service OpenTable to launch a new summer apparel collection. The promotion called Desk to Dinner is slated to begin next week and will encompass print ads, direct mail, e-mail, digital content and social media including an Open Table blog, Dining Check.

The fan communities of Nike are Levi’s have been united by great news—the two apparel giants have collaborated on a new collection, which will arrive in stores across the globe in mid-summer. The new line of high performance denim for skateboarding marries the style and approaches of the two apparel gurus. According to the note on the official Nike website, “the 511 Skateboarding is built specifically for skateboarders and integrates Nike’s innovative Dri-FIT and vectran technologies, coupled with Levi’s timeless design, meticulous craftsmanship, and popular fit of the 511 Skinny.”

Togetherness is high on both the cultural and commercial agenda as businesses and brands come together to ‘partner’ the Olympic Games. Just how these partnerships will play out come the middle of August is anybody’s guess. But if profile has been raised and sales figures have increased then this association has served its purpose. Short-term partnerships are popular branding exercises to create excitement and exposure. But ultimately so is building long-term value and finding the right brand fit to maximise this is not always easy.