SHINY THING$ 0126 ✨

The “Collab” has become the most ubiquitous mechanism for launching new product. 

It’s unavoidable. 

It’s everywhere. 

Often, the modern collaboration is driven by sheer hope - the assumption that when two seemingly disconnected brands collaborate on a product or event, the outcome will be additive for both.

It’s become like a virus. One that touches everything from music, to food, to fashion… it crosses between luxury and discount, and blurs lines between industries. And it’s often an odd pairing (if anyone says they expected Absolut Vodka to cross promote with Heinz Ketchup, they’re lying). And that’s where the novelty ends more often than not. 

But when it works - when two entities with a shared ethos come together to support each other’s strengths with an unexpected direction - it has the power to 10X everything. It changes our pre-conceived notions of a brand or product and alters our behavior for the better. It delights audiences and cross-pollinates communities, shining new light on shared interests and expanding the reach of both participants dramatically. 

Enter the Daniel Arsham x Akira Nakai Porsche 964 “RWBA” - the newest IPO on Rally, opening to the public in-app and LIVE in-person here in NYC at 446 Broadway on Saturday April 13th (RSVP here).

When Daniel and Nakai-san connected to collaborate on one of the most unexpected Porsche creations of all time, the outcome hit on every branch on the tree of a successful collaboration:

1. The Addressable Market

Daniel Arsham’s global reach has turned him into the go-to artist for turning nostalgia and beloved products into contemporary art. His look is immediately recognizable, and stretches from galleries to book shelves worldwide. Nakai-san is an artist in his own right, building an equally recognizable aesthetic around his re-engineered wide-body Porsches, and creating a rabid following of car lovers and art lovers alike. 

2. The Individual Stories

Both Daniel and Nakai-san have a bit of mystery around them. Two artists who’ve built careers from then ground up, and jumped to the front of their respective industries by putting in their 100,000 hours. Where Daniel’s discipline finds him working on mediums from furniture to large format paintings, Nakai-san’s focus on automotive engineering has transformed him from a mechanic to an automotive Willy Wonka of sorts. Both stories are legendary.

3. The Canvas

Both have a long history with Porsche, formally and informally. The project for this collab is the last of the original Porsche body styles, the Porsche 964 - a collector car that did a complete turnaround from most-hated to most-loved of the air-cooled Porsches within the last decade. Today, it’s one of the most in demand vintage Porsches of any generation. 

And with all of those pieces aligned, one of the most unique Porsches EVER was built, solidifying a collab that has turned heads everywhere it’s landed. 

The full story, in 90 seconds:

Next Saturday, you’ll be able to see the finished product - The first ever Porsche Slant Nose 964 “RWBA.” We’ll be hosting a live IPO of this asset at the Rally Museum here in NYC, with Daniel Arsham on site for a signing. We will also be releasing a collab of our own - new merch and limited prints to match the offering.

RSVP here, and you can learn more about the Arsham RWBA, on Rally. 

Until Next Week…