Brand collaborations, overview:
- Brand collaborations are carrying familiar flavours into new products, from Liquid Death-inspired Pop-Tarts to Skippy-filled Chocottone.
- Retail exclusives give shoppers a reason to seek out launches, while restaurant partnerships introduce snacks through menus and topping bars.
- Cheerios and Ziploc show how partnerships can address everyday frustrations, adding resealability and easier pouring to the cereal box.
Putting two familiar brands on one pack gives shoppers an immediate clue about what to expect, which can be useful when a new product has only seconds to catch their eye. A name they already know may make an unfamiliar purchase feel less of a punt.
The choice of partner also gives a manufacturer room to experiment without asking its own brand to do all the work. A company known for one product can try a different flavour, price point or occasion, drawing on associations the other business has already spent years building.
That recognition comes with expectations, though. Someone buying a snack because it carries their favourite sauce or confectionery brand will expect to taste the connection, and both partners have a stake in getting it right. An appealing pack might win the first purchase, but the product still has to earn the next one.
The arrangement can be useful beyond the supermarket shelf, too. A restaurant can introduce a product to customers as part of a meal, while a licensing deal can give a bakery access to characters people actively seek out for birthdays and celebrations. The strongest reason to collaborate is having something each business can contribute that the other would struggle to deliver alone.
Pop-Tarts, Bauducco and Utz swap signature flavours
Pop-Tarts and Liquid Death are reversing the flavour exchange that previously produced Pop-Tarts Carnage iced tea. Their second collaboration, Squeezed to Death Frosted Orange, takes inspiration from Liquid Death’s orange soda-flavoured sparkling water and puts it inside a toaster pastry.
Launching at participating US retailers, the limited edition combines citrus-flavoured jam, a golden-orange crust, frosting and orange sprinkles, with an RRP of $4.69 for 12 pastries and $4.97 for 16.
“Limited-time collaborations, like this one with Liquid Death, offer a new way to experience both brands,” says Kim Holowiak, director of growth and marketing at Pop-Tarts.
Bauducco and Skippy are targeting US holiday tables with Peanut Butter Chocottone, rolling out through major food and grocery retailers. The chocolate-coated sweet loaf combines Bauducco’s airy, chocolatey crumb with real Skippy peanut butter filling.
Bauducco is also introducing Pistachio Chocottone, although that product sits outside the Skippy collaboration. Further Skippy-inspired creations are planned, giving the partnership scope beyond a single seasonal appearance.
Utz and Grillo’s have already had time to develop that relationship. Their partnership began in 2022, and Spicy Pickle Bites extend Grillo’s dill, garlic and vinegar profile into a crunchy corn-based snack with added heat.
The 2.5oz bags are available across US convenience retailers including 7-Eleven, Circle K, Sheetz and Wawa, plus Utz’s online shop. Grillo’s reports distribution in more than 31,000 US stores.
“We’ve been working with Utz since 2022 to bring pickle lovers new ways to enjoy our flavour beyond the refrigerated pickle aisle,” says Mark Luker, chief commercial officer at Grillo’s.
Big Mozz and Sauz make the pairing literal: Mini Mozzarella Nuggets come with a packet of Creamy Calabrian Vodka Sauce in the same box. The US Target exclusive has an RRP of $7.99 for 14.94oz, joining Big Mozz’s Original Mozzarella Sticks as the frozen snack brand expands into the retailer. Big Mozz says its wider US footprint now exceeds 7,000 grocery stores.
Cheerios seals the bag as cereal joins dessert menus
Cheerios and Ziploc are selling relief from a familiar irritation. General Mills says 90% of cereal consumers already take extra steps to preserve freshness, whether folding, clipping or transferring the contents elsewhere.
Their PantrySeal collaboration puts a resealable closure inside the traditional box. The bag opens partially to form a pouring spout, then seals again. Cheerios and Honey Nut Cheerios versions launched exclusively through Walmart’s US website late October, with wider national distribution planned over the coming months.
“Cheerios with Ziploc PantrySeal takes a small, everyday cereal frustration and finally gives consumers the simple solution they’ve been asking for, making the whole routine easier and more enjoyable,” says Emilie Knox, VP and business unit director for Cheerios at General Mills.
General Mills is also taking cereal beyond breakfast through Chain Snacks, which opened in September in Los Angeles. The six-month residency uses seven cereal brands as the foundations for desserts and drinks.
The menu includes Cinnamon Toast Crunch Tiramisu, Reese’s Puffs Churros, a Golden Grahams Toasted S’Mores Bar and a Honey Nut Cheerios Matcha Cloud. Lucky Charms becomes a frozen waffle taco; Cookie Crisp an ice cream sandwich; and Trix a berry slush. Further limited editions are planned.
US self-serve frozen yogurt chain Yogurtland is giving Final Boss Sour a serving occasion through Punch Out Peach real-fruit slices. Available while supplies last, the topping takes a packaged sour snack into a self-serve frozen yoghurt cup.
Britain’s Dishoom and Fudge Kitchen have chosen the end of the meal. Their Chocolate Mint Fudge joined Dishoom’s UK café menus at £2.50 for one piece or £7 for three. Handmade in Kent, the peppermint fudge is coated in dark chocolate and finished individually.
M&M’s, Harry Potter and Snickers recruit the fans
M&M’s and Marvel brought their global campaign to US retailers with seven character mash-ups, including Red as Deadpool and Yellow as Wolverine. Milk Chocolate, Minis, Peanut and Peanut Butter varieties feature across several pack formats. Walmart also has an exclusive Yellow-as-Doctor-Doom pack.
A supporting crossover comic has a print run of 10,000 physical copies, with fans able to secure copies at selected events ahead of the scheduled 18 December release of Avengers: Doomsday. The film gives retailers a promotional calendar beyond the initial pack launch.
Finsbury’s Harry Potter cake takes a longer view. Created with Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products, the 1kg cake launched at Tesco across the UK at £16.50, serves up to 16 and joins the permanent celebration range. Chocolate sponge and frosting sit beneath burgundy icing with gold accents, alongside chocolate Golden Snitch and Sorting Hat decorations.
Snickers and adidas took their US partnership onto the American football field with limited-edition Adizero Electric+ II boots, released online for $180. Chocolate-brown uppers, a Snickers lace charm and green insoles inspired by Ghoulish Green bars carry the confectionery branding.
Vita Coco and Homesick offer another way to sell a flavour association: Strawberries & Creme and Frosted Lemonade candles launched at $34.95 each, exclusively through Homesick’s website. The US brands translate dessert-inspired drinks into home fragrance, with strawberry, cream and vanilla notes in one candle and lemon zest, coconut cream and sea salt in the other.
Hellmann’s has commissioned Irish accessories label Maya Grisham to recreate its mayonnaise jar as a one-off, hand-crystallised handbag. Reproducing the blue lid and familiar label in crystals, the collaboration aims to introduce the food brand to new audiences through fashion and craftsmanship.
