We’ve been covering a lot of brand collaborations, and somehow brands keep managing to surprise us. From the mildly amusing to the downright absurd, these temporary marriages of convenience (or flings or one-night stands or whatever you want to call them) give both participants what they want — attention! — while offering a bit of entertainment value and novelty to weary consumers.

Below are 10 of our favorites of the year. (And for a flashback to one of the earliest brand collabs, scroll down to the bottom of this post.)

  • Burt’s Bees x Hidden Valley: In January, Burt’s Bees and Hidden Valley Ranch dropped a cobranded Ranch Dippers lip balm set inspired by buffalo chicken wings, ahead of “the biggest wing consumption day of the year,” CC Ciafone, Marketing Director at The Clorox Company, which owns Hidden Valley Ranch, said in a statement. (She was referring, of course, to the Super Bowl.) The four-piece set included four flavors — Hidden Valley Ranch, Buffalo Sauce, Crunchy Celery and Fresh Carrot — and sold out within a single day.

    See also: “Girl Scouts partners with Native on cookie-scented personal care line,” from The Week in Consumer Packaged Goods: January 5, 2024 edition.

  • Peeps x Heelys: In February, Peeps teamed up with Heelys, the original shoes with wheels, to create a shoe collection inspired by the marshmallow treat for “a delightful fusion of style and functionality,” per a brand statement. Available in two colors (pink and yellow, of course), the Peeps x Heelys collaboration featured an oversized plush Peeps bunny as the tongue of the shoe, accompanied by a Peeps Chick removable charm.

    See also: “Eggo’s Waffle-Inspired Sneakers Have Landed, and They’re Next-Level” (Food & Wine)

  • Pepsi x Reebok: In a move that blended celebrity, nostalgia and humor, PepsiCo and Reebok teamed up with Shaquille O’Neal in February to develop the Pepsi ‘SNEAK’ER. These Shaq-sized (i.e., size 22) Reebok Pump Shaq Attaqs — in Pepsi’s electric blue and black, with the brand’s logo in place of the Reebok “Pump” — were custom-built for the NBA legend by Shoe Surgeon with a compartment for a Pepsi Mini Can built into the sole, allowing O’Neal to enjoy a Pepsi “whenever the urge arises,” per a company statement.

  • Bath & Body Works x Netflix’s “Bridgerton”: In March, the bath shop brand partnered with Netflix to create a limited-edition product collection inspired by Shondaland’s hit Netflix dramatic series. Released ahead of the premiere of “Bridgerton” season 3, the Diamond of the Season collection included scented body care products, candles, hand soaps and even sanitizers based on key moments, characters and icons from the show, with a fragrance designed to represent “the ‘chosen’ debutante of the social season,” per a Netflix statement.

  • Liquid Death x e.l.f. Cosmetics: In March, the canned water upstart and beauty brand teamed up to release “Corpse Paint,” a limited-edition collection of five existing e.l.f. products packaged in a small branded coffin. To promote the collab, the brands created a humorous take on a ’90s infomercial, featuring two girls fawning over a goth celebrity in a teen magazine.

    See also: “Liquid Death releases new sparkling water flavor collab with Van Leeuwen Ice Cream,” as we noted in a recent edition of The Week in Consumer Packaged Goods.

  • Busch Light x Crocs: The AB InBev-owned beer brand and Crocs joined forces in May to release a limited-edition shoe collection featuring two styles “designed for the great outdoors,” per a brand statement. Busch Light x Crocs included both a sandal and clog design featuring all-terrain soles and flannel accents, as well as accessories including a flashlight, roll-up koozie and bottle opener. Fans who uploaded a photo of themselves camping (in nature or at a NASCAR race) were entered to win a free pair of shoes from the collection.
  • Oreo x Lucasfilm: In May, Mondelēz-owned Oreo announced the release of special edition Star Wars Oreo Cookies in partnership with Lucasfilm. The collab centered around a new package featuring original character artwork from illustrator Greg Hildebrandt and two cookie variations, with each pack containing a single–color creme representing either the dark side (represented by red creme and embossed images of characters such as a stormtrooper and Darth Vader) or the light side of the Force (blue creme with characters including Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia).

  • Heinz x Kate Spade New York: In June, Heinz and Kate Spade New York announced the release of a limited-edition capsule collection designed to capture the spirit of each brand — “Heinz’s beloved iconography and unmistakable ketchup–red color and Kate Spade New York’s colorful, iconic and joyful styles,” per a Kraft Heinz Company statement. Heinz x Kate Spade New York — described as “condiment couture” by Megan Lang, Head of Global Heinz Brand Communications and Creativity — included apparel and accessories ranging from totes and pouches to T-shirts and keychains.

    See also: “KFC collaborates with Life is Good to launch limited-edition apparel collection,” from a recent edition of The Week in Direct-to-Consumer.

  • Ore-Ida x GoodPop: In a bold sweet-and-salty combination, french fry maker Ore-Ida and frozen dessert brand GoodPop teamed up in June to create the Fudge n’ Vanilla French Fry Pop. Inspired by the uniquely American habit of dipping french fries in milkshakes, the limited-edition offering consisted of “a vanilla oatmilk frozen base in a rich, chocolate fudge shell rolled in real, crispy potato bits,” per a brand announcement.

    See also: “Van Leeuwen collaborates with Sanrio’s Hello Kitty on limited-edition ice cream,” from a recent edition of The Week in Consumer Packaged Goods.

  • Hormel Foods x Cinnamon Toast Crunch: Hormel Black Label Bacon joined forces with the General Mills cereal brand in September to release a cobranded bacon. Featuring “a crisp, sugary crust with a delicious balance of cinnamon, sugar, salt and savory bacon taste,” per the announcement, the limited-edition Black Label Cinnamon Toast Crunch Bacon was created by rubbing the cereal’s Cinnadust seasoning blend into Hormel’s thick-cut bacon.

FLASHBACK: Barnum x Tiffany: Brand collabs are a lot older than you may think

“A brand collaboration offers a simple, strategic way for two brands to expand their reach among a clearly defined audience,” says Ashley Wacht, Head of CPG Product Marketing at Quad. “Often, what seems like a random partnership is in fact two similarly aligned brands coming together to create something surprising that they know will resonate with a segment of both of their audiences.” 
 
One such seemingly random partnership, in fact, helped kick off the whole brand-collab phenomenon 161 years ago. 
 
On Feb. 10, 1863, circus impresario P.T. Barnum’s performers General Tom Thumb and Miss Lavinia (both of whom stood less than 3 feet tall) married — an event that drew more than 2,000 guests. Arguably outshining the one-day affair, though, was a custom-designed silver–and–gem horse and chariot set created by Tiffany & Co. to commemorate the wedding. (For a fascinating look at the partnership between the brands, see “Tiffany & Co.’s Remarkable Relationship to the Circus,” from Sotheby’s.) 
 
Barnum x Tiffany is considered to be one of the very first high-profile brand collaborations. The brands continued to collaborate again and again over the years, notably creating a belt buckle to celebrate the 1908 circus season. 

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