The 2025 Collabs I Simply Can’t Believe Are Real
This spon con is making my head spin.
Often when I’m reading up on the latest flashy brand collab (that I’m meant to spend real US dollars on), I think “this is a sentence that has to have been created by AI.” (Then I remember AI is too lazy to be funny, even unintentionally). But it is true that influencer culture, A-listers joining social media, and every single brand’s insatiable thirst for engagement have led to some truly bonkers partnerships and launches that quickly remind me, we’re living in a simulation. TBH, the biggest recession indicator is millionaires who get invited to the Oscars hawking their bathwater for a few bucks, no? Let’s revisit the wildest 2025 brand collabs (and niche products) involving food, celebrities, and fictional characters that I still can’t believe are actually real.
Cup Noodles x Dill Pickle
I’m starting off gentle, okay? As someone who grew up on instant ramen noodles, I never thought I’d live to see my most treasured guilty pleasure snack dip a toe in dill pickle. Obviously, I had to give this kooky concoction a try, and I regret to inform the haters, it was bangin. Like, I’m about to add a bunch to cart, sodium content be damned.
Sydney’s Bathwater Bliss Soap By Dr. Squatch
I blinked several times, assuming my eyes were playing tricks on me when I first heard about Sydney Sweeney teaming up with Dr. Squatch to release a soap made from the literal bathwater. And of COURSE it smelled like “morning wood.” Sydney, what project was weirder — this or Madame Web?
Post Malone Oreos
Oreos love a little limited edition drop (I actually wanted to try Selena Gomez’s cinnamon condensed variation), but that didn’t stop me from double-taking when Post Malone got his own one-of-a-kind Oreo collab, complete with custom embossed cookie faces. Like, a country bad boy with gold grills, baby mama drama, and indeterminable grooming habits didn’t immediately strike me as a cookies and milk cutie (salted caramel, no less), but maybe it’s a late-night munchies sitch.
Khloud Protein Popcorn
I know these sisters will do anything for cash money and clout, but protein popcorn from Khloe really did fall out of the clear blue sky. Because it’s not a Kardashian product without controversy, Khloe marketed the snack as popcorn “you don’t have to feel guilty about,” which I had to lolz at, considering popcorn is inherently guilt-free. TBF, the reviews were somewhat favorable, which I guess is good considering this latest endeavor is called “khloud foods,” implying more protein surprises are in store (or rather, will be soon).
Wendy’s Krabby Patty Kollab
This was actually low-key historic, considering every kid born before 2008 was dying to know what a Krabby Patty would taste like IRL, and Wendy’s kind of delivered! The burger was a burger, but I am still dreaming about that Pineapple Under the Sea Frosty, though.
Lush x Shrek Line
Smelling like you came out of a swamp is not stereotypically desirable, so color me surprised when Lush came out with an entire Shrek-themed bath and body line (most of which already looks sold out). The new movie doesn’t even come out until 2026!
Glossier x Magnolia Bakery’s Banana Pudding Balm Dot Com
Every New Yorker knows there is nothing more delish than a tub of Magnolia’s famous pudding. It’s like eating a cloud of savory, sweet heaven. Now, I don’t know that I ever dreamed of wearing it on my lips, but I can’t say I’m not intrigued by the concept (though I fear it would make me very hungry).
Panera’s S’Mac And Cheese Lip Balm
No one, literally no one, not a living soul asked, and yet Panera teamed up with Holler and Glow with a very strange answer: lip balm inspired by their fan fave mac and cheese. Even my favorite influencers couldn’t convince me to humor this product!
Alix Earle And Paris Hilton For Carl’s Jr.
Carl’s Jr. hand-selected Alix Earle and Paris Hilton to be the brand ambassadors for their queso crunch burger (a solution for those too torn to decide between McDonald’s and Taco Bell) because when I think of those two and their blonde bouncy blowouts, queso is a natural next thought.
Krispy Kreme Crocs
Who in the WORLD would rock Crocs covered in faux donut glaze and a Krispy Kreme jibbit??? Oh, wait, me, I would.
Grillo’s Pickles Dr. Pepper Pickle Boba at Sonic
As previously stated, I love pickles more than the average Joe. Still, this Grillo’s Pickles boba tea is something that my currently intact digestive system and I might not have been brave enough to try.
Revlon’s Guy Fieri Flavortown Lip Balm
Revlon, with a straight face, dropped this lip product “in honor of National Chicken Wing Day.” Guy Fieri is a legend and all, but if this isn’t a reminder that every day we stray further from God’s light, I don’t know what is.
Laneige Baskin-Robbins Sydney Sweeney Lip Mask
This collab is a little meta, considering Sydney first partnered with Baskin-Robbins on a curated menu of her top ice cream picks. Then, said partnership was leveraged to promote Baskin’s limited edition lip mask with Laneige, for which Sydney is also — separately — an ambassador. Sydney might become the first actress to become more famous for brand deals than movies!
Travis Scott’s Storm Storm Erewhon Smoothie
So many celebs have had themselves immortalized in the form of a bougie grocery store smoothie (Hailey Bieber’s is the best, LBR), but Travis caught attention for naming his after his child and donating some of the proceeds to his foundation. Naturally, it went for $22 and actually looked pretty delish, though the best part of this whole drop was Travis trying to make cooking up smoothies look hard.
Crumbl Cookies And Everyone: The Kardashians, Benson Boone, Olivia Rodrigo, Jonas Brothers, Willy Wonka, etc.
I’m politely asking Crumbl to start getting more specific and daring with their talent-inspired flavors. Like, let’s go bigger than slapping a Karjenner’s name in front of a classic cake flavor and invent something so niche I have to stan, like a hairy, Greek delicacy inspired by Angie K.’s high body count hair!
The Last Of Us Four Sigmatic Coffee
I’m going to be vulnerable and admit I didn’t get into The Last Of Us, but something about a violent dystopian drama does organically align with supercharged coffee.
SZA CZA Caesar Salad from True Food Kitchen
This unexpected alliance came about because SZA was begging True Food Kitchen to bring back their OG Caesar on social media, and they did her one better by redesigning one with her. Though I’m mildly questioning the length of that title, it looks yummy, and it goes toward feeding the hungry. A collab for good!
Love Is Blind Wedding Cake International Delight Coffee Creamer
I don’t take dessert-flavored creamer in my coffee (because I’m a grown-up, hehe), but if I did, thinking of some of LIB’s greatest hits with my morning coffee would certainly liven up my morning routine.
Native & Dunkin’ Strawberry Frosted Collection
Dunkin’ came through with a super sweet body care line with Native, including a deodorant that is described as “Creamy, Delicate, Vanilla, Fruity.” Though I hadn’t previously considered having my pits smell like strawberries, I’m not opposed.
P.F. Chang’s Freakier Flavors Menu For Freakier Friday
The marketing of the 2003 Freaky Friday reboot’s 2025 sequel, starring Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan, includes a Freakier Flavors menu for dinner, color-changing drinks, and a glittery ube cheesecake dessert. That is a real sentence in 2025!
Marissa Dow