10 Of The Weirdest Food Collabs Of 2025

In an oversaturated market running at the speed of social media, food brands must try harder than ever to cut through the digital noise. One way they're doing it is by taking their collaborative campaigns IRL, to launch innovative products with cross-over appeal. As more brands discover the opportunities that teaming up can create, attempts to combine and leverage target audiences get bigger each year. 

In 2025 alone, we've seen Campbell infuse its Chunky soups with Pabst Blue Ribbon, Jack Link's introduce Doritos-flavored beef jerky, and the invention of Mountain Dew x Trolli candy and soda. KitKat became the official chocolate bar of Formula 1 racing, and Pringles released two products with Miller Lite.

This co-branded tactic can be a fun way to generate buzz and reach new audiences, but the more companies do it, the further they must reach for attention — and that's when things get weird. As they try to one-up each other, big names in the food industry are tapping collaborators that don't seem to make much sense, resulting in promotions that leave consumers scratching their heads. One could argue that, if people are confused, that means they're paying attention. Maybe that's the point, and maybe these off-the-wall brand collabs are the greatest marketing hack. Scroll through 10 of the weirdest food collabs of 2025, and decide for yourself.

Pickles are having a moment, and Sonic's cashing in. After years of low-key offering pickle juice as one of Sonic's ridiculous number of drink options, the fast-food chain made its love of brine official with a limited-time Big Dill Meal in partnership with Grillo's Pickles. From June, 2025, diners could dig into pickle-packed menu items like the Sonic x Grillo's Pickles Big Dill Sonic Smasher, an Angus beef burger with pickles 3 ways (as seasoned crispy cucumbers, Grillo's Pickle Chips, and dilly ranch) and 2 or 3 patties, and Sonic x Grillo's Pickles Seasoned Tots or Groovy Fries dressed with Grillo's Pickle seasoning.

If you're thinking that neither of those sounds too weird, just wait till you hear about the third item in the Big Dill Meal: the Sonic x Grillo's Pickles Picklerita Slush. This sweet-tart drink features a slushy blend of lime juice and pickle juice, as well as pickle juice-flavored boba bubbles, all topped with a Grillo's Pickle Chip. Yes, it's bright green, and yes, it's polarizing.

As expected, the Sonic x Grillo's Pickles Big Dill Meal drew mixed reactions on social media, with the Picklerita Slush being the most controversial component. Some were confused by the combination of sugary-sweet and salty-sour, while others said the pickle juice flavor wasn't strong enough. Still others recommend taking the trend even further and trying the pickle boba in Dr. Pepper instead. Pick your poison, pickle enthusiasts.

If you saw Red Clay's new Hot Gloss and thought it was for your hair, you'd be forgiven. This confounding new product, launched in 2025, is a collab between the hot sauce brand and haircare company TRESemmé. While it's supposedly inspired by the latter's new Lamellar Gloss Finishing Oil, designed to make tresses shine, this spicy peach honey concoction is actually meant to accent fried chicken, cheeseboards, and other savory snacks. (According to the brands, the product is delicious over vanilla ice cream, too.)

Clearly, spicy condiments have come a long way since the world's first hot sauces were invented. The best hot sauces on the market today offer unique attributes that set them apart, but Red Clay and TRESemmé may have taken things too far in the name of marketing. While Hot Gloss sounds tasty enough, with its sweet-and-spicy blend of Carolina wildflower honey, peak-season peaches and Red Clay's signature heat, the branding is inarguably weird. Who was craving hot sauce that reminds them of their hair, or an edible version of their favorite shampoo? Whoever they are, we've got some follow-up questions for them, the first one being: Did the outlandish gimmick actually work to boost sales?

When it comes to Cheez-It flavors, you've probably got opinions. There are entire Reddit threads dedicated to Cheez-It varieties, where purists debate those who claim Extra Cheesy Cheez-Its are the best. (Those people are wrong.) Ask any of them what their favorite Cheez-It fashion accessory is, though, and you'll likely hear crickets.

For whatever reason, the brand's executives set out to change that in 2025 by collaborating with reality TV personality Phaedra Parks. The "Real Housewives of Atlanta" star teamed up with the snack brand to launch the Cheez-It Snap'd Back Bag, a limited-edition purse inspired by Cheez-It's new baked (not fried) chips. The oversized and over-the-top clutch resembles an actual bag of Cheez-It Snap'd snacks, but along with the company's typical branding, the purse is emblazoned with some of Phaedra's most iconic one-liners.

While the promotional product gives new meaning to "statement piece," it may also leave you wondering why. For a brand like Cheez-It, eye-catching partnerships are nothing new. In fact, the same year it launched this purse, the company introduced Wendy's Baconator-flavored crackers. But while that brand collab makes sense, Phaedra's Snap'd Back Bag feels like one that should have been left on the shelf.

Crocs is no stranger to weird product launches. In fact, one could argue that all of its products are kind of weird. But its new clogs made in collaboration with Krispy Kreme, and introduced in August of 2025, may just take the cake (er, doughnut.)

With this collab, the footwear brand banked on the enduring popularity of Krispy Kreme, and while this pairing feels particularly unlikely, they weren't wrong to do so. The national chain's Original Glazed Doughnut has a cult following, while special launches around the holidays and celebrity partnerships like 2024's Krispy Kreme x Dolly Parton collab tend to sell out.

The Krispy Kreme x Crocs Classic Clogs, which look like a pair of classic glazed doughnuts, one dipped in chocolate and the other strawberry frosting, are out of stock at the time of writing. However, lovers of sugary breakfast treats and comfortable footwear can still purchase a 5-pack of Krispy Kreme Crocs Jibbitz to adorn their ordinary clogs with sprinkle-topped confections and the iconic Krispy Kreme logo. Those lucky enough to order the limited-edition shoes while they were still available received them in a custom box designed to look like a box of Krispy Kremes, and are now likely the envy (or laughingstock) of their friend group.

Do you struggle with getting your child to brush their teeth every day? If so, this weird food collab is for you. In March 2025, Sprinkles Cupcakes (the brand behind some of the best cupcakes in America) teamed up with MOON Oral Beauty to launch a limited-edition line of products inspired by sweet celebrations and sparkling smiles.

The MOON x Sprinkles collab included a custom, sprinkle-covered Electric Toothbrush and Birthday Cake Toothpaste, as well as the MOON Birthday Bite Cupcake (sugar-free, of course) available at Sprinkles bakeries nationwide. To promote the products, Sprinkles customers were given trial-sized samples of the toothpaste at check-out, and full-sized versions were available for purchase at select locations of Sprinkles' signature cupcake ATMs.

While the MOON x Sprinkles Collection was a new venture for the bakeshop chain, it appeared to fit right into MOON's marketing strategy. The oral care company positioned itself as a global lifestyle brand via cute, pink partnerships with the likes of Barbie and Hello Kitty. Arguably, those are no less strange than this collab, which could lead to more cavities, or keep your sweet tooth clean, depending on how you see it.

Since its inception, ice cream innovator Van Leeuwen has made cross-promotional collabs part of its brand identity, launching head-turning flavors with Hidden Valley Ranch, Kraft Mac & Cheese, and Grey Poupon. There was even a Glass Onion Van Leeuwen flavor, featuring a swirl of bourbon onion jam, to promote the 2022 premiere of "Knives Out." In 2025, it continued the tradition by introducing a chocolate stout ice cream with Guinness (okay, yes, sounds delicious) and a jewelry collection with Studs Studio (wait, what?)

Not only is the Van Leeuwen x Studs Cherry On Top collection not an ice cream flavor, it's a product that doesn't make any sense. Sure, the pavé huggies are cute, each adorned with a dangling charm (one an ice cream cone, one a pair of cherries), and the co-branded sundae is probably perfectly tasty, but what does one have to do with the other? Who has been craving the ability to match their fit to their food?

Well, according to the responses on Instagram, where Van Leeuwen and Studs announced their joint venture, quite a few people have. The comments are filled with celebratory emojis and promises to pick up both the earrings and frozen treat — so, while this brand collab is weird, it might just work.

If you love hot sauce but have always wished it had caffeine, prepare to be ecstatic. Thanks to a partnership between Midwestern fast-food chain Taco John's and 5-Hour Energy, there exists a limited-edition "energizing hot sauce" that reportedly contains as much caffeine as a cup of regular coffee. Now, the adventurous but sleepy eater can enjoy their morning pick-me-up in a whole new way.

While this Taco John's and 5-Hour Energy collab was created to celebrate Cinco de Mayo 2025, it's actually not the first time the brands teamed up. The previous summer, the duo gave us an "inspired energizing BBQ sauce" that was apparently so successful that it demanded a follow-up. This time around, we got the hot sauce (which was yours for free, if you purchased Taco Johns' promotional No Siesta Fiesta bundle) and also a limited-time flavor of 5-Hour Energy, Spicy Cinco de Mango.

If you missed this opportunity to trade your usual shot of espresso for a shot of hot sauce, don't fret. Something tells us that these two brands aren't done making marketing magic. With 5-Hour Energy's remarkable ability to bounce back after its energy drink controversy, and Taco John's being one of America's fastest-growing Mexican chains, we have a feeling they're already cooking something up for 2026.

What started as an April Fool's Day prank has eventually become a real-life collab between candy giant Mars, Inc. and Razer, the gamer lifestyle brand. After Razer received a surprising amount of positive feedback to a seasonal joke about launching a product line, it decided to make it happen with Respawn by Razer. The pilot product, a drink mix formulated to stimulate mental performance, sold well enough that the brand kept going. Now, in 2025, it has launched an innovative item co-branded with Mars that fills what the duo saw as a hole in the market: the first-ever chewing gum made specifically for gamers.

If you're wondering what, exactly, makes gamer gum different from ordinary chewing gum, the answer is in the ingredients. Respawn by Razer gum is enriched with B vitamins and green tea extract, to give the chewer an extra dose of energy and concentration. Available at retailers in the U.S. and China, it comes in four flavors: Mango Habanero Fire, Blackberry Vanilla Vibe, Pomegranate Watermelon, and Cool Mint for the chewing gum purists out there.

While those outside the target demographic might be puzzled by the move into functional snacks, Razer plans to keep innovating. In an industry where consumers are also collaborators, it'll be interesting to see what weird things they think of next.

Imagine your ideal deodorant scent. It probably wasn't Boston Kreme Donut, but maybe that's because you didn't know that was an option. It is now, thanks to Native's 2025 collab with Dunkin', which includes four different scents (Strawberry Frosted, Vanilla Sprinkle, Blueberry Cobbler, and the aforementioned Boston Kreme) to make your Deodorant, 2-in-1, Body Wash, and Hand & Body Lotion good enough to eat.

While dessert-inspired bodycare products are not unusual, this collab feels like a strange mash-up due to the brands' conflicting ideals. While Native became famous for disrupting the deodorant industry with its clean ingredients, Dunkin' (which is no longer called Dunkin' Donuts) is loved for being quite the opposite. Its line-up of decadent breakfast treats and sugar-spiked coffee drinks is delicious, but no one's under the impression that they qualify as health food.

The Native x Dunkin' collab gives the latter an all-natural glow-up, with products that are (like everything Native makes) free from aluminum, baking soda, talc, dyes, and parabens. They're also cruelty-free and vegan, so everyone can add a touch of tasty whimsy to their morning routine, if that's something they've been craving.

The year 2025 has given us a lot of lip gloss collabs. Glossier launched a banana pudding flavor with Magnolia Bakery, and Baskin-Robbins teamed up with Sydney Sweeney and LANEIGE to create a rainbow sherbet-inspired lip sleeping mask. Since lip products are inevitably consumed, that doesn't sound too far-fetched. S'Mac and Cheese, however, might be where we draw the line.

A limited-edition lip balm duo from Panera and drug store beauty brand Holler and Glow, this collab includes S'Mac My Day, a mac and cheese-scented lip balm, and Get That Bread, a bread-scented version that leaves lips tinted a subtle, toasty shade. Both come in handy spherical packages and are infused with softening vitamin E. They can be used separately, or layered for a comfort food experience that (unlike the real mac and cheese from Panera) won't fill you up. 

It should also be noted that the S'Mac and Cheese collection fits nicely into one of the handbags Panera launched this year, in celebration of its new Croissant Toast Sandwiches: the Baguette Bag, and the Croissant Clutch. When it comes to gimmicky marketing swag, the company is clearly on a (dinner) roll. Now we're wondering what weird food collab the chain will dream up for dessert.