When it comes to keeping customers interested in both the grocery store and the fast-food drive-thru, one thing is for sure: keep the new ideas coming, and keep them coming quick.
Most brands handle this in one of two ways. One: Invent an entirely new item, which requires a lot of investment and testing to bring to market. The costly process can take years, so while it could succeed, it will take significant time to execute.
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That why’s option two is popular: Reach out to another brand, suggesting a collaboration that adds a fresh new twist to an existing best-selling item. While this, too, takes testing and the brands of course must agree to partner, it can produce a really successful result (imagine the Doritos Taco at Taco Bell, for instance).
The fast-food industry regularly uses this tactic to ward off menu fatigue and keep customers coming back. Time and time again, it works like a charm.
Related: Burger King menu adds a new treat for summer
Both celebrity and brand collaborations are big these days, and with the right one, there’s a chance a company could see profits soar.
Now, privately held food giant Mars is doing just that through a new collaboration with Wendy’s, hoping that big sales are right around the corner.
So weird, you just might try it
Trusted food blogger Markie Devo on April 27 posted an image on X of a brand new product coming soon from Cheez-It — a version of the iconic cracker flavored like a Wendy’s Baconator.
Devo says these are “speculated to drop August 2025 at stores nationwide that carry the brand.”
The Wendy’s baconator is a real crowd-pleaser.
Image source: Jeff Schear/Getty Images for Wendy’s
Wendy’s debuted the Baconator in 2007, selling 25 million of them in the first eight weeks. It’s no surprise this cult classic was Cheez-It’s choice when it came to a collaboration flavor, but this writer would quite honestly rather have the original burger than a cracker that makes me wish I had a Baconator.
The Baconator Cheez-It collaboration follows another high-profile collaboration from 2024, when Cheez-It partnered with Hidden Valley Ranch to release a “Cheezy Ranch” flavor.
Cultural relevance and attracting Gen Z
Many food brands have successfully drawn Gen Z to their products by way of collaborations. One of the biggest hits of the past 10 years has been McDonald’s “Famous Orders” campaign, where it teamed up with high-profile celebrities such as BTS, Travis Scott, and Saweetie to promote special meals curated by them.Â
These were an especially big hit with the fandoms of each of the artists, driving some of them to collect items sold with the releases and resell them on eBay.
Another move — and somewhat of an unexpected one — that has ushered in major attention for food brands is fashion collaborations with celebs. McDonald’s did it with Travis Scott for his Cactus Jack merchandise line, and Popeyes also did it with Megan Thee Stallion for a line of bikinis.Â
In short, you’re likely to continue seeing wild mashups both in the snack aisle and at your local drive-thru, because if they’re weird enough to be bought and posted on social media, they’re worth a shot in the consumer market.
Related: This struggling fast food chain is on the chopping block
