McDonald's Nostalgia Play 2.0
Yet another shoe collab and college beer trends
Good morning and happy Thursday. We are sleep deprived over here and ready for the weekend!
Macramé Cheetos Sneakers
Coral Castillo, a finalist on “Project Runway” is partnering with Cheetos for the launch of a shoe and macramé accessories. Mac-Tops and Fanny-Macs will come in three colorways inspired by flavors: Bold & Cheesy, Cheesy Jalapeño and Flamin’ Hot. Alright, that’s the third shoe collab I’ve reported this week. I think it’s time for a round up.
If you owned Celsius stock before yesterday, I'm jealous
Celsius Holdings (CELH) stock price jumped 20% in a single day following a positive earnings report. In Q2, the healthy energy drink brand saw sales increase 112% YoY to $326MM and cost of goods decrease lifting their gross margin from 39% to 49%. As a result, earnings per diluted share saw an increase of 333% year over year, jumping from $0.12 to $0.52. Their partnership with Pepsi improved their shipping network allowing them to surpass Red Bull’s market share in certain market channels. “Celsius shares have now gained 64% year to date and 708% in three years. So far, the stock is living the dream of a successful growth story.” Well, damn.
McDonald’s is doubling down on nostalgia marketing
And I’m here for it. It will be tough to top the Grimace campaign featuring a purple shake released for the brand mascot’s birthday that went viral on TikTok earlier this summer, but this seems like a great attempt. The brand announced the As Featured In Meal, coming August 18 and the marketing around this launch is centered on all the movies and tv shows featuring the golden arches. Think Eras Tour sans Super Size Me. Included are films throughout the years such as Coming to America (80’s), Clueless (90’s), Space Jam (90’s), and The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (‘06). The shows include episodes from Friends, Seinfeld, The Office, and Loki. The brand collabed with Palace Skateboards on the launch and tbd if this extends beyond merch.
New Apertivo Drop
I’m partial to Aperol which has over a century on this newly minted apertivo, but we love a new kid on the block.
Are Tahini Nails the New Glazed Donut Nails?
“A rich tahini hue reads pretty natural, which aligns perfectly with the ‘naked nails’ trend gaining traction as of late.”
Sweet Hawaiian Roll But Make it Good For You
A plant based, non-GMO Sweet Hawaiian Roll with 1g net carbs, 8g protein, and no added sugar!?!? Catch me eating pulled pork sliders on these bad boys.
Erewhon x Origins Skincare Mega-Mushroom Juice
The cold-pressed, fungi-infused green juice contains a blend of adaptogenic mushrooms and other ingredients from the Dr. Andrew Weil for Origins Mega-Mushroom Restorative Skin Concentrate. Of course, no Erewhon beverage collab would be complete without sea moss and pearl powder, but rest assured those are included.
Trend Alert
In the era of conference realignment and Name Image and Likeness (NIL), Coors Light and Natty Ice just won’t cut it on fall Saturdays anymore.
Stone Brewing and USC teamed up to make a beer
The California brewery partnered with the University of Southern California on the release of a Pale Ale named Fight On! which will be released August 15.
BeatBox and Oklahoma State University did the same thing
The boxed alcohol brand announced their partnership with OSU and the launch of a new package design featuring legendary mascot, Pistol Pete, for their Juicy Mango Hard Punch.
After seeing both these announcements, I decided to investigate if any other breweries teamed up with university athletic programs and found a pattern. Here’s who else you might find coupled up at the bar.
Exile Brewing and University of Iowa
Des Moines-based Exile Brewing Company is partnering with Swarm Collective, the University of Iowa’s NIL collective to launch Swarm Golden Ale. The collective is a non-profit that helps student athletes pursue NIL endorsement opportunities and will receive 20% of revenue from sales of the beer.
Rhinegeist Brewery and University of Cincinnati
Cincinnati’s Rhinegeist Brewery partnered with Cincy Reigns, the University of Cincinnati’s NIL collective, to launch Cincy Light. For each case of beer sold, $2 will go to the collective for supporting Bearcat student athletes, as the university joins the Big 12 Conference.
New Realm Brewing and Georgia Tech
Craft brewery New Realm launched its second beer collab with Georgia Tech earlier this year with the release of Ale of an Engineer Golden Ale. This follows the Helluvienna Lager, released fall of 2022. Both beers are a nod to the Yellow Jackets’ iconic fight song.
Puebla Vida Brewing and University of Arizona
The University partnered with the Tuscon-based brewery as their craft alcohol licensee. While no products have been released yet, Puebla Vida will begin releasing beer products in the fall of 2023.
Cheers, friends.