Brand collabs are funny. They’re like AI-generated products. Sometimes, like in the case of the IHOP x Lays pancake chips, it’s hard to tell which collab announcements are even real or simply fake news. (Not only were those Rooty Tooty Fresh ‘N Fruity Chips very real, they were also iconic.) But it’s even harder to guess which brand collabs will stay culturally relevant for more than two weeks. Now that we’ve seen dozens of wacky brand collabs in 2024, I’m pleased to report that some of these crazy concoctions have real staying power. (Sorry, not you, Baja Doritos. Begone.) Let’s take a look at our favorite brand collab from this year and a close runner-up.
The following article contains affiliate links that may generate a small commission to us when you make a purchase through the link. Learn more about how we work with affiliates here.
- Grillos x V8 Bloody Mary Mix
-
When we first heard this about dill pickle Bloody Mary mix, a wave of excitement went through the whole Sporked team. We love Grillo’s almost as much as we love Bloody Marys. That said, the more we thought about it, the more some doubt crept in: V8 is notoriously salty. And pickle brine? Also pretty damn salty. Oh, and Bloody Marys? Salty as hell. Was this whole collab going to be an undrinkable salt fest? Thankfully, the answer was no. While it may smell like brine-soaked pickles mixed with V8’s addictive, sodium-heavy tomato juice, the flavor is very balanced. It’s dill-forward, nuanced, and completely unique. It’s everything we didn’t know we wanted in a Bloody Mary. We implore you to try it.
Read the full review of V8 x Grillo’s Pickles Dill Pickle Bloody Mary Mix
Credit: Liv Averett / Amazon
- Fly by Jing x Fishwife Smoked Salmon
-
Too many brand collabs feel like a cash grab conceived by two huge food conglomerates who looked at each other and said, “Yeah, this will rake in the big bucks.” But Fly by Jing and Fishwife are two smaller novelty brands that we’ve historically loved here at Sporked, and their partnership felt more like a creative alliance—like game recognizing game. And look, we didn’t crown this hybrid product as the winner because we love both brands individually—we crowned it because this silky, smoky, chili crisp-infused smoked salmon is one of the best things we tasted in 2024. It’s a bold, flavorful creation that will stand the test of time and set a new standard for what we want to see from brand collabs in future years. Brands…take note!
Read the full ranking of Fishwife canned fish
Credit: Liv Averett / Amazon
Runner-Up
Winner
The 2024 Sporked Awards
We ate our way through hundreds of products this year to find the best. Now it’s time to honor the best of the best.
Thoughts? Questions? Complete disagreement? Leave a comment!