The rise of beverage-personal care collaborations, like Pepsi and Mountain Dew’s foray into self care, highlights a growing trend of category collisions, where brands pair with unexpected partners to reach shared audiences drawn to novelty, nostalgia and social buzz.
Pepsi’s recent collaboration with salon blowout chain Drybar taps into the “getting ready ritual” popularized across social media. Drybar customers across more than 200 locations receive a complimentary Pepsi Prebiotic Cola in Original Cola and Cherry Vanilla flavors and other promotional offers during appointments throughout September.
“Drybar is the perfect partner because the blowout is already part of how so many guests get ready for what’s next. Together, we’re pairing a reimagined take on Pepsi Cola with a getting-ready ritual people already love, giving this moment of prep a refresh that feels fun and elevated. Few things feel more iconic than a fresh blowout and a cold Pepsi in hand,” said Sara Garner, senior director of marketing for Pepsi.
The Pepsi partnerships brings together two unlikely categories, soda and haircare, under the self-care umbrella – a move the beverage giant explored with disruptive sunscreen brand Vacation earlier this year.
Pepsi partnered with sunscreen brand Vacation to launch a Wild Cherry SPF 30 Tinted Lip Gel in February, in a deal that was similar to the 1990s iconic Dr Pepper-flavored Lip Smackers lip balm.
The lip balm mimics the flavor of Wild Cherry Pepsi with functional ingredients like kola nut, caffeine, peptides, hyaluronic acid and cherry seed oil, blending beauty and soda into one product.
The collaboration also includes merchandise like a Wild Cherry t-shirt and a branded lip balm case, in addition to a summer sweepstakes that features more than 20 prizes including vintage-inspired Pepsi branded products like a beach chair, cooler and ice bucket.
Mountain Dew x Duke Cannon’s citrus-inspired men’s grooming line
Mountain Dew and men’s grooming brand Duke Cannon’s collaboration also combines beverages with personal care through a limited-edition line of body wash and bar soap.
The “Bold Citrus and Good Times” collection launched Sept. 1 and features Duke Cannon Thick Body Wash and Puck of Soap in a Mountain Dew theme. The scent, which was designed to smell more like lemon and eucalyptus, is a take on Mountain Dew’s citrus-forward flavor.
The limited-edition collaboration, facilitated through IMG Licensing, is sold exclusively through Walmart and includes a promotional bundle containing the body wash, soap and a 12-pack of Mountain Dew.
The partnership, according to a press statement, aims to target a “no-nonsense, ready for anything crowd that would rather be having a good time than overthinking their next move,” highlighting the common core values both brands identified within the other.
“Together with Mountain Dew, we’re celebrating the people who embrace adventure, stay true to themselves and never pass up an opportunity to make the most of every moment,” said Kathy Dixon, marketing director at Duke Cannon.
Unusual partnerships, familiar strategy
The Pepsi and Mountain Dew partnerships are the latest examples of a broader trend toward unlikely brand pairings.
In 2024, makeup brand e.l.f. Cosmetics partnered with canned water brand Liquid Death for a black-metal-inspired “Corpse Pain” makeup kit packaged in a coffin-shaped box. As disruptive brands in their category – e.l.f. as an affordable, accessible cruelty-free and vegan brand and Liquid Death a tongue-in-cheek brand that promotes health and sustainability – the limited-edition collaboration tapped into consumers “who aren’t afraid of making a strong statement,” the makeup brand wrote in a statement.
