Willpower Weekly: Issue No. 06
Fresh Drops: 2025, The Year of the Collab
In 2024, brands bet on virality; fast launches, reactive drops, and the hope that TikTok would do the heavy lifting.
But in 2025? Partnerships are practically the baseline, not just for growth, but for getting attention, building credibility, and tapping into new audiences. It's no longer about doing it alone, it's about who you build with.
Olipop × SpongeBob SquarePants
A fizzy nostalgia play or a branding risk? This Nickelodeon collab feels a little off-tone for Olipop’s pastel cans, aesthetic graphics, and playfully named flavors. It raises the question: are they still trying to shake Poppi comparisons by leaning further into mass appeal?
The bigger watch: now that Poppi’s backed by Pepsi, will they protect their clean, influencer-forward brand world, or follow suit with character licensing of their own?
The Coconut Cult × Mid-Day Squares
Two cult-favorite brands are teaming up in what could turn out to be viral gold. The Coconut Cult has built a passionate (and vocal) TikTok following, known for its probiotic-packed yogurt that some swear by and others.. struggle to get past the taste.
By joining forces with Mid-Day Squares, a brand with mainstream flavor credibility and a strong retail footprint, the move signals a clear attempt to balance functional benefits with broader appeal. The question is: can they win over skeptics without losing the niche audience that fueled their rise?
We’ll admit it: we’re GoodPop stans. Founder Dan Goetz has a near-perfect track record for products that taste as good as they sound. Their latest? Sourmelon Frozen Pop Bites, a collab with SmartSweets, known for reinventing nostalgic candies like Swedish Fish and Sour Patch-style gummies with less sugar and more function.
The result hits the sweet spot, literally. Bright, functional, and fun, it’s a freezer-friendly mashup that feels like summer and wellness rolled into one. A clever play from two brands that know how to treat without the cheat.
The Great BFY Creep
For those keeping tabs, 2025 has officially blurred the lines between beauty, food, fitness, and wellness. Ulta’s latest move, expanding its in-store Wellness Shop from just 4–8 feet of shelf space to 30–45 feet in more than 400 stores, underscores a bigger cultural shift: beauty and wellness have become inseparable. The expansion brings in brands like ARMRA, Therabody, Ritual, Saje Natural Wellness, and more, plus pop-ups, masterclasses, and category-specific merchandising designed to make wellness an everyday shopping habit.
But the creep doesn’t stop there. “Better-for-you” has escaped its niche and is now baked into almost every category, sometimes authentically, sometimes with a hefty dose of greenwashing.
Clubbing → Run Clubs – Trading 2 a.m. last calls for 6 a.m. start lines.
Alcohol → Adaptogen Beverages – Booze-free drinks with mushroom blends, mood boosters, and “functional” fizz.
Beauty Stores → Wellness Hubs – Sephora and Ulta are now destinations for supplements, recovery tools, and anti-aging treatments.
Regular Frozen Meals → Healthwashed Frozen Meals – Trader Joe’s and others selling frozen “better-for-you” options that often lean more on branding than real nutrition.
The throughline? Wellness isn’t a niche anymore, it’s the norm. The real question for brands is whether they’re creating meaningful value… or using wellness as a marketing crutch, not a core principle.
Building Beyond the Hero Product
Brands are taking their time to expand strategically, growing around their hero products without diluting what made them stand out.
Graza Goes Glass
Graza is upping its olive oil game, moving beyond its cult-favorite squeezable bottles.
The new glass Drizzle & Sizzle bottles feature UV-blocking opaque paint and a recyclable, refillable pop-up pour spout. It’s a design upgrade that maintains the freshness fans love, while dialing up sustainability and shelf appeal.
And with growing consumer concern around plastics, especially in food and pantry items, the shift to glass offers more than aesthetics, it signals a move toward trust, transparency, and long-term brand durability.
Egglife Expands with Purpose
After six years of cult success with their egg-white wraps, Egglife is carefully expanding their lineup, without losing sight of what built their following.
The new Grab & Go wraps (13–16g protein, no prep needed) and Power Pasta (egg-based, high-protein, low-carb) mark the brand’s first major move into adjacent categories. Both lean into convenience and versatility, staying true to Egglife’s protein-first mission while opening the door to new occasions and consumers.
Instead of chasing trends for the sake of speed, the rollout reflects a measured shift toward becoming a platform brand in the better-for-you space, meeting demand for clean-label, low-carb options without compromising on simplicity or function.
AG1 Unlocks Flavor
AG1 (formerly Athletic Greens) just broke its 15-year, single-flavor streak with the launch of three “Next Gen” options: Citrus, Berry, and Tropical.
In a wellness market overflowing with flavored greens, hydration powders, and daily drink routines, sticking with just one flavor was starting to feel... outdated. With these new launches, backed by upgraded probiotics, vitamins, and clinical testing, AG1 is meeting evolving expectations while preserving the integrity of its core formula.
It’s a timely evolution that brings variety without veering off-mission.
A Hail Mary in Mustard
Kraft Heinz is betting big on pop culture to revive its pantry staples, upping marketing spend, chasing collabs, and hoping loud brand moments can drive long-term relevance.
For those who tuned in last time, we broke down the potential Kraft Heinz breakup.
Now for the follow-up: instead of pulling back, the CPG giant is ramping up. Marketing spend in North America is up 20% for the back half of 2025, roughly 4.8% of sales, despite sales dipping 1.9% year over year.
The focus? Supercharging nostalgic staples like Kraft Mac & Cheese, Lunchables, Capri Sun, and Jell-O, the lunchbox legends that built the business. But under new CMO Todd Kaplan, the strategy has taken a louder, pop-culture-forward turn. Think: a mustard-flavored mustard collab with Grammy-winning producer Mustard, whose signature producer tag went viral earlier this year during the Kendrick–Drake feud, cementing him as a pop-culture fixture. Or a Kool-Aid × Nike × Ja Morant sneaker-and-flavor drop, an unexpected alignment considering Morant’s recent controversies tied to gun-related incidents and multiple league suspensions.
Heinz X MUSTAAAAAARRRD
Nike X Kool-Aid
The goal is clear: inject legacy brands into the center of the cultural conversation. But for a company known for pantry staples and school lunch classics, this pivot to rappers and athletes feels like a bold, and maybe desperate, swing.
The bigger question: are these moves signs of smart reinvention… or a last-ditch attempt to stay relevant before the brand portfolio gets carved up?
Capital Moves
From VC rounds to internal reinvestment, brands are stacking cash to scale.
Doughlicious Rises
London-based frozen-novelty brand Doughlicious secured $5M in equity funding, co-led by The Angel Group and Rich Products Ventures, the corporate arm of the $5.8B food giant Rich Products Corporation.
Momofuku Goods Nears $30M
According to a recent SEC filing, Momofuku Goods has raised just under $30M. Known for its pantry staples like dried noodles, chili crisp, and sauces, the brand has built a strong omnichannel presence across DTC, retail, and specialty grocery.
HelloFresh Bets Big—Again
Meal-kit giant HelloFresh is investing $70M into product development, supply chain, and AI-driven personalization tools. With competition heating up in the meal solutions space, the company is doubling down on convenience, variety, and tech to retain market share and stay ahead of shifting consumer habits.
Partnerships for Growth — Collabs Worth Studying
For our upcoming Catalyst Series: Partnerships for Growth on Tuesday, August 19 in Austin, we’re spotlighting two brands that understand how to collaborate with purpose: SoulCycle and Howler Brothers.
SoulCycle has built a cult-like community that extends far beyond the bike, fueled by high-touch experiences and bold partnerships.
SoulCycle × Uni — A yearlong “Sweat It Out, See The Glow” collab that brought ocean-powered body-care products (think shampoo, body wash, cleansers) to all U.S. and U.K. studios, even giving riders early access to Uni’s new cleanser before launch.
SoulCycle × Apple Music — Integrated music partnerships that deepen the emotional arc of every ride and keep riders connected outside the studio.
Howler Brothers takes a different, but equally intentional, path, fusing outdoor lifestyle with authentic cultural moments.
Austin FC — Merged local sports pride with Howler’s distinctive surf-meets-western aesthetic.
YETI — Elevated rugged outdoor performance through products that reflect both brands’ craftsmanship and adventure DNA.
Toyota Land Cruiser — Dropped a limited-edition apparel capsule inspired by Costa Rican adventures and the iconic Land Cruiser ethos.
These aren’t just campaigns, they’re brand growth strategies that feel real, relevant, and rooted in identity. Next week, we’ll unpack exactly how to design partnerships like these to unlock new audiences, deepen loyalty, and create long-term brand equity.
📍 Location revealed upon RSVP approval
📅 Tuesday, August 19 | 6:00 PM
Catalyst of the Week: AO2 Clear
At our Catalyst Series events, we’re piloting a new program: giving attendees the chance to take home a full-size product—not just samples—and share honest feedback. The goal? Turn curated discovery into real product experience, and let the community help decide what brands get featured next.
This week, we’re spotlighting AO2 Clear—a minimalist, tech-forward skincare brand powered by just distilled water and oxygen nanobubbles. Designed to oxygenate the skin, reduce inflammation, and help prevent acne, AO2 Clear skips the synthetics and keeps things radically simple. It’s pregnancy-safe, non-irritating, and compatible with any skin type.
Here’s why it stands out:
No fluff, just function: AO2 Clear skips trend-driven ingredients in favor of proven efficacy. Made with only two ingredients—distilled water and oxygen nanobubbles—it delivers deep skin oxygenation with zero additives or fillers.
Backed by science, not synthetics: Nanobubble technology has long been used in medical and industrial settings. AO2 adapts that same innovation for skincare, offering a clean, evidence-based alternative to harsh topicals.
A seamless add-on to any routine: Just apply after cleansing—morning or night. It fits into any skincare lineup without overcomplicating things or competing with other steps.
If you’re joining us at Catalyst Series: Partnerships for Growth, be sure to grab a box, try it for yourself, and share your feedback—we’re building the next generation of brand discovery through real use, not just hype.
