Craving Celebrity-Quick Service Combos

The practice of quick-service restaurants teaming with celebrities, mostly from the realms of music, acting, and sports, began in earnest in about 2022, following occasional pairings in earlier decades, and intensified in 2023. That year, some pundits predicted the end of the trend ahead, as the examples piled up and the market seemingly became saturated. But the phenomenon remains healthy today, with additional celebrities and QSR chains becoming involved as time goes on. 

Here is a representative sample of initiatives that have come to light since the beginning of 2025: 

• Taco Bell partnered with champion skateboarder Tony Hawk last month for a Build Your Own Lux Cravings Box curated by Hawk. The full meal featured Hawk favorites including a cheese quesadilla, crunchy taco, and chips and nacho cheese sauce, along with a medium Lipton Ice Tea. A QR code on the box also unlocked in-game items for Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4, a new reboot of a classic 2000s video game, through the Taco Bell app for a limited time. In partnership with Uber Eats, a special bundle of food, along with demo codes to the game and chances at other prizes, could be home-delivered. Hawk said he lived on Taco Bell when he was coming up in the skateboarding world. 

• Also in June, Baskin-Robbins signed with actress Sydney Sweeney for two limited-edition treats based on what the partners said were her go-to orders, available starting July 1. The Sydney’s Signature Scoop is a rainbow sherbet with gummy bears on top in a chocolate-dipped waffle cone with sprinkles, while Sydney’s Signature Fizz is rainbow sherbet combined with Starry lemon-lime soda finished with mini gummy bears. The actress has childhood memories of frequenting the chain and still visits, according to the marketing materials announcing the promotion. 

• Bakery chain Crumbl, which often collaborates with celebrities such as Olivia Rodrigo and others on the special-edition cookies it drops each week, paired with pop-rocker Benson Boone in June. The Moonbeam Ice Cream cookie, available for six days, is chocoloate featuring cookies-and-cream pieces, with a frosting inspired by lemon, berry, and marshmallow ice cream and a white drizzle. The inpiration was Boone’s song “Mystical Magical,” which mentions “moonbeam ice cream,” and the subsequent video for his song “Mr. Electric Blue,” which pictured the singer in a Moonbeam Ice Cream-logoed truck. 

• Tim Hortons worked with actor Ryan Reynolds in May to develop a new menu item, the Ryan’s Scrambled Eggs Breakfast Box, which included scrambled eggs, hash browns, and sausage crumble or bacon strips. The boxes, which bring together two Canadian partners, were available in Tim Hortons locations in both Canada and the U.S. A comedic commercial created by Reynolds and his marketing company supported the effort. 

• McDonald’s announced in January that it was collaborating with WNBA star Angel Reese for its first national meal offering with a female athlete. The Angel Reese Special, a BBQ Bacon Quarter Pounder with Cheese, along with fries and a drink, was available starting in mid-February. Reese said she has been a McDonald’s customer since childhood, and she was named a McDonald’s All-American player in 2020. Complementary content about McDonald’s and its history supporting basketball, as well as information highlighting legendary and up-and-coming stars, accompanied the menu item. 

• Whataburger teamed with country singer Lainey Wilson in January for a year-long brand ambassadorship. The partnership started with a honey-butter chicken biscuit, reportedly her favorite indulgence after her performances, offered for free during a five-hour period at participating locations, with other special menu items, as well as appearances, content, and commercials, following. Wilson said she has been a lifelong customer of the chain. 

• Dunkin’ and singer Sabrina Carpenter came together for a beverage-focused promotion inspired by her hit song, “Espresso,” in January. A drink called Sabrina’s Brown Sugar Shakin’ Espresso was made from espresso shaken with oat milk and brown sugar flavoring. It was available for a limited time in January after debuting on New Year’s Eve. The drink was complemented by a special-edition Shakin’ Espresso Shaker; 2,000 were available for $12.99 at the Dunkin’ online shops and reportedly sold out in 17 minutes. A comedic commercial promoted the offer. 

These types of promotions, even as they have become somewhat routine over the past few years, still resonate with consumers, and the trend seems to be holding strong.