A popular feature of food-branded fashion drops over the past 18 months has been the integration of one or more fun-and-functional “snack pockets,” sized to fit whatever sweet or savory treat is at the center of the collaboration:
- In July of this year, Cheez-It paired with stylist Brittany Hampton and WNBA player Rickea Jackson for a custom “tunnel fit” dubbed Cheez-Fitz, consisting of a street-style red-and-orange gender-neutral ensemble of windbreaker and pants. The pants included a large pocket on the side of the leg, with the exact dimensions to hold an individual Cheez-It snack bag. Fans had two opportunities to purchase the limited-edition pieces on the Cheez-It website.
- The Irish cheese brand Kerrygold paired with Native Denim in March for a pair of jeans in which the little pocket inside the front pocket, a traditional feature on most jeans, was transformed into a “cheese pocket” to carry Kerrygold Cheese Snacks, including Dubliner and Aged Cheese varieties. The piece also reflected a range of design elements inspired by Irish folklore and culture, as well as integrating Kerrygold branding in several ways. Customers could enter a contest to win one of 500 free pairs.
- M&Ms paired with Amazon MGM Studios to promote the movie Red One in November 2024, with the centerpiece of the partnership being a jacket issued in a very limited edition of 14 pieces. The red overstuffed puffer jacket with a large white M was inspired by the red M&Ms mascot. It was designed specifically for theatrical movie-goers, with several pockets for bags of M&Ms, plus a sleeve to dispense napkins and a strap to hold a popcorn bucket. It also had a built-in light to help wearers find their way into the theater. The jackets, sold on the M&Ms website, were priced at $11.75 (the average price of an order of popcorn and M&Ms, according to the company), with each sale also including an annual movie pass.
- In October 2024, Pop Tarts promoted its new Crunchy Poppers — a tiny, crunchy version of classic Pop Tarts — with a hooded pullover whose primary characteristic was the crunchy sound the fabric made when the piece was worn. A collaboration with designer, upcycling specialist, and TikTok star Andrew Burgess of Vivid Visions, the pullover included four pockets on the front, each of which perfectly fit a package of Crunchy Poppers, meant to provide football fans with a stylish way to have convenient treats on hand throughout the game. The two colorways were inspired by Crunchy Poppers’ Frosted Strawberry Crunch and Frosted Brownie Crunch varieties. NFL player Justin Jefferson debuted the limited-edition jacket during a tunnel walk, followed by two drops available for sale to customers online at the Pop Tarts shop.
- Pringles paired with Crocs in April 2024 for a pair of crush boots that had side pockets to store a canister of Pringles at each ankle. The partnership also encompassed four styles of Crocs clogs tied to different Pringles flavors and a pair of slides featuring a black-and-white retro design of Pringles mascot Mr. P, as well as five themed Jibbitz charms. A special watermelon-chili-lime flavor of Pringles, Croc-Tail Party, was also created as part of the initiative.
Two snacking giants, Kellanova, which owns Cheez-Its, Pringles, and Pop Tarts, and Mars, Inc., which owns M&Ms and is in the process of acquiring Kellanova, are involved in the bulk of these ventures.
The novelty aspect of snack pockets will likely wear off quickly, but for now they represent an innovative feature that makes a lot of sense. Note, however, that all of these examples take the form of very limited, promotional collections, where it is easier to integrate a large snack pocket, especially of one of the more over-the-top varieties, than it is in more mainstream initiatives where maximizing sales takes precedence over generating awareness. Snack pockets are certainly attractive to some very loyal fans but maybe not for everyone. Still, they are another feature to add to the tool box corporations have at their disposal when designing fashion collections based on their brands.
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