Ferrero, the Italian confectionery company, and The Coca-Cola Co., the American multinational beverage corporation, have joined forces once again to release a new product called Tic Tac Sprite. This collaboration aims to capitalize on the popularity of the iconic lemon-lime flavored soda and the brand recognition of Tic Tac mints. The new product has been launched in France this week, with plans to introduce it in 20 countries this year. The release in France is supported by 1.5 million packs and in-store displays.
Tic Tac Sprite features yellow-colored mints with green labels that are Sprite-branded, to complement the flavor. The product has been released in three pack variants and four different size and weight options. The product follows the success of Tic Tac Coca-Cola, a joint product launched in 2019 that was introduced in 70 countries with three dual-branded packaging variants.
Ferrero global marketing manager Scott Perry from the global Tic Tac team, said, “Our successful partnership with The Coca-Cola Company marked the coming together of two of the iconic global food and beverage brands.” “Both brands are loved worldwide for bringing great-tasting goods to market. We’re always on the lookout for how to boost consumers’ senses even further, so the opportunity to create the first-ever Tic Tac inspired by the distinctive taste of Sprite, was too good to miss.”
Collaborations in the food and beverage industry have been increasingly popular in recent years. Anheuser-Busch InBev, the world’s largest brewer, teamed up with Mexico-based food manufacturer Industrias Tajín to launch a Chelada drink sold under the Bud Light brand. This pre-mixed cocktail contains tomato juice, lime, and Tajín seasoning, and has been designed to appeal to Latino consumers.
In another example of collaboration, Pernod Ricard, a French distiller and winemaker, has partnered with US-based food manufacturer Kraft Heinz to create a new pasta sauce called Heinz x Absolut Tomato Vodka Pasta Sauce. The sauce is made with vodka, tomatoes, basil, and spices, and will be sold in the UK for £2.50 ($3.08) per 350g jar. This collaboration was inspired by the trending dish Pasta alla Vodka, which became popular on social media in 2020 after supermodel Gigi Hadid recorded herself making the sauce.
Collaborations in the food and beverage industry allow companies to leverage each other’s strengths and create new, innovative products that appeal to consumers. These partnerships provide opportunities to expand into new markets, reach new audiences, and increase brand recognition.