10 Weirdest Fast Food Chain Collaborations Of All Time

While many major fast food chains do a substantial job at marketing themselves to customers all on their own, it's always a fun and attention-grabbing way to reel in new faces by teaming up with another brand. And some of these joint efforts just make sense. Just take a look at the 2024 Wendy's and SpongeBob SquarePants collab as an example. What else but a burger chain to bring the famous Krabby Patty to life? But other times, fast food establishments partner up with a name that leaves the public scratching their heads instead.

From White Castle and TELFAR to KFC and Crocs, there are several partnerships that have surprised people throughout the years. As unexpected as these collabs might be, though, the unlikely pairing of certain brands have led to the development of undeniably creative and innovative projects. And for the most part, these quirky, somewhat odd teams do a bang-up job at creating more awareness for one another's offerings and increasing sales.

For those who aim to consume large quantities of protein throughout the day, the term "meat sweats" might be all too familiar. The phrase is just as unpleasant as it sounds, referring to the perspiration that allegedly comes along with eating an excessive amount of the essential macronutrient, usually in the form of meat. While it's debated whether this phenomenon is an official thing that actually happens, Arby's brought the concept to reality through its collaboration with Old Spice.

There are many surprising facts surrounding Arby's and its food, but perhaps most astonishing of all is the thought to link a fast food chain primarily known for its roast beef to male grooming products. But the two seemingly unrelated brands created the connection by collaborating on a line of limited edition "Meat Sweat Defense" products in 2022. Kits included dry sprays, which came in five different scents and were specially formulated to prevent sweat and odor immediately upon contact. Along with these sprays and deodorants also came sweatshirts and sweatpants with roast beef prints, a towel, a headband, and a $15 Arby's gift card. As silly as the notion may seem, the collaboration was an instant success with the kits selling out in less than three hours.

Already being the most popular fast food chain that also happens to be one of the largest toy distributors, McDonald's undoubtedly has an impressive resume. But with mealtime and playtime already successfully under Ronald McDonald's belt, the Golden Arch restaurant has stepped foot into another important industry –- fashion. And it joined forces with Moschino, an Italian luxury fashion house, to do so.

A high-end brand like Moschino pairing with McDonald's, one of the most affordable and easily accessible food joints, created a stark juxtaposition between the two names that unsurprisingly garnered loads of media attention in 2014. The unlikely partnership's line debuted at a Milan fashion show where attendees were able to feast their eyes on a mix of chic clothing and accessories designed in the fast food chain's signature red-and-yellow colors. This included a McDonald's themed sweater, purse, and french fry phone case. The collaboration was successful from a sales standpoint, as some items sold out, and Moschino even donated to Ronald McDonald Charities. However, this wasn't without Moschino receiving some backlash from the public throughout the process. More specifically, those raising awareness about obesity were concerned that the fashion house's decision to romanticize McDonald's was in turn promoting fast food culture despite the many health complications and poor eating habits it could lead to.

2021 marked the year of White Castle's 100th birthday, and to celebrate the special occasion, the hamburger chain teamed up with TELFAR to give its crew a new look. The fashion label designed the fast food joint's thousands of employees' new uniforms, which according to White Castle, included a t-shirt, polo shirt, apron, visor, and durag. Each piece of apparel was in the establishment's signature colors of either light blue, royal blue, or black, complete with the company's logo front and center on the items.

Though it might seem odd for TELFAR to take on this task for a place as casual as White Castle, the brands' wholesome relationship actually stems back all the way to 2015. TELFAR's founder, Telfar Clemens, is a White Castle fan, so naturally, he asked the eatery to sponsor their fashion show during New York Fashion Week all those years ago. The fast food chain not only sponsored TELFAR at the event, but even served as the location for its after party in Times Square. Just two years later, the luxury clothing and accessories brand created White Castle's new team uniforms, foreshadowing the massive part they'd play in doing it once more for the joint's 100th anniversary further down the line. In addition to this employee-specific clothing collection, TELFAR also came out with limited-edition White Castle hats, hoodies, and tees that cross both the brands' logos. The money made from this line was donated to the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Liberty and Justice Fund.

You might've made your way to Auntie Anne's before to celebrate your special day, as it's one of the several fast food chains that offer birthday freebies. But the pretzel company was all treats and no tricks when it also joined in for some Halloween fun last year, teaming up with Cinnabon and Spirit Halloween to kick off the 2024 spooky season. The three companies each came out with their own contributions to the fun and frightful, exclusive collaboration. Spirit Halloween, the hub of all things related to All Hallows' Eve, from masks and wigs to decorations and animatronics, released some pretty sweet costumes for adults. One turns you into a 3D Cinnabon box while the other is an Auntie Anne's Pretzel Nuggets Cup, which comes with a blue hat. Both were sold for about 50 dollars.

For Cinnabon's end of the joint effort, the baked goods store stuck to what it does best and launched Spirit CinnaPacks. These boxes included Cinnabon's cinnamon rolls adorned in Halloween-themed sprinkles, making them the perfect dessert to whip out at a ghoulish gathering. Auntie Anne's, on the other hand, sold its soft pretzel nuggets in a limited-time "Twist or Treat" Halloween bucket. The chain encouraged that it could be reused for trick-or-treating purposes, though some people have claimed it wasn't durable enough to do so.

Combine two of the things people love most, and you'll find instant success. That's exactly what happened for Chipotle and e.l.f. Cosmetics when they merged affordable food and affordable makeup into a wonderfully quirky line of limited edition products. And after selling out in just a few minutes the first time around in 2020, the brands partnered up to do it all over again in 2021.

The second, more recent collection featured four Chipotle-inspired cosmetic items. E.l.f. released a lip gloss called "Make It Hot." As the name alludes to, it bears resemblance to the qualities of hot sauce in more than one way. Not only does it have that same plumping effect that mimics the feeling of having leftover hot sauce on your mouth, but its vibrant pink-red hue looks even more appealing than that bottle of Tabasco sauce you would've poured onto your burrito. 

The next offering was an earthy eyeshadow palette that contains the familiar colors you would see at your local Chipotle, resulting in 12 shades that come in a mix of matte, metallic, and shimmer finishes. Of course, each is given a clever name such as "Sofritas" and "Hot Salsa." And to smooth it all out, customers were able to purchase an avocado-shaped sponge set to be used for applying face makeup. Lastly, these items could all be thrown into a makeup bag made to look like Chipotle's signature brown paper bag. But instead of those crispy tortilla chips, it can hold all your e.l.f. goodies.

Crocs have a wonderful way of allowing people to bring personality into their footwear. Whether it's through the wide selection of the store's bright, funky-colored clogs or multitude of Jibbitz charms, there are endless ways to customize your shoe and make it all your own. But every now and then, the company takes it a step further by teaming up with other brands and celebrities to release their very own set of Crocs. For instance, you might have seen its partnership with Lil Nas X or Justin Bieber. Crocs' collaboration with KFC in 2020 might take the cake for the most jaw-dropping design, though.

Complete with a fried chicken print design and red and white-striped base, even from afar the eye-catching Crocs are unmistakably a pair perfectly designed for a true KFC fanatic. "Kentucky Fried Chicken" is even spelled out on the heel of one shoe while a picture of Colonel Sanders is plastered on the other. Most striking of all is the two Jibbitz each pair comes with. Expectedly enough, the realistic charms are made to look like fried chicken drumsticks. Less expectedly, they even smell like the food, too. The best part of all, though, is that for every pair sold, KFC donated three dollars to the KFC Foundation's Reach Educational Grant Program, which provides employees at select locations a college scholarship to further their education.

As if the Crocs released in 2020 weren't unexpected enough, KFC continued to push boundaries with its creative collaborations in 2024. The fried chicken joint teamed up with Hatch, a brand known for its phone-free alarm clocks and other devices that help people sleep better. Now, you might be wondering how fast food could possibly align with a sleep wellness company's goals. But with the rising popularity of autonomous sensory meridian responses, better known by its acronym, ASMR, a tie was created.

People's awareness of ASMR throughout the years has sky-rocketed, with even celebrities hopping on board to whisper into microphones and tap on objects in an effort to create relaxing sounds, therefore inducing a spine-tingling sensation from viewers. If you've never experienced the feeling, just think of the peace and calm you're met with when listening to rain pitter patter against the roof and windows. Well, lo and behold, what sounds a whole lot like rain falling? That's right – chicken being deep fried in a vat of oil. And that's why Hatch created a special audio, titled "The Fried Chicken Rain," to be available for listening on its Restore 2 sleep smart devices. So now users with a premium subscription to Hatch can be lulled to sleep by the comforting sound of delicious KFC being infused with boiling oil.

Avid Pizza Hut eaters know exactly what to expect upon digging into a freshly ordered pie. Open up the cardboard box, marvel at the wonder that is your dinner, and toss aside that seemingly useless, small, white piece of plastic at the center of the circle before digging in. That tiny piece actually has both a name and a purpose, though. It's called a pizza saver for the reason that it prevents the pizza box from caving in at the center and touching your food. Not to mention, you can be resourceful and also use it to pin down one slice of the pizza so you can more easily pull the one beside it out of the box.

But even if you had no idea what role this little tool served, it wouldn't be surprising if it at least brought the image of furniture to your mind. Pizza savers look exactly like miniature tables – an idea that Hong Kong's IKEA ran with in its collaboration with the fast food chain. The Swedish home furnishing and home goods store released the SÄVA, a human-sized, functional table that took design inspiration from the pizza savers. Just like the one you'll find in the middle of your pizza pie, the sleek and timeless table is white, round, and has three legs. The company claims its size and simplicity are perfect for joining with friends to enjoy some Pizza Hut.

From crust to toppings, Domino's most popular options have done the chain good, reeling in the highest revenue of any pizza chain there is. And for those who have contributed to this financial success by reliably enjoying the establishment's Ultimate Pepperoni Pizza or Chocolate Lava Crunch Cakes time and time again, just know that somewhere out there, you're helping a Domino's franchise owner get one step closer to owning a very high-end piece of jewelry. It's truly not just any old accessory. It's Rolex, one of the most luxurious watch brands a person can add to their collection.

Unbeknownst to many, Rolex has been making custom watches for Domino's for decades now. It all started in 1977 when Tom Monaghan, the founder and CEO of Domino's, was wearing a watch with the chain's logo on the face. A high-earning franchise owner of Domino's was interested in acquiring the accessory, to which Monaghan responded that he first had to make $20,000 in sales in just one week. The mission was accomplished, and staying true to his word, Monaghan's watch was taken right off his wrist and given to the employee. This challenge continued, eventually raising the bar to $25,000 in sales each week for four consecutive weeks as Rolex became more expensive. Franchisees who hit the mark were given a brand new, shiny watch with the Domino's logo right on front. Today, the challenge still exists, but the logo-plastered dials have been done away with. Particularly successful franchise owners are instead rewarded with a Rolex that has the pizza joint's logo attached to the bracelet's first link.

Each year, June brings some extra joy to the summer season with National Donut Day. And to make the day even sweeter, the world's largest donut chain, Dunkin' Donuts, is of course always at the center of it all. Staying true to its name, the company is known not only for its many iced coffees and freshly made breakfast sandwiches, but also for its munchkins and donuts, ranging in delectable flavors like Glazed Chocolate and Boston Kreme to Apple Crumb and Brownie Batter. So when the national holiday to celebrate the sweet treat rolled around in 2024, the establishment offered customers a free classic donut of their choice along with a purchase of any beverage.

The second gift given by Dunkin' Donuts to its fanbase was a fun but practical collaboration with Scrub Daddy, the cleaning product company that's distinguished by its scrubbers and sponges in particular. The tools themselves have distinct characteristics as well, marked by a signature shape complete with a smiling face, circular eyes, and spiky, ridged hair. Scrub Daddy doesn't stray very far from this design, only having a few special editions – one of them being born from the Dunkin' Donuts partnership. As it turns out, donuts are the perfect shape to imitate when creating scrubbing products. The kit sold by the two brands include a scratch free, dishwasher safe Scrub Daddy and Scrub Mommy, with the former made to look like an orange donut with a bite taken from it and the latter resembling a strawberry frosted donut with sprinkles.