“Celestial Seasonings Revives Grateful Dead-Inspired Tea While Halo Top Launches Ice Cream-Inspired Makeup Collection”
Tea and music enthusiasts are delighted that Celestial Seasonings has resurrected a beloved flavor. The 50-year-old tea company, famous for blends like Sleepytime and Red Zinger, is now offering a tea with a musical twist, Ramble On Rose, inspired by the classic 1972 Grateful Dead song. This tea is available for free online through a collaboration with the voter registration organization HeadCount. Previously, this black tea infused with vanilla, strawberry, and rose flavors could only be found at select concerts where HeadCount facilitated voter registration efforts. Instead of the usual whimsical box design, the packaging features a rose-crowned skeleton floating in space, savoring a cup of tea, illustrated by renowned Grateful Dead poster artist A.J. Masthay. Notably, this tea contains caffeine, providing drinkers with the energy to keep moving forward.
The Grateful Dead, a band that emerged in 1965 and epitomized psychedelic rock, has left an indelible mark on music history. Their influence can be seen in various products, including Ben & Jerry’s Cherry Garcia ice cream, named after the band’s late frontman Jerry Garcia, and Dogfish Head’s limited-edition brew, American Beauty, crafted with granola at the request of fans. Although the Grateful Dead once seemed avant-garde, aligning a product with the band has become a surefire success, appealing even to those born after Garcia’s passing in 1995. This tea promotion not only honors the band’s legacy but also serves a greater purpose by encouraging voter registration. It’s a testament to how far the band has come, transforming from a countercultural icon to a commercial powerhouse.
In a different realm, if you’re among the millions of Americans who adore Halo Top, there’s an exciting new way to indulge. Halo Top has teamed up with cosmetics brand ColourPop to unveil an ice cream-inspired eyeshadow collection, as reported by Insider. The packaging cleverly mimics a pint of the low-calorie ice cream, with the two-pack priced at $12 and the complete collection available for $40. The unique cosmetic line features four shades, including some of Halo Top’s fan-favorite flavors like Birthday Cake, Rainbow Swirl, and Mint Chip. Since its meteoric rise in 2017 to become the top-selling pint of ice cream in the U.S., surpassing established brands like Ben & Jerry’s and Breyers, Halo Top has generated nearly $350 million in annual sales across 35,000 locations as of 2018. In response, competitors like Unilever’s Ben & Jerry’s and Nestle’s Haagen-Dazs have introduced their own low-calorie alternatives.
This cosmetic collaboration, while innovative, is not the first instance of a food brand branching into unexpected territories. Dunkin’ has released a limited-edition nail polish line inspired by its lattes, while Frito-Lay’s Cheetos launched an orange bronzer matching the snack’s hue. Numerous brands, from Dr Pepper to Milk Duds, have also ventured into lip balm territory, and KFC even collaborated with Enviro-Log to create a limited-edition firelog infused with the scent of fried chicken. For Halo Top and other food brands that have ventured beyond their traditional markets, this type of promotion is a strategic way to broaden their reach and maintain visibility in a competitive landscape. Perhaps donning some Halo Top-inspired makeup will spark a craving for the brand’s delicious ice cream later on. And with the calcium citrate with vitamin D combination found in their products, consumers can enjoy a tasty treat while also supporting their health.
