Celebrity Food Collabs You Forgot Existed

With the surge in influencer marketing, the 2020s have seen an abundance of celebrity food collabs across nearly every industry, from cosmetics to car parts. This is especially true when it comes to fast food, with companies like McDonald's offering "celebrity meals" linked to the likes of BTS and Saweetie, while Megan Thee Stallion launched a signature dipping sauce for Popeye's fried chicken.

But celebrity food collabs are nothing new. In fact, just like today, they have historically ranged from the successful to the utterly bizarre, with even classic film stars like Lauren Bacall getting in on it with her ad deals for instant decaf brand High Point Coffee. Here’s a look at some of the oddest and most surprising celebrity food collabs you may have forgotten about.

Kick Back With Your Friends and a Glass of…Milk?

No show meant as much in the 90s as Friends. From "The Rachel" haircut to "We were on a break", the NBC hit show Friends was such a cultural sensation, so it's no surprise that they did a food collab. In the famous Friends "Got Milk?" campaign, actresses Jennifer Aniston (Rachel) and Lisa Kudrow (Phoebe) promoted the American dairy industry, encouraging people to drink more of "the white stuff" by posing with milk moustaches.

Ringo Starr's Promotes a Pizza He Couldn’t Eat

Once upon a time, you couldn't get more famous than The Beatles. But the Beatles were also notoriously shy about promoting or licensing themselves to brands. That's why, as late as 1995, getting one of them to do a food collab was a major score, as people when Ringo Starr collaborated with Pizza Hut for a promo. Ironically, though the singer and writer of "Octopus's Garden" made a splash promoting pizza, he couldn’t enjoy any himself—Starr is allergic to aromatics like onions and garlic, making him one of the few people you’ve probably ever heard of who has never eaten a pizza in his life. 

Michael Jordan's Branded Burger

Michael Jordan is basketball royalty, but he's also a food collab legend. The go-to celebrity spokesman brands turned to in the 80s and 90s, his name has been everywhere, from Nike’s iconic Air Jordans to Rayovac batteries. But did you know he once had a signature burger? While this McDonald's creation was largely similar to their other classic burger offerings, it had the unique topping of "circular bacon:" a round, crispy disc meant to resemble a basketball.

Child Stardom Met Cookie Dough With Drew Barrymore

Drew Barrymore has been a celebrity almost from the day she was born. A member of the storied Barrymore family, who have been producing stage and screen stars for over a century, she got a start as a child actor before going on to being a ‘90s and ‘00s rom-com heart throb, then television host. But her breakout role wasn’t E.T.. Instead, she got her start promoting not Reese’s Pieces, but Pillsbury cookie dough.

A Cheesy Feature for Leonardo DiCaprio

Ah, celebrity food collabs can be so glamorous, promoting flashy dining experiences like… Kraft singles? Yep, that's right. Before Titanic and The Aviator, one of Leo's earliest acting roles was in an advertisement for American cheese slices. This campy classic of retro advertising features young Leo as a hungry teen craving a sandwich.

*NYSNC Spices Up Chilli's

The late 90s and early 2000s were a great time for both boy bands and classic chain restaurants. So why not combine the two? That was maybe the thought process behind the *NYSNC collab with restaurant chain Chili's, which featured the pop group in an insidiously catchy number singing about how they "want [their] baby back…" baby back ribs, that is.

Shakira Promos a "Cultured" Treat With Activia

These hips don’t lie. While many of the most popular food collabs have been for fast food and other treats, music sensation Shakira proved that health food can also use a touch of fun and glamour. Her collab with Activia brand yogurt led to a viral video that became the most-shared ad of all time. Moreover, she managed a fun, catchy collab promoting yogurt—a healthy, high-protein snack like the ones Virta coaches often recommend to enjoy a treat without hurting your health.

Orson Welles Promotes Paul Masson

We’re saving our favorite for last. Legendary director and actor Orson Welles is most famous today for Citizen Kane. However, decades after Welles made what is often called the best film ever made, he became a celebrity spokesman for Paul Masson, a Californian winery that he enjoyed, perhaps, a bit too much, judging from these storied Paul Masson ad outtakes. You’re welcome.