Dr Pepper Baked Beans… smart licensing play?

Dr Pepper’s brand showing up in the canned goods aisle! Does it deliver on taste, relevance, is it driving purchase intent?

Description

Unexpected brand pairings are one of the fastest ways to stop a shopper mid-aisle, when they make sense. This baked beans SKU does exactly that by borrowing equity from a household-name soda brand and dropping it into a place most people wouldn’t expect to see it.

From a food packaging design perspective, the move works because the licensed brand does the heavy lifting. Recognition is instant. Curiosity follows. The packaging doesn’t overexplain or apologize for the mashup; it lets the logo’s familiarity do the work, while the flavor name adds just enough context to justify the crossover.

These kinds of collaborations are useful packaging design ideas when a category is crowded and price-driven. They create a reason to notice without needing to reinvent the entire brand system. That said, execution matters. The visual hierarchy still needs to be clear, and the product should feel intentional rather than gimmicky.

It’s also a reminder that retailer dynamics matter. A play like this is far easier to pull off in environments with strong private-label leverage, something often seen in Kroger packaging design as well. When licensing, distribution, and shelf strategy align, packaging becomes more than a container. It becomes the conversation starter.

Video Transcript

00:00:00 What is this? Oh my gosh. Hey guys, it's
00:00:04 shopping with Christy time again. And
00:00:06 I'm at Walmart walking down the aisle
00:00:08 and something caught my eye. I wanted to
00:00:10 share it real quick. What is this? Oh my
00:00:14 gosh. Sweet and sassy baked beans. Dr.
00:00:17 Pepper with this funny little guy. The
00:00:20 reason it caught my eye obviously is Dr.
00:00:21 Pepper. I always enjoy looking at
00:00:26 licensing brands, where they show up,
00:00:28 why they might show up, and especially
00:00:30 if it's a little bit unusual or
00:00:32 unexpected. And so, here is one well
00:00:34 distributed by Good Eats Company,
00:00:36 Fateville, Arkansas. Is Sirius Beans a
00:00:38 Walmart brand? If it was their bean
00:00:40 private label, that actually makes a ton
00:00:42 of sense because certainly Walmart would
00:00:45 have the negotiating leverage to get Dr.
00:00:48 Pepper to do something like this. Maybe
00:00:50 we're answering our own riddle as to how
00:00:52 this one happened. Who knows? If you
00:00:54 know, mention it in the comments. I'm
00:00:56 curious. All right, talk to you later,
00:00:58 guys.

Christy Lebor Partner & Head of Brand Development, SmashBrand

20 Articles

Christy Lebor is a Partner and Head of Brand Development at SmashBrand, a premier brand development agency championing the FMCG space. With two decades of Fortune 500 CPG experience, Christy harnesses her background from industry titans to infuse brands with a growth trajectory that transitions them from category disruptors to legacy brands.

Her portfolio includes:

Brand management roles at global giants: Kraft, PepsiCo, and Unilever.
Launching pivotal products: Axe Body Wash in the US and the original Dove Campaign for Real Beauty at Unilever.
Steering innovative product lines at PepsiCo: Gatorade chews, protein bars, Mio Fit, and Amino Energy.
Pioneering breakfast innovations at KraftHeinz: Just Crack an Egg
Leading the branded business segment and global innovation at JBS, the world's largest meat company in the world.

Prior to her tenure at SmashBrand, Christy's track record spans various senior management and development roles. Each role has honed her expertise in the intricacies of FMCG, enabling her to cultivate category advantages for brands. From SKU rationalization to directing pivotal innovation stage gates, Christy's acute expertise in FMCG has consistently placed her at the forefront of the industry. Her ability to make incisive, strategically sound decisions has been key in propelling brands to market leadership.

Her philosophy pivots on the principle that timely, relevant data, integrated with brand strategy, is the linchpin for brands aspiring to scale and establish market dominance. At SmashBrand, Christy intricately weaves this philosophy, ensuring brands are not just strategically poised but holistically developed.

Educationally, Christy is equipped with a BBA from The University of Michigan Business School, an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management, and additional prowess in Private Equity and Venture Capital from Harvard Business School.

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