Rating Celebrity Collaborations

Kathryn Foster

Contributing Writer

Celebrity endorsements and collaborations are often a logical step in a celebrity’s career after a certain amount of success. Whether it is clothing, condoms, or a Big Mac, these collaborations allow consumers to relate to the celebrity on a more intimate level. 

When you take away all the memes, these collaborations represent deeper issues related to America’s capitalistic system and idolization of celebrities. Despite this, sometimes it is just fun to eat a burger that has a famous rapper’s seal of approval. 

1. Travis Scott x McDonald’s: 8/10

McDonald’s recently released the Travis Scott meal in collaboration with the famous rapper. The meal consists of a quarter pounder with cheese, bacon, and lettuce, a medium order of fries with barbeque sauce, and a Sprite with extra ice. I’m skeptical if Travis actually prefers extra ice in his Sprite, or if McDonald’s pushed him to say that so they could get away with giving customers less soda with their order. This meal became so popular that some of McDonald’s restaurants reported selling out of the needed ingredients; I wouldn’t be surprised. 

In terms of the actual food, the bacon resembles dog food, but I respect the choice of barbecue sauce with the fries (although I’m more of the sweet-and-sour type). The Travis Scott meal became a huge meme on TikTok, where people would go through the McDonald’s drive-thru and order the meal simply by playing one of his most popular songs, “Sicko Mode.” Points are knocked off from the collaboration for resulting in harassment of fast-food employees.

2. Charli D’Amelio x Dunkin’: 6/10

Charli D’Amelio is a TikTok personality that rose in popularity with her impressive dance videos, now with almost 100 million followers on the platform. Last month, popular coffee chain Dunkin’ released “The Charli,” a cold brew with whole milk and three pumps of caramel — allegedly Charli’s go-to order. I give her points for not being afraid of a liberal amount of caramel, but knock her for encouraging her primary demographic of middle schoolers to drink copious amounts of cold brew. 

“Whether it is clothing, condoms, or a Big Mac, these collaborations allow consumers to relate to the celebrity on a more intimate level.”

3. J Balvin x McDonald’s: 9/10

Next up is J Balvin’s collaboration with McDonald’s. I’m not ashamed to say I had never heard of J Balvin before this fast-food drop, but clearly, I was missing out. Balvin is a Colombian megastar who has landed 13 nominations for the 2020 Latin Grammys and has sold over 35 million records worldwide. He has often been described as the “Prince of Reggaeton” with hits including “Azul,” “Relación,” and “Un Dia.” McDonald’s recently released the J Balvin meal which consists of a Big Mac, fries with ketchup, and an Oreo McFlurry. I’m taking a point off because I personally prefer the M&M McFlurry and will die on that hill; but according to my sources, the J Balvin meal is, in fact, tastier than the Travis Scott meal. 

4. Cardi B x Fashion Nova: 4/10

Cardi B is an American rapper who recently shared her W.A.P. with the world alongside Megan Thee Stallion. In the past few years, Cardi has released two clothing lines with Fashion Nova, a clothing brand immensely popular with Instagram baddies worldwide. The clothes aren’t exactly everyday pieces (think fashionable race car driver meets 1980s corporate office chic) and feature lots of latex and shoulder pads, which likely only look good in an Instagram photo; but that might be fine? 

5. Kesha x Lifestyle Condoms: 10/10

In the early 2010s, Kesha was a pop star known for her party-girl personality, brushing her teeth with a bottle of Jack Daniels, and eye glitter. As the years have passed, Kesha’s public persona has calmed down a bit (she replaced the dollar sign in her name with a regular S), but we will never forget her 2011 Get Sleazy tour, where 10,000 Kesha-branded condoms were shot out of a cannon at the audience. I give her points for promoting safe sex and, full transparency, if someone pulled out a Kesha condom in the bedroom, their love would be my drug. 

6. Justin Bieber x Crocs: 7/10

We are all familiar with the Canadian heartthrob who stole our hearts in middle school. Justin Bieber recently unveiled a collaboration with footwear manufacturer, Crocs. Crocs have teamed up with a number of other artists and brands in the past including Post Malone, Balenciaga ($850 Crocs, anyone?), and even KFC. The Bieber crocs are a sunshine-yellow color and come with eight custom Jibbitz charms that resemble rainbows, lollipops, and flowers. I give Bieber points for the utility and practicality of a foam clog, but I wish he took more risks with the Jibbitz.