Beloved brands are moving beyond grocery store shelves and into construction sets, plush, collectibles, die-cast, and novelty toys, where recognizable branding easily translates into play.

For licensors, the crossover appeal is clear: grocery, snack, and confectionery brands have strong emotional connections with consumers, making them natural fits for toys that double as playful collectibles and display pieces. “Age constriction in the toy category would lead to a declining toy business,” explains Michelle McLaughlin, CEO at Brand Activation Consulting (BAC), a boutique licensing agency representing some of the biggest food brands in the country, including The Hershey Company, Just Born Confections, Hormel, and others.

Adults are the largest consumer group, per Circana. “The reality is that brands that appeal to both kids and adults aren’t traditionally entertainment,” McLaughlin notes. While entertainment properties may boom during a theatrical release, food spans generations year after year.

BAC partners with a wide variety of companies. It works with Mattel’s Matchbox and Polly Pocket, MGA Entertainment’s Yummiland and Miniverse, Hasbro’s Furby, and BrickCraft. It has relationships with Buffalo Games, Milk Bone, and more, bringing familiar brands to nearly every aisle of the store.

“Our main shopper is a mom 25-54,” McLaughlin reveals. Moms buy for themselves, their kids, their families, and their friends — and they love Peeps, the sugared-marshmallow treats from Just Born, the company behind Goldenberg’s Peanut Chews, Hot Tamales, Mike and Ike, and more.

Per Circana, Peeps plush accounted for 12% of the category’s growth in April 2025. Peeps get 36 feet of shelf space at Walmart, 12 feet at Target, and eight feet at Five Below and Michaels. In 2025, over one million Polly Pocket Peeps playsets were sold. The Alex and Ani Peeps jewelry collection sold out three times.

Peeps is the largest non-chocolate Easter brand. Consumers spend three times as much on Peeps as on any other seasonal brand, with 90 billion impressions every Easter. For fans, their adoration is not casual: 49% of Easter shoppers are “super consumers,” spending more than the average shopper, and purchasing as early as four to six weeks before the holiday. Most holiday shopping, aside from Christmas, begins two weeks prior to the calendar date.

Peeps plush, decor, collectibles, and clothing may line the shelves in the spring, but super consumers are merely stocking up. The items remain a staple year-round.

Hershey’s is the first confectionery brand that retailers and consumers reach for on the shelves. Within Hershey, which includes Jolly Rancher, Ice Breakers, and Twizzlers, its biggest brand is Reese’s. 

“Confection [brands] top the list for the kidult audience because they appeal strongly to kids too,” McLaughlin says.

While brands license Ring Pops and Tootsie Rolls, Hershey’s outpaces the competition by offering universal, multigenerational appeal.

In its first season, Hershey sold $6 million in throw blankets. The brand had a 28-foot section at Walmart for Valentine’s Day, and at Target, it collaborated with Peanuts, placing Snoopy X Hershey’s themed items in multiple departments.

This year, the brand unwrapped something new with MGA Entertainment’s Hyojo surprise boxes, which star rosy-cheeked characters dressed like snacks. The company’s first entry in its “Cuddlectible” category featured Icee, Hostess, and Blow Pop, in addition to Hershey’s, Reese’s, and Jolly Ranchers. “Snack- and food-inspired toys tap into instant recognition and emotional connection,” explains Josh Hackbarth, CMO of MGA Entertainment. “We take it a step further by combining snack aesthetics with surprise elements,” he adds. “As toys evolve into a form of lifestyle expression, food culture sits at the intersection of play and pop culture.”

“These collaborations unlock fresh formats across categories,” Hackbarth says, noting appeal spans generations while “delivering a compelling mix of nostalgia, creativity, and shareability.” The second series, which launched this spring, dresses its characters as Hershey’s Kisses, Breyers Ice Cream, Krispy Kreme doughnuts, ice cream sandwiches, and of course, Peeps bunnies. 

“We think they’re at the forefront of food licensing and targeting this dual audience,” McLaughlin says of MGA Entertainment’s work with BAC’s portfolio. “They really are phenomenal.”

The Incredible Group is also finding sweet success with Hershey’s. At Toy Fair New York, the company’s booth featured a wide variety of products, most of which were scented. The exception was Hershey’s, which launches at mass retail this fall; the series displayed was merely a prototype. Ryan Carr, Senior Sales Executive at Incredible Group, says that Hershey’s didn’t fully understand the scope of what Incredible Group offers until it saw the booth in its entirety. “Now that Hershey’s can see everything that we’ve done in our booth at Toy Fair … they’re like, ‘Yeah, okay, we’re ready. We’re ready to go,” he says.

Incredible Group has transformed classic snack brands like Bazooka Candy, Sour Patch Kids, and Jell-O into tactile experiences with its Squishi Toys. “We tend to approach the licensors with the idea and with the program. ‘We think we can do something with your brands that makes something cool,” Carr says.

Developing a smell is “harder than you think,” he says. The scent is accurate, however, to the real thing. The only Squishi Toy that won’t get a scent is its smiling Oscar Mayer hot dog. “As cute as it is, I think that’s probably good,” Carr adds. 

The company is committed to detail. Carr and the development team knew that the Jell-O toys, available in Cherry, Grape, and Blue Raspberry, needed to jiggle. “It took a number of tries,” Carr says. After several iterations, some “too jiggly,” others falling apart, the team found the sweet spot.

Smiling Jet Puffed marshmallows, a lump of Easy Mac, Kool-Aid, and steamed buns are on the way. Adding a new brand to the portfolio is a challenge the company is eager to face. “The brand’s got to be interesting and fun,” Carr says, but the toy needs to make sense, too. When the lead designer proposed the pile of noodles, instead of a box of macaroni and cheese, Carr knew it felt right. “We just thought that was hilarious,” he shares. 

At Relatable, the company looks for iconic, crave-worthy brands for its audience. Partnerships are intentional. “Fans are already obsessed,” enthuses Colleen Dolan, Vice President of Brand Strategy & Communications at Relatable. So the company looks for “new ways to show that in a whimsical, tangible way,” she says. 

Last year, its Pop-Tarts partnership was toasted across Emotional Support Pals, Cozy Concepts Co., and Happy Helpers. The collections span plush, blankets, and wellness products. This year, Relatable offers the same experience with Cheez-It Support Pals. The cheese crackers are joined by bread, french fries, pickles, and sushi, too, as plush, keychains, and surprise box collectibles. 

Relatable’s Cozy Concept Co., which launched with blankets, is expanding this year to include Diet Coke, Cheetos, and Doritos. “[We’re] turning fan-favorite snacks and beverages into playful lifestyle products that blend comfort, humor, and fan identity,” Dolan says. The collection brings comfort and personality to everyday lounging, she explains.

For the outdoor enthusiast, Sunny Days Entertainment offers an upgraded line of branded pool floats. Families can lounge on double-sided floats featuring Doritos, Cheetos, and Lucky Charms, with new handles and the snacks on the reverse side. “We wanted to capture that nostalgia in a fun, unexpected way,” says Emily Chaput, Marketing Director. 

Celebrating snacks poolside just makes sense, she acknowledges: “There’s something really special about snack brands — they instantly bring you back and create an emotional connection across generations.”

“I swear I was waiting for the shoe to drop,” McLaughlin says, but the snack trend is here to stay. “It’s not going to end. It is going to expand.” 

As companies appeal to consumers and collectors, more brands will incorporate across genres. Food brands, unlike entertainment, are evergreen, making them shelf-stable. “It started in toys, but it’s spreading to other categories now,” McLaughlin notes.

The next food trend is likely to be Asian snacks and meals, McLaughlin says, from ramen to Spam, a Hormel brand that is beloved worldwide. Generation Z is beginning to discover and share the brand through recipe experimentation on TikTok. It is also very popular in Asia, and its longevity dates back to World War II, when it was shipped to Japan and Hawaii. Last month, Waikiki hosted Spam Jam, a three-day celebration of the canned meat — without Hormel’s sponsorship. This fall, fans can invest in costumes, underwear, plush, collectibles, and home decor. BAC launches a program for the food staple in June.

“As brands continue to find new ways to connect with consumers, food-inspired toys and licensed collaborations tap into both nostalgia and a new form of self-expression,” explains Relatable’s Dolan, proving that this trend, and consumer appetite, has no expiration date.

A version of this feature first appeared in The Toy Book‘s 2026 Licensing & Entertainment Issue, featuring The Licensing Book. Read the full issue here!

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