When Burt’s Bees and Mike’s Hot Honey dropped a lip balm collab, I took a double take. And that’s exactly the point.
On paper, it’s odd. A natural skincare staple teams up with a spicy honey brand? But in execution, it’s a calculated move.
One part trend surf, one part sensory seduction, all wrapped in a beeswax tube.
The limited-edition balm fuses Burt’s classic formula with Mike’s signature sweet-heat, landing squarely in the “swicy” trend sweet spot that’s owning shelves and feeds alike.
So what’s really going on here?
Even legacy brands like Burt’s Bees have to stretch to stay sticky in a TikTok world. Enter Mike’s Hot Honey. A niche pantry staple turned cultural shorthand for bold, buzzworthy flavor.
This collab is more about emotional velocity than it is about function. Its bold and attention-grabbing.
The kind of drop that beauty influencers and flavor freaks both latch onto. And with a digital-only release via Burt’s site and TikTok Shop, it’s engineered to stop the scroll.
The Brilliance? Low risk, high reward.
No threat to the core portfolio. No brand dilution if it fizzles. Just a playful, on-trend detour that signals Burt’s still got it. Even if consumers buy it once for the novelty, the brand equity rub is real.
And for Mike’s, this is lifestyle gold. They just jumped categories and probably picked up new fans who’ll drizzle that heat on their next pizza.
All in, this brand collab is a sharp, culturally-attuned move—smartly executed, low-risk, and high-reward when it comes to buzz and brand freshness. It’s not built to be a volume driver, but it doesn’t have to be. It’s a spicy little stunt that lands exactly where it should.