Ranch-flavored lip balm was April Fool’s joke — now it’s sold out

Brand mashup is latest example of mixing, matching food company trend meant to reach more customers

Burt’s Bees and Hidden Valley Ranch played a trick on customers April 1, 2022, when they announced a new product: ranch-flavored lip balm.

For some, it was a “dream flavor.” Others called it “disgusting.” Then people on social media began pointing out the date. April Fools!

Nearly two years later, the two companies are turning that joke into reality. On Wednesday, they announced they were teaming up to sell a “[very] limited-edition” Dippers Lip Balm set.

Burt’s Bees and Hidden Valley Ranch, which are both owned by the Clorox Co., are offering a four-pack of lip balm for $11.99. All of the flavors relate to Buffalo wings — celery, carrot, Buffalo sauce and Hidden Valley Ranch.

“This delightfully unexpected union comes just in time for dry lip season and game day,” the companies said in a release, referring to the Super Bowl, which is Feb. 11.

But just like chicken wings during the shortage of 2021, the limited-edition beeswax quickly sold out. By Thursday, customers trying to purchase the “wings in balm form” were put on a waitlist.

Kristi Jayne was one of the lucky few who snatched a set just in time.

Jayne, a 45-year-old from Harrisburg, Pa., was scrolling on the BeautyGuruChatter Reddit page Wednesday when she learned of the new lip balms. She likes Burt’s Bees and said it’s great to have a packet of Hidden Valley Ranch seasoning to sprinkle into a dish on the fly, but she’s not fanatical about either product.

Her first thought about combining them: “This is the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard of,” she told The Washington Post.

But then Jayne learned there were other flavors besides ranch. Celery, in particular, interested her, because she enjoys lip balms with herbal profiles like lavender or rosemary. But she still wasn’t sold. Then her husband chimed in: He told her to give it a whirl. It would be fun.

Jayne hopped online and became one of the first people to buy what she had denounced just hours earlier. Later, she learned it had sold out.

“I think I might have gotten the hotticket item without really intending to,” she said.

The Dippers Lip Balm set is the latest in the trend of food companies mashing up products to try to reach more consumers. There was the Kraft Mac & Cheese ice cream, Velveeta-scented nail polish, Cheez-It nail polish, Dunkin’ makeup and deodorant that smells like Girl Scout Cookies.

Food collabs have existed for decades but became more popular after the 2008 recession, said Sue Chan, founder of Care of Chan, an event and marketing agency. Unlike their parents and grandparents, millennials could not afford houses as they entered the workforce in the wake of a global economic meltdown. Instead, they turned to dining as a way to convey status, she added.

The evolution of the internet fueled the trend, she added. Instagram’s launch in 2010 gave young foodies a place to showcase ornate dishes from the hottest new restaurants.

The internet also splintered American monoculture. Gone were the days of millions watching the same sitcoms every night and talking about them the next day at the water cooler. Instead, users scroll through algorithm-tailored feeds and stream shows across a host of services at different times.

“Niche culture is on the rise,” Chan said. “We’re all in our own little bubbles.”

That splintering has made it tough for marketers to reach a lot of consumers with a prime-time TV commercial or a newspaper ad, Chan said. Crossover products allow them to tap into multiple bubbles at once, and food is a particularly attractive space to operate in because everybody eats.