The collaboration between Pop-Tarts and BuzzBallz has ended early, lasting just one month, and the cause is clear: worries about underage drinking. Mars, which owns the pastry brand, has pulled all remaining marketing for the limited release following pressure from public health groups.
In August, two brands joined forces on a shared product: Frosted S’mores and Frosted Brown Sugar Cinnamon cocktails, turning two familiar breakfast flavors into drinks containing 15% alcohol by volume. They came in BuzzBallz’s round containers dressed in Pop-Tarts’ blue branding and carrying images of the pastries. Each 200ml drink came with a suggested price of $3.99.
The Partnership That Raised Concerns
A brand long known to children was turned into a drink with a high alcohol content. The drinks were marked as cocktails, yet their containers bore Pop-Tarts’ familiar blue design, complete with images of the pastries themselves.
The issue lay with the intended audience. Groups focused on public health took note of a brand beloved by children and teenagers being employed to sell a product whose consumption by young people brings real dangers. From the very start, the strength of these drinks was sufficient to spark such worries.
Pressure From Public Health Groups
The US Alcohol Policy Alliance held talks with Mars last week, and Bloomberg is reporting that the company has pulled back entirely from promoting the limited release. The announcement comes from a statement attributed to the organization.
A coalition of more than 30 public health organizations has issued a letter demanding that Mars terminate its collaboration and rule out any future deals with brands popular among children and teenagers. According to the group, Mars has expressed regret over the arrangement and committed that Pop-Tarts will steer clear of future alcohol co-branding partnerships.
“Using one of America’s most recognizable childhood food brands to help sell a high-alcohol product should never have happened,” USAPA CEO Mike Marshall said. “Childhood brands should not become tools for normalizing or promoting alcohol consumption.”
Mars has confirmed that the drinks are no longer being made. The reason for the end of production remains unknown: it could be that the drinks were always meant to be a limited release, or it might have been due to the negative reaction.
Why This Matters
The Pop-Tarts brand occupies breakfast tables nationwide, its blue boxes immediately recognizable. The thought of that brand being tied to a high-alcohol product was startling, and it is simple to understand why public health advocates took note.
These beverages were openly sold, presented as cocktails with 15% alcohol by volume. Yet their packaging bore the Pop-Tarts name, which made them appear more like a treat than something meant to be consumed for its alcoholic content. That contradiction is what sparked the pushback.
The Quick Timeline
- August: Pop-Tarts and BuzzBallz team up to release Frosted S’mores and Frosted Brown Sugar Cinnamon cocktails.
- Late August/September: Mars cancels all planned marketing for the limited release after meeting with the US Alcohol Policy Alliance.
- Late August/September: More than 30 public health organizations sign a letter urging Mars to end the collaboration.
- Late August/September: The US Alcohol Policy Alliance reports that Pop-Tarts will avoid future alcohol co-branding partnerships.
The arrangement was brief, lasting just a month. It began in August and has ended now. The beverages are no longer being made, and the promotion has been put to an end.
Key Facts Box
- Brand: Pop-Tarts x BuzzBallz
- Products: Frosted S’mores and Frosted Brown Sugar Cinnamon cocktails
- Alcohol content: 15% by volume
- Size: 200ml
- Price: $3.99 suggested
- Duration: One month
- Public health signatories: More than 30 organizations
These beverages were meant to be a temporary offering, yet the pushback arrived without delay. Public health advocates moved swiftly, and Mars reacted. The alliance has ended, and the drinks have vanished.
Last week, the US Alcohol Policy Alliance met with Mars, which owns one of America’s most recognizable breakfast brands, and the alliance reported that Pop-Tarts would no longer enter into alcohol co-branding deals going forward. This represents a notable pledge from the company.
Public health advocates have won a victory here. It demonstrates that pressure from groups can compel a major corporation to rethink a marketing decision that was plainly flawed. The drinks vanished within a month of their debut, and the partnership has since become a thing of the past.
The drinks are no longer being made, and the advertising has been put to an end. With the partnership finished, what remains is the question of whether other brands will follow suit.
Source material: “Pop-Tarts ends BuzzBallz collab after just one month over underage drinking fears,” Dexerto.
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