Booth boots, bathwater soap, and the death of the #sponsoredpost

Let’s talk about the weirdest – and smartest – trend in brand marketing right now.

Brands are ditching the one-off influencer post. You know, the classic #ad with a caption that screams “I got paid to post this.” That playbook’s been dying a slow death.

What’s replacing it?

Products so weird, so specific, and so authentically tied to a creator or brand… you can’t ignore them.

Let me explain.

Example #1: Cowboy boots made from Chili’s booth leather

Yes. Real boots. Made from the red vinyl seats of your childhood fajita memories.

This summer, Tecovas (high-end bootmaker) partnered with Chili’s to launch “Booth Boots.” They literally repurposed old booth leather to create a limited-edition run of cowboy boots. Chili pepper stitching. That signature red. Even a matching belt.

They didn’t run a campaign saying “Look at these boots.”
They made something people wanted to talk about.

And it worked. The boots sold out instantly. The media couldn’t get enough of it.
The takeaway? This wasn’t a paid post. It was a true collab — rooted in shared Texas heritage and wild creativity.

Example #2: Sydney Sweeney's bathwater turned into soap (really)

Dr. Squatch (men’s soap brand) had Sydney Sweeney star in a commercial. Internet freaks did what they do: joked about buying her bathwater.

Instead of ignoring it, Dr. Squatch bottled the joke.

They released “Sydney’s Bathwater Bliss,” a limited-edition soap bar… infused with (wait for it) actual bathwater from Sydney’s tub.

Gross? Maybe.
Brilliant? Absolutely.

5,000 bars. Gone in hours. Massive PR. And Sydney got to be in on the joke with her fans.

This wasn’t influencer marketing. This was co-creation. And people loved it.

What’s actually happening here?

We’re seeing a shift from:

❌ “Promote our product”
✅ “Be part of the product”

Consumers are too savvy for generic #sponcon. But if their favorite celeb actually helps create the product, it hits different.

Why does this work?

• It feels authentic

• It tells a story

• It gives ownership to the creator

• It drives word of mouth + earned media

• It’s fun as hell

These brands aren’t just paying creators. They’re building products with them.

Just look at:

• Charli D’Amelio’s cold brew at Dunkin’

• Travis Scott’s McDonald’s meal

• MrBeast’s burger chain + chocolate bar

These moves make creators part of the business model — not just the marketing plan.

The lesson for founders and marketers:

The old way of paying creators to “spread awareness” is losing steam.

The new play?
Build something weird, memorable, and true to the partnership.

If the product is interesting enough, it markets itself.

And if you’re in DTC or CPG and not thinking like this yet?
Time to saddle up. The booth boots are walking.