Red white and blue popsicles (rocket pops? bomb pops? firecrackers? triple rockets?, whatever you call them) are hot like Hansel right now and themed product tie ins are everywhere.

Protein powder, electrolyte drink powder, Five Hour Energy, Sonic slush, Oreos.

OREOs!

& that’s just the start.

And now, through the heady mix of suggestion, exposure, and nostalgia, I want a box of these classic popsicles in my freezer.

I don’t remember the last time I thought about these pops. But now I can’t not think about them.

It’s a bidirectional hype halo.

The source material gains in status. Benefitting from the brand recognition of those using the flavor, with the benefitted urgency of “limited edition.” The popsicle itself becomes a vehicle for the fleeting feeling of summer.

The riffers gain visibility. As the trend spreads, it draws attention to itself and the brands riding it. Once you see one ice pop tie-in, you get Baader–Meinhof’d and start noticing all the rest.

And both sides pivot on nostalgia, even if it’s manufactured nostalgia for “simpler times.” (What seems simpler than summer popsicles?)

I’ve long held that mass culture is dead*, but I’m rethinking this.

Mass culture through entertainment is dead. Streaming’s great splintering means we no longer have common channels, curators, or programming.

Food products and collabs are the new mass culture. Tastebuds the new tastemakers.

Pop culture is now pop cuisine.

*though maybe just the English-speaking / US-centric monoculture?

❤️‍🔥📈