💊 How Sweet Meets Street: Magnolia Bakery's Collab with Incredibles Edibles Earns Serious Media Buzz

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What happens when an iconic New York City dessert shop teams up with a cannabis brand?

They launch world-class products that expand to 24 markets in the US.

Here are the tactics Magnolia Bakery and Incredibles used to make their partnership such a success:

Tactic #1: Bring Your “A Game” By Creating World-Class Products

Most brand partners just slap their logos on each other’s products and call it a day.

But not these guys.

Magnolia Bakery leveraged its strongest brand assets: its world-famous flavors.

The collaboration between them and Incredibles featured two distinct chocolate bars:

• Swirled Famous Banana Pudding Bar: vanilla pudding, cookies and bananas

• Red Velvet Piece AHHH Cake 1:1 Bar: red velvet cake and cream cheese tang

"With their national reach and proven track record of consistent, quality products, Incredibles is a perfect partner as Magnolia Bakery expands into the realm of cannabis edibles," said Sara Gramling, VP of PR and Partnerships at Magnolia Bakery.

The result: The Incredibles x Magnolia Bakery products became quickly recognizable even to consumers who'd never tried cannabis before.

How you can apply it: Find your brand’s most beloved assets (think unique flavors or signature design elements.) Then, find a way to integrate them into your partner’s product line, highlighting your and their strengths.

Tactic #2: Create Scarcity Through Limited Regional Launches

Incredibles and Magnolia didn’t go national for their launch. Instead, they launched their collaboration in three strategic states:

Illinois, Nevada, and Massachusetts.

This limited availability created a buzz, driving foot traffic to RISE Dispensaries while generating social media conversation about the exclusive products.

When the partnership expanded to New York and New Jersey in 2024, it became a significant event, with outlets like Bake Magazine, amNewYork, and industry publications covering the expansion as newsworthy.

The result: Sara Gramling of Magnolia Bakery noted that for months, loyal customers had asked when the collaboration would come to New York. This anticipation built excitement for the eventual launch.

How you can apply it: Use customer research to find the key markets where your product is the “hottest.” Then, create a limited launch in those specific markets to generate buzz and anticipation. Once you’ve won these markets, slowly expand into other markets.

Tactic #3: Use the Novelty Factor to Generate Earned Media

When a “normal” business, such as a bakery, jumps into the cannabis space, it quickly becomes a newsworthy story that publications want to cover.

The collaboration landed coverage in major publications like Adweek, who called it "a match made in stoner heaven." Food industry publications, from Bake Magazine to Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery, also covered the news.

In their February 2025 coverage, amNewYork wrote about how the products "offer fans a sweet, elevated experience," showing how the story remained newsworthy throughout multiple expansion phases.

The result: The brands earned millions in media impressions without spending on traditional ads. These channels would have been blocked to cannabis marketing anyway.

How you can apply it: Identify an unexpected or novel aspect of your brand or partnership that challenges industry norms or perceptions, creating an inherently newsworthy narrative. Proactively pitch this unique angle to various media outlets, allowing the inherent "story" to generate organic press coverage and build brand awareness without traditional advertising spend.

Tactic #4: Expand Through Direct-to-Consumer Channels to Bypass Retail Limitations

The owners of the Incredibles brand, Green Thumb Industries, eventually launched Farm Bill-compliant versions of the collaboration that could be shipped directly to consumers.

By October 2024, they had expanded availability through their e-commerce platform to 24 states, including Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, and Georgia.

Dominic O'Brien, Senior VP of Revenue at Green Thumb, highlighted how this move would "make these unique, flavor-packed cannabis treats accessible to even more adults 21+ across the country."

The result: The partnership expanded from 3 states to 24 markets in just one year, building a nationwide brand presence despite regulatory limits.

How you can apply it: Once you have validated your product in retail stores, expand to online sales, launching a direct-to-consumer version.

The Magnolia bakery x Incredibles edibles show that brand partnerships can be very effective, especially in taboo industries, when both partners bring their “A game.”

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