By Mark Seavy  

In a market where Yeti, Hydro Flask, Stanley, Contigo, and Igloo Products’ Playmate drinkware and coolers already have well-established brands, licensed collaborations and co-branding have long been considered standard fare. For example, Igloo linked its brand with Old Milwaukee, Coors, Budweiser, and other labels in the 1970s. 

But as competition in branded drinkware and coolers has increased in what is ultimately a narrow category, so too has the need to stand out amid consolidation. 

Newell Brands acquired Ignite Holding’s Contigo in 2014. Helen of Troy followed up by purchasing Hydro Flask in 2018. And that was before the Stanley + Starbucks collaboration last year resulted in consumers camping outside Target stores for a first shot at buying limited-edition tumblers.  

Licensed drinkware supplier Tervis, meanwhile, filed for bankruptcy last fall but emerged from it this month by closing seven company-owned stores, introducing new melamine plates and bowls, and sharpening its focus on Amazon. Tervis had previously been barred from selling some products on Amazon under an exclusive agreement it signed with Fanatics but, according to court documents, the pact expired in late 2023. 

In recent weeks, Igloo’s Playmate unveiled a deal with Peanuts for a seven-quart cooler, a 32-ounce travel mug, and a 16-ounce “can” to mark the brand’s 75th anniversary and extend an earlier collection. Igloo also introduced a 32-ounce travel mug under Cloudco Entertainment’s Care Bears brand, extending a line that was introduced in 2023.  

And that was after Yeti rolled out its first NFL cooler collection last fall to go with the items it has been fielding for Major League Baseball and the National Hockey League since 2023. This month it also extended a licensing pact with Major League Soccer’s Austin Football Club (FC), an agreement that was marked by an event on Tuesday at Yeti’s 8,000-square-foot flagship store in Austin, TX. 

“The idea that we continue to broaden and diversify the use cases and the reasons for people to buy is going against where the focus is in the drinkware category right now, which tends to be around a pretty consolidated set of products,” Yeti CEO Matt Reintjes said. “Some of this is related to the fact that it’s a pretty consolidated assortment out there that’s competing for a narrow portion of the market. And I think there’s a lot of competition around creating, playing into the value piece.” 

Part of that consolidation and competition was fueled by promotional pricing last fall as retailers tightened space for drinkware and coolers, industry executives said. Yet that hasn’t seemed to slow co-branding efforts. And these collaborations are not limited to sports and entertainment IPs.  

Contigo, for example, introduced drinkware last fall under a deal with Peloton instructor Ally Love. Yeti has around 200 brand ambassadors globally to promote its products and Hydro Flask has forged licenses with the National Park Service (2024) and Vans (2022). Hydro Flask also picked up shelf space in Target’s sporting goods and housewares departments in addition to launching a two-pack of tumblers at Costco, said Helen of Troy CEO Noel Geoffroy. 

“When we think about how the category is evolving from sports enthusiasts into more women, Gen Z consumers, and others, those are customers that shop a lot at those retailers [including Target and Costco],” Geoffroy said. “We know that’s where the category is growing. And it’s declining or flat in the historic sports and outdoor channel.”