The sweet-and-spicy or “swicy” flavor trend shows no signs of slowing down, and packaged meat producer Smithfield is leaning in with its latest collaboration.
Partnering with Mike’s Hot Honey, the pork purveyor launched Mike’s Sweet Heat Hot Honey Bacon, which pairs Smithfield’s hickory-smoked bacon with Mike’s signature chili-infused honey for a smoky, sweet and spicy flavor profile.
The launch included a bold takeover of Times Square in New York City, featuring more than 80,000 digital bees on billboards, live beekeepers and 3,000 samples distributed to the crowd, creating a disruptive, “record-scratch” moment to generate consumer buzz, according to Marianne Radley, Smithfield’s managing director.
“We were looking to bring bold flavors that resonate with Millennials and Gen Z. When one of our brand managers noticed the sweet-and-spicy trend, Mike’s Hot Honey immediately stood out as the perfect partner. Their focus on innovation, quality, and audience alignment made this a natural fit for us,” she explained.
Radley emphasized that the activation was designed to stand out in a crowded ad environment.
“We wanted to take over Times Square to create an unexpected, engaging experience. People stopped, filmed and shared – it was about creating buzz and making the product unforgettable.”
Honey-forward flavors gain momentum
Exclusive trend data from Spate, covering September 2024 to August 2025 versus the prior year, highlights the growing momentum behind honey-forward flavors.
Hot honey searches on Google and TikTok are up 54.9% year-over-year and projected to grow another 25.2%, driven largely by TikTok (75.5% share), with top associations including chicken (+88.2%), cheese (+293.4%) and garlic (+533.2%).
Honey chipotle sauce boomed more than 1,000% YoY, with projected growth of 33.2%, and is similarly TikTok-dominant (88.2%), paired with chicken, cheese and appetizers. Even pepper jelly shows steady growth (+37.4% YoY; +16.9% projected), led by Google (55%), commonly paired with appetizers (+559%) and cream cheese (+129.5%). These trends reflect honey’s versatility across both innovative and classic culinary applications.
‘We Speak Pork’ sets the stage: Campaign planning fuels new activations
The launch also follows Smithfield’s first national campaign in more than two and a half years, We Speak Pork, which positions the brand as a leader in pork, Radley said.
She notes that Smithfield’s approach during the quieter period before this campaign was strategic.
“As the world’s largest pork producer, we took time to align our messaging, refine our campaigns, and get ready to launch with confidence. ‘We Speak Pork’ set the stage for future bold activations, and this collaboration with Mike’s Hot Honey is the perfect example of combining trend insight with quality products to engage consumers,” she said.
