It’s officially the festive season. The annual mix of joy, chaos, and polite pretending that you definitely know what everyone wants. Now, for some people, gift-giving is a natural talent. For others… It’s a slow descent into existential doubt wrapped in festive paper because no one wants to be the person handing over the “Thanks… I love it” present.
And yes, we know what you’re thinking:
Why is a marketing consultancy writing a holiday gift guide?
Instead of releasing yet another generic list into the world, we took the opportunity to curate a gift guide aligned with our newly released Rival 50 for 2025. Because if the top performing challenger brands of the year can’t save you from being the person who gives the most basic gift at Friendsmas… well, nothing can.
After an unnecessary amount of Slack debate, several Miro boards, and one near-philosophical argument about whether socks can count as “cultural capital,” we present:
Rival’s Holiday Gift Guide for the Challengers in Your Life
For the Skincare Obsessed
This is for the person who treats moisturizer like a long-term investment and knows the difference between niacinamide and niacinimide — and yes, spelling matters to them.
Start with The Ordinary. This brand has garnered a reputation for being effective and transparent, making it widely trusted. The release of their myth-busting archive “Truth Should Be Ordinary” only secured their number 33 spot on the Rival 50. Their curated sets make choosing easy, and their positioning remains a masterclass in turning simplicity into authority. If you have no idea what to choose, go with the Favorites set.
If your recipient leans toward minimalist luxury, Rhode is the move. Sitting at number 31 on The Rival 50 for 2025, the brand's food‑inspired “glazed” aesthetics have made it culturally resonant and widely loved. The now-iconic lip gloss phone case proves form and function can go viral and remain culturally relevant. If you have someone in your life who prides themselves on having a lip gloss in every bag they own, but still manages to lose them anyway, this phone case is perfect. However, should they lose both, we cannot help you.
If you’ve reached the end of this category but are still paralyzed by options, you cannot go wrong with Fenty Beauty. Fenty’s expansion into India and frequent collaborations with Coachella secured the brand the number 30 spot on the Rival 50 for 2025. The brand also knows its audience because if you’ve got option paralysis, their holiday bundles exist for shoppers exactly like you. They require zero guesswork and have maximum emotional payoff.
For the Gym Rat
This is for the person who schedules their life around their workouts and believes true friendship is built on the foundations of being gym buddies.
One of our top picks for any fitness enthusiast is a gift from Bandit Running. The brand managed to capitalize on the Gen Z run club boom, successfully turning it into standout cultural campaigns like the UnSponsored Project. All in all, there’s no surprise that the athleisure brand secured the number 36 spot on the Rival 50 for 2025.
If their aesthetic screams quiet luxury, structured neutral wardrobe, and “I’ve watched Succession too many times,” choose On. The fitness brand, which earned itself a spot in the coveted top ten, is well-known for its Cloudtech shoes and iconic campaigns featuring the likes of actress Zendaya. Ironically, they also go perfectly with Pantone’s color of the year.
And finally, every friend group has that one person whose emotional stability hinges on the perfect protein shake. For them, the latest addition to Yeti’s offerings — their Yonder Shaker Bottle. Delivering the durability of a Yeti product without adding any extra weight to a shaker bottle, this is a dream come true for any fitness enthusiast who longs for an unbelievably smooth protein shake.
For the Fashionistas
Whether it’s your sister, best friend, or the effortlessly stylish relative who somehow always looks editorial — this one is for them.
Let’s start with SKIMS. Yes, the third celebrity-owned brand we’ve mentioned…We can fight about that later. The iconic shapewear brand refused to be confined to a niche and has since mastered the art of collaborations, launching itself in the luxury and sports scene. It’s no surprise the brand sits at number 26 for 2025. Whether they love loungewear, shapewear, or consider TikTok hauls research, SKIMS is a winner.
If they lean into streetwear, nostalgia, and quiet confidence, go straight to Represent. What was once screen printing onto blank tees turned into less than another fashion label and rather a brand where nostalgia meets aspiration. By also turning community into a core product, Represent sits at number 4 for 2025. This brand screams authentic without trying too hard to be authentic, and the quality makes the price point worth it.
For the One Who’s Constantly Snacking
There is no explanation needed. You already know exactly who this category belongs to.
If they have a sweet tooth, Tony’s Chocolonely is the safest and smartest call. The perfect brand for both high quality and ethical sourcing. By partnering with Barry Callebaut, the brand embodied challenger behavior by forcing the chocolate industry to confront its contradictions in public view. It’s no surprise they made it to number 47 for 2025. Any flavor works, but for rivalry pride, there is a bar that aligns suspiciously well with our brand. We’re not saying to start there. But we are saying it’s a strong option.
If your snacker is also a dedicated YouTube watcher, Feastables is a match made in heaven. The creator-owned brand earned the number 24 spot for 2025 by outpacing the confectionery category’s modest 3–5% growth with more than 100% YoY growth, reaching not only $251M in revenue, but also a $5B valuation. By translating health-conscious and ethically sourced ingredients into mainstream demand and visibility, Feastables embodies creator-driven challenger momentum that consumers love to see.
And if their version of snacking is really just “hydrating aggressively,” and they start their annual Christmas movie marathon in early November, the Poppi Holiday Pack is your winner. Sitting at number 16 for 2025, Poppi has had intense cultural momentum. With explosive triple-digit growth to $500M in revenue and a $1.95B PepsiCo acquisition, Poppi has succeeded by translating gut-health and wellness trends into mainstream visibility. They even had a Super Bowl ad.
For the Aspiring Home Chef
This category belongs to the person who regularly switches between The Great British Bake Off and MasterChef (hopefully Australia), and whose cookbooks actually get used.
Start with Graza’s Drizzle & Sizzle Olive Oil Duo. It may feel unconventional — which is exactly why we love it. Graza reframed olive oil as an approachable premium pantry staple, scaling to $60M in revenue and becoming the 5th-largest U.S. olive oil brand in just three years, earning itself the number 27 spot on the Rival 50 for 2025 in the process. By embedding itself in influencer-driven cooking culture and mainstream retail, the brand embodies challenger behavior and is a no-brainer gift for any cooking enthusiast.
If they’re obsessed with seafood and the Tumblr-coded aesthetic, then Fishwife will feel like their version of a holiday miracle. The brand claimed the number 34 spot for 2025 by scaling premium tinned fish into 3,200+ stores and into mainstream culture. It also helped turn “sardine girl summer” into a broader movement across fashion, home décor styling, and even cookbook and lifestyle publishing. Perfect for anyone whose favorite character from The Bear is Sydney.
For the One You Never Know What to Buy
We all have one person in our lives who is tired of receiving the generic hand lotion year after year.
Bloom & Wild exists for exactly these moments. When you have no idea what to get someone (but still want the gift to feel thoughtful, elevated, and far from predictable), they’re the safest bet. Sitting at number 32 on the Rival 50 for 2025, Bloom & Wild earned its place by reframing floristry as emotional care, embedding measurable sustainability through its new B-Corp certification, and expanding into multi-category gifting. It says: I may not know your exact taste, but I do know how to choose well.
If that doesn’t land, almost no one will say no to an Owala bottle. The brand that made the famous “emotional support water bottle” craze possible and whose patented FreeSip™ lid makes it stand out amongst competitors like Stanley — it’s no wonder that Owala garnered the number 5 spot for 2025. If the recipient works in a high-stress environment and could benefit from an emotional support water bottle, this is it.
If you didn’t get the memo, go check out the full Rival 50 report to see which brands around the world earned a spot in the top 50 global challenger brands for 2025. From all of us at Rival: good luck out there! Oh, and a happy Festive Season.
