When SpongeBob SquarePants premiered on Nickelodeon in 1999, there was no indication it would become the global phenomenon it is today.

At the time, the underwater adventures of a perennially cheerful sea sponge fit squarely into Nickelodeon’s canon of madcap cartoons from the ’90s and early aughts—think: Rocko’s Modern Life, The Ren & Stimpy Show, The Angry Beavers, CatDog, Invader Zim, and Aaahh!!! Real Monsters.

None of those shows likely rings a bell unless you grew up in a specific generation. And yet, 25 years after its debut, SpongeBob SquarePants has reached the level of brand recognition akin to cultural touchstones such as Mickey Mouse, Looney Tunes, and Hello Kitty.

Not only is the show and its characters highly recognizable—they’re cooler than they’ve ever been.

SpongeBob SquarePants sits at a unique intersection of digital and physical pop culture. According to the song lyric database Genius, characters from SpongeBob SquarePants have been referenced in hip-hop lyrics hundreds of times. Those same characters have dominated internet culture with a steady stream of memes and GIFs.

All the while, SpongeBob has been a mainstay in fashion and art. Look to the 2013 capsule collection with Pharrell Williams’s brand Ice Cream; a 2014 collection from Moschino; and sneaker collabs with Vans (2018), Nike (2019), and Puma (2023). Visual artist and designer Louis De Guzman and reggaeton superstar J Balvin teamed up in 2021 to create SpongeBob SquarePants-themed art, apparel, and home goods.

And just this year, Supreme released racing jackets and shirts; design and fashion brand Cactus Plant Flea Market and retailer Uniqlo put out their own SpongeBob SquarePants collection; as did Stella McCartney for her kidswear line.

All of this has turned a yellow sponge and all his nautical nonsense into a pop culture muse and a $16 billion global brand powerhouse.

Pam Kaufman, president and CEO of international markets, global consumer products, and........

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