What’s all the hype with PRIME Hydration?
KSI and Logan Paul launch PRIME Hydration 📸 Instagram
The fastest growing sports drink in history!
It’s PRIME time baby…
the drink created by YouTubers Logan Paul and KSI.
Now, I don’t think calling these two YouTubers is right anymore. They have (in my eyes) become brands themselves and successful multiple business owners.
Love them or hate them they know a thing or two about building brands across multiple industries, reaching, engaging and talking to audiences of all ages and demographics.
This is the stuff that most business only dream of!
📸 Logan Paul Twitter
Why are we talking about Prime?
Well… being a fan of Logan Paul and seeing his growth and evolution has been interesting to me. This a kid from Ohio, who’s rise to fame started on Vine and he is now a successful (multiple) business owner.
(* please don’t come at me about his past and all that ish… fully aware and in my eyes, it’s in the past, we all have one... so, move on!)
The reason I’m talking about this, is because of the marketing success of PRIME!
The impact of this drink brand is amazing! Some of you may know, I spend a lot of time volunteering with young people (ages 11 upwards of 18) and over the past few months, when speaking at schools and their students, one of the first things I’m asked before I start talking is;
“What do you prefer Gatorade or PRIME?”
or just straight up
“Gatorade or PRIME?”
Now, sadly I haven’t got my hands on PRIME yet, so I can’t answer. But, as I don’t like Gatorade, I would like to assume that I would like Prime 🤷🏽♀️. Anyway, what I’ve found really interesting is that PRIME is a hydration drink and not what I would call a ‘normal’ drink. It is designed to hydrate and replenish your body.
Quick side note:
What is a hydration drink? The main purpose of an electrolyte drink is to help you rehydrate, so electrolyte beverages are mostly water. Varying amounts of sugar and electrolytes are added, depending on the purpose of the beverage.
Yet, for some reason Gen Alpha’s (ages 10 upwards) and Gen Z consumers love this drink or should I say obsessed with it. When I’ve asked them why they drink it and/or want it, I also ask, ‘is it because of who created it?’
I get very similar answers. But, what is consistent (as you can imagine) most of them say it’s because they’re fans of KSI (and the Sidemen) and Logan Paul.
They’ve been in the game for so long that they’ve built up a range of audiences that are invested in them and the businesses they create.
Oreo and Supreme collab (£4,000 for 4). Would you have bought them?
PRIME is having that Supreme effect…
Supreme has become a bit of a cult brand among Millennials and Gen Z-ers. Bit of background - Supreme was actually a local skate wear brand that originated in New York. The popularity of that brand has come in peaks and troughs over the years, but it has never gone away. It has grown and evolved into a cult brand with limited drops, exclusive ranges and strong collaborations.
Why do I think that PRIME is going to be similar?
Well, when I’ve spent my time speaking to Gen Alpha consumers, they all seem to want to collect the PRIME bottles and either display them in their rooms/socials or to reuse them and just collect them to show off.
It seems that PRIME bottles are fast becoming a collectors item… maybe because of the colours/ flavours or the limited availability. This doesn’t seem to be going anywhere.
So, let’s talk PRIME hydration… 🔵 🟢 🔴 🟠 🟣
Logan Paul and KSI's hydration drink has taken the globe by storm. Since it launched in January 2022, there has been such a demand and some would say a need for some PRIME!
Fans of both have been desperate to get their hands on this drink. Add in the unquie partnership, viralness of the Instagram LIVE announcement, pre-launch content and “social media campaign”, not sure i would call it a campaign, more well thought out marketing and content… it created a hype and demand on a massive scale.
📸 PRIME Instagram - their FIRST UK RETAILER Asda
Let’s be honest, I even contemplated heading to Watford to see them on a bus throwing out Prime bottles - obvs I did not! Plus I’m too old to be doing that shit!😏
With the announcement of their first UK retailer Asda in June of 2022, it caused a roadblock!
And since then the brand has grown in popularity with the demand for it not slowing up. Their followers were getting really creative on socials with the brand.
The amount of UGC (user generated content), that was being created and shared across platforms like TikTok, Instagram and Twitter was and still is insane.
📸: Prime Instagram
I had to share this post that went viral on Twitter recently.
A photoshop image of KSI and Logan Paul in (what some would call) a compromising position 😉 😂. Logan himself re-shared it, but the original tweet got 30Million views!
Now, that’s what we call creative! PRIME has been well thought out and planned. They initially launched with 5 flavours;
🍋 Lemon Lime
🫐 Blue Raspberry
🍇 Grape
🍹 Tropical Punch
and 🍊 Orange
Since then, they’ve launched new flavours, such as;
🍦ICE POP (which launched in the UK in May 2022)
🌑 META MOON
and most recently
🍓🍉 STRAWBERRY AND WATERMELON (January 2023).
As I mentioned before, the demand for these drinks are so high even for the standard flavours.
By keeping demand high and strategically releasing new flavours and product lines… consumers are consistently engaged with the brand.
Before I carry one, I just wanted to say that if you’re reading this as a product based business, take note!
Yes, these two have audiences/followers from before they launched PRIME. But, this just shows the power of influencer/creator marketing and knowing their audience…
“They have launched a brand new product to market, taking on global/household names. They’ve hardly pushed the marketing (from what I can see) and yet, the demand, search, hype, media coverage and UGC that has been and still is being generated is massive and is working in their favour.
You don’t have to be an influencer or even a creator to do this. But, the importance of building a community/audience that’s invested in you, your business story, ethos and message etc is so important. You need to have a solid understanding your audience(s) and work and partner with the right creators and influencers, as they do a lot of the hard work for you.. facts!
They help build the brand, tell the story, help create demand and hype, especially if your launching something new! PRIMES’s Instagram has only posted 43 times in the year and bit since it’s launch. Both Logan and KSI have a handful of posts on their channels regarding PRIME. However, if you look at the ‘TAGGED’ pictures on PRIMEs Instagram - thousands of UGC.
Their audience is doing the most!
They’re pushing the demand, want and need… hell even creating FOMO!
This is the type of marketing and hype that many brands dream of, but yet don’t want to put the money or right team into it. They don’t even want to consider creating the right brand partnerships. If you’re relying on Instagram only, product images, non creative storytelling Reels, TikToks, supplier news, giveaways, comps, hacks etc… and lack of understanding customer needs, you’ll never see the real growth and uptake you wish!
There is Power in PRIME - and I’m so here for it!”
Rochelle, Founder & Creative Director
PRIME brand partnerships…
In the year and bit of launching to market PRIME have secured amazing brand partnerships.
On July 28th 2022, PRIME became the official hydration partner/sponsor for Arsenal Football club! Come on now, that is a massive achievement. To be associated with a sport loved by many and a Premiership team is huge for business.
More recently, January 31st 2023, PRIME became the official Sports Drink of @UFC WTF 🤯. Another impressive and strategic move. They are smart in the brand partnerships that they have secured. They know both Premiership Football and UFC have some of the biggest audiences, viewers and sporting events televised across the global. Not to mention, being able to watch recaps on streaming/ on demand platforms and more.
They’re being visible on a global stage… now, I don’t know about you, but that is a smart move.
📸 PRIME Instagram
Sub-PRIME…
Already in the year timeframe PRIME have created sub-brands.
Are they called sub-brands, probs not but that’s what I’m calling them.
With such a successful launch of PRIME Hydration, the duo launched PRIME Hydration Sticks.
So, if you like the drink and want to have all the flavours with you, now you can by adding them to your water… genius!
What more could consumers want, they have the bottle hydration drink and they can now have all flavours whenever they want it, by simply adding PRIME hydration sticks to their water.
But of course that wasn’t all….
PRIME energy…
Welcome to the family, PRIME Energy drink!
That’s right, they have the hydration down, now they want to give you energy.
Not only can fans not get their hands on the hydration drink because the demand is high. They’ve now launched another product that their customers want.
They created a video very simply comparing PRIME energy to the global leader.
It was simple, effect and straight to the point.
See below 👇🏽
And… as of writing this (Feb 2023), KSI recently launched his own PRIME exclusive UK bundle.
(Which is no doubt going to be in-demand, sell out fast and become a collectors item).
Just the comments alone are a great read with consumers mentioning that they can’t even get the normal flavours, let alone the new releases and now this.
If you can’t pick up the theme here, what I’m simply getting at is that…
KSI and Logan Paul with PRIME are clever marketers and brand builders.
‘PRIME’ Superbowl 2023… 🏈 🏟️
Let’s talk about Superbowl Ads!
Superbowl TV ads are not only expensive, but are ‘prime’time 😉 viewing and is pretty much a global event. I mean I watch the halftime show/performance and when streaming from America, I get to watch all the US ads.
So, it made sense for PRIME to invest in the ad space during the Superbowl. It’s a sport hydration drink (after all) and being associated with one of the biggest sporting events makes sense.
If you didn’t see it… 👇🏽 watch below. 📹 KSI Clips
This ad (in my opinion) was cleverly done. It was not a fully polished, highly curated, professional ad like many other brands.
They were smart, they used their own content, mixed with UGC and brand partnerships. This was strong brand story telling in 31 seconds!
The most fascinating thing to me about this brand and the marketing around it, is that it’s a hydration drink and not a pop/frizzy drink. Yet, it’s in demand by Gen Alpha consumers... who let’s be honest, probs don’t really know what a hydration drink is.
They’re not fussed about the benefits that PRIME offers or the fact that it’s a hydration drink, they want it because of the creators and the level of social conversation around it!
These Gen Alpha consumers are sending their parents out early doors to get PRIME and parents are fighting over it in shops. Kinda reminds me of the Sunny D days in the 90s, but not as bad!
Audiences…
As I mentioned before these two creators are very good at marketing, brand building and creating hype. They aren’t stupid! They know what they’re doing and they have good teams around them to support.
I feel PRIME is a great example of understanding your audience(s), product placements, the art of brand partnerships and creating hype and demand in a very noisy market.
Who do I think their core target audience is;
Gen Z and Millennials… The ones who have loyalty to them as creators and who have invested interest in sporting teams and similar industries. These consumers will probably want and need hydration for activities such as the gym or playing sport. Hence the strategic partnerships and association with Arsenal Football Club, UFC, WWE and boxing.
Who’s actually creating the demanding… well that would be the Gen Alpha’s (with Gen X and Millennials thrown in). These consumers have grown up with social media, creators and viral trends. Creators in their eyes are the new celebrities. Plus with platforms such as TikTok and YouTube shorts being their main source of viewing and entertainment, they want whatever their fav creator has touched or created. As most don’t have that spending power (which at this age, they don’t) their parents (Gen X and millennials) do.
Then there’s the consumers who have no idea who KSI and Logan Paul are, but might have had it or picked up a bottle of PRIME to try it, enjoy it and have been converted. You could also have people out there who don’t like the creators, but buy it to slate it online and get their viral 5 MINUTES of fame.
Either way, I feel that PRIME are clear and clever on who they’re targeting and their building a strong culture around the brand. Which, is so important!
Closing thoughts…
In the year that PRIME has launched, I feel it has been a crazy ride. To become the fastest growing sports hydration drink in less than a year is AMAZING! From day one there’s been a conveyer belt of consistently being sold out and restocks.
They’ve been smart by not releasing PRIME across all major UK retailers and kept distribution limited, but demand high! Which I feel is smart for this particular product.
They haven’t diluted the brand, haven’t pushed ‘saleys’ content on socials and haven’t relied on suppliers to push the product.
This has all been strategically well planned and well thought out.
The brand had a modest and successful launch with taste reviews popping up, UGC content and some reselling videos popping up across socials. Yes, it was mildly crazy, but nothing huge.
Then when they announced that a limited amount of PRIME would be available in Aldi UK and that big boy quantities would be available in Costco stores around the UK, the demand for the drink went viral… like crazy!
There was reports of Aldi limiting the number of bottles per person that people could buy and the amount of social content and conversations around this was again - crazy!
Even people who had no idea what PRIME is or it’s creators was talking about it! That says something!
Then boom… just like that, Prime Energy cans were released for UK markets
The viral TikTok store and the now infamous Wakey Wines shop in Wakefield, England posted videos selling crates of the stuff to families for £1,070; one pub started taking Prime Energy in lieu of payment.
As I mentioned before adults fought young teens in Aldi when PRIME was stocked and rappers like Central Cee posted the drink on his IG story like it was a solid gold Ben Baller chain.
PRIME is simply a hydration drink that has taken the world by storm. Yes, it is just a drink… if you look at it that way.
How I see it, PRIME is fast becoming a cult brand that has Gen Z-ers and especially Gen Alpha’s HOOKED!
Yes, KSI and Logan Paul are the faces of the brand and created something special, but also they have evolved beyond “YouTubers and YouTube Boxers”, these guys among many others are business owners and really understand marketing and branding.
The madness around this drink, the company and the brand has been built on the strong BRAND STORY and a feud (that once was) between these two creators.
For the record, I only really got to know who these two were back in 2019 when they had their rematch boxing match. Before then I had no clue who either of them were.
As a marketer, I love seeing brands emerge and conquer in the way that these two have with PRIME!
I feel that so many lessons can be learned from them, for product based businesses especially those targeting certain audience(s) and demographics.
I could write so much more about this product and the brands and businesses both KSI and Logan have created and built. But I will be saving that for another day!
Love them or hate them - these two are no longer “just YouTubers” they have transitioned into business owners and I can’t wait to see where this drink goes and what they do next! But, whatever it is… I’m so here for it!
If you found this blog interesting and you’re looking to create something similar with your brand, get in touch.
We would be happy to have a chat with you.
Drop us an email, give us or drop me (Rochelle) a Whatsapp:
