Type | Sports drink, drink mix, energy drink |
---|---|
Manufacturer | Prime Hydration, LLC |
Distributor | Congo Brands |
Country of origin |
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Introduced | January 4, 2022 |
Website | U.S. website UK website |
Prime is a range of sports drinks, drink mixes and energy drinks created and marketed by Prime Hydration, LLC. The range is promoted and founded by internet personalities Logan Paul and Olajide "KSI" Olatunji. The announcement and the release of the product in 2022 was followed by a social media hype associated with these social media personalities, who have tens of millions of followers combined. It was also promoted through mainstream sports sponsorship deals.
Prime Hydration produces a variety of energy drinks, sports drinks and drink mixes containing varying levels of caffeine, electrolytes and added micronutrients. Prime Energy drinks have generated controversy due to their marketing campaign, which has been criticized for media hype associated with their high concentration of caffeine. Several countries, jurisdictions, and primary and secondary schools have banned or restricted the drink due to its caffeine content exceeding legal limits, or otherwise being deemed unsafe for children.
Prime Hydration, LLC is affiliated with Congo Brands, co-owned by American businessmen Max Clemons and Trey Steiger. [1] In the United Kingdom, where the product was launched in June 2022, [2] [3] it was originally shipped from the United States, and is now manufactured by Refresco. [4]
The Prime labeling is used on energy drinks, sports drinks and drink mixes. [5] The sports drinks, described by the manufacturer as "hydration drinks", [6] are made up of 10 percent coconut water and contain electrolytes, B vitamins and BCAAs. [7] The manufacturers state that this version of the product contains no added sugar, is caffeine-free, and has around 20 calories per bottle. [7] It is sweetened with acesulfame potassium and sucralose, like many other sugar-free drinks. [8] Prime Hydration flavors include: Ice Pop, Tropical Punch, Orange, Lemonade, Lemon Lime, Blue Raspberry, Grape, Strawberry Watermelon, Meta Moon, Orange and Mango, Glowberry (Sour Apple), Goalberry (Berry), Cherry Freeze, Strawberry Banana, Strawberry Lemonade, Citrus Kiwiberry and Dragon Fruit Acai. [7] [9] [10] Smaller bottles of the Ice Pop, Cherry Freeze, and Strawberry Banana flavors are included in boxes of Lunchly, a brand of snack kits also created by KSI and Logan Paul alongside MrBeast.
The energy drink, which was launched in 2023, [11] contains 200 mg of caffeine and shares several flavors with its sports drink counterpart. [12] The company also produces Prime Hydration+ Sticks which have released special flavors in collaboration with the Dodgers baseball team, [13] and with FC Bayern Munich. [14] There are other limited-edition bottles such as the Ice Pop Prime Card Misfits bottles, Lemonade Venice Beach and Lemonade Piñata Colada. [15]
On January 4, 2022, YouTubers KSI and Logan Paul, [16] with collectively more than 40 million YouTube subscribers and millions of followers on other platforms, [17] [18] announced on a live Instagram feed that they had founded a new drinks company known as Prime Hydration. [19] Their involvement led to a social media hype around the product, [8] [18] which was followed by demand from school-age children, particularly teenage boys. [17] [20] [21]
According to the Evening Standard , the surge in demand caused high prices among online resellers, [22] including an eBay listing offering twelve bottles for £400. [23] Sky News reported that the release of the drink sparked "chaotic scenes" at Asda [4] and Aldi supermarkets in the United Kingdom. [24] [25] A Financial Times article conveyed a London teacher's account of how children who only possessed used Prime bottles, filled with water, were "catapulted to higher status among their peers". [16]
Mary McCarthy of The Independent , commenting on the way Prime was being marketed through social media, suggested that KSI and Logan Paul had undue influence on the product's main market—young boys—and that "cold, calculating big business" was working with individuals whose attitude towards women was questionable, and whose output was often misogynistic, aimed at boys "waiting to be told what to think". [26]
Gordon Ramsay reviewed the drink on Heart radio, describing it as "like swallowing perfume", and giving it 0/10. [27] Boxer Chris Eubank Jr. also tried the drink saying "It's very sweet, I mean it says it's naturally flavoured. It doesn't taste bad, but it's not a natural flavour of drink". [28]
Prime Energy, which contains elevated levels of caffeine, has been banned or restricted from minors in multiple countries due to regulations limiting caffeine content. [29] The drink has also been banned in schools in several countries. [30] [31]
Several Australian schools have instituted bans on Prime Energy drinks, as a health risk to students due to its high caffeine levels. ABC News noted that the Food Standards Australia New Zealand legal limit for caffeine was 32 mg per 100 ml, while Prime contains around 56 mg per 100 ml. A sports dietician, who described the drink as an "addictive substance" went on to state that "giving a dose of caffeine to young children who've got ... developing cognitive function is not a wise idea". ABC noted that the drink, on sale in Woolworths stores, carried a disclaimer stating that the drink "is not suitable for children under the age of 15, pregnant or breastfeeding women, and should only be used under medical or dietetic supervision". [32]
In March 2023, several schools in Queensland, Victoria [33] and Western Australia banned the Prime Energy. [34] In April, several New South Wales schools followed. [35]
In April 2023, a store in Perth controversially allowed the sale of Prime Energy to minors. [36]
On November 30, 2023, the Federal Sanitary Inspection of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina prohibited the import of 1,596 bottles of Prime Ice Pop Hydration due to testing showing inaccuracies on the nutrition label. [37]
On July 12, 2023, Health Canada issued a recall on various caffeinated and non-bilingual-labeled drinks, including Prime. [38] This decision came after many complaints of the high volume of caffeine in the product, which exceeds the maximum 180 mg allowed in Canada. Furthermore, food products sold in Canada must have bilingual (English and French) packaging as both languages are official languages in Canada. [39]
In Denmark, some retailers had begun parallel importing Prime beverages before an official launch of the product in the country. [40] This led to issues as Prime Energy was not compliant with Danish regulations, as the drink's caffeine concentration exceeded the approved limit. The Danish Veterinary and Food Administration announced that it advised five retailers to pull the parallel imported product. [41]
In June 2023, Prime Hydration launched officially in the country, kicking off in Salling Group supermarkets and Circle K convenience stores. [42] For the product to be compliant and distributed in the country, the Prime Hydration product had been modified to not contain vitamin A, and the Prime Energy drinks were not subject to sale, as they were above the regulatory limit for caffeine. [43]
In 2024, the Food and Veterinary Service of Latvia suspended imports of Prime Hydration into the country as a result of discrepancies between the Latvian-language label and the original English-language label. It ordered the company to immediately address its compliance with labelling regulations. [44] The agency had already banned the sale of Prime Energy to minors due to its high caffeine content. [45]
On August 8, 2023, the Netherlands blocked the sale of Prime Energy due to its high caffeine content. [46]
In New Zealand, it is illegal to sell the Prime Energy drink as it contains 579 mg of caffeine per litre, which is above the legal limit of 320 mg. Police Minister Ginny Andersen warned that businesses selling the product can face fines up to NZ$100,000.
The drink was previously available on retail website Trade Me, but listings were removed following enquiries by media company Stuff. [29]
In Norway, sales of both the Energy and Hydration variants were initially banned in 2023, but were both sold by import shops online or purchased from Sweden and then resold by consumers until authorities halted such sales in May 2023. Prime Hydration was initially barred from sales due to levels of vitamin A being above national regulations. In July 2023, a European variant was launched that adhered to European and Norwegian consumer standards and regulations. Prime Energy remained banned from sales as it contains 579 mg of caffeine per litre, which is above the Norwegian legal limit of 320 mg, but in 2024 a variant with reduced caffeine content became available in Norwegian stores. [47]
The brand and drink sparked controversy in June 2023, when creators Logan Paul and KSI visited Oslo as part of their European tour promoting the upcoming launch of the drink. The promotional event, which gathered more than 2,000 fans and was heavily advertised in social media, was criticized for the lack of security and organization, which led to 70 people needing medical attention due to heat and crowding. [48]
On November 13, 2023, the Inspection by the Administration of Food Safety, Veterinary Medicine and Plant Protection of the Republic of Slovenia banned the sale of Prime Energy drinks in Slovenia as they contain L-theanine, which is not allowed in non-alcoholic beverages. Prime Hydration may be freely sold. [49]
On July 9, 2023, Senator Chuck Schumer urged the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to investigate Prime Energy due to its high caffeine content, and because of unclear marketing which could lead to parents purchasing a "cauldron of caffeine" for children. [50] [51]
In August 2023, the Milberg law firm filed a lawsuit against Prime Hydration in the Northern District of California. Independent chemical analyses revealed harmful PFAS levels in several Prime flavors, notably the grape variant. Elizabeth Castillo, a California resident and plaintiff in the lawsuit, stated that the undisclosed presence of PFAS would have influenced her decision not to purchase Prime, seeking US$5 million in damages. [52] [53]
Paul challenged Castillo's claims, arguing that Prime contained only 0.06 parts per trillion (ppt) of PFAS, citing the United States Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) standards, which deem measurements below 1.1 ppt unreliable due to detection limitations. Castillo and the Milberg law firm countered, asserting adherence to industry standards for PFAS detection in their independent testing, while also noting that Prime's PFAS levels exceeded the EPA's recommended lifetime health advisory. [52] [53]
Prime was the sponsor for Timmy Hill's number 13 MBM Motorsports car for one race in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. [54] In their official statement they said it meant they have "access to talent and footballers which they do leverage in some of their marketing". [18]
In July 2022, Premier League club Arsenal announced a joint marketing agreement with the company, with Prime becoming the official sports drink supplier for the club. [55] [56] [57] In 2023, KSI had plans to make an Arsenal-flavored bottle if they were to win the Premier League. [58] However, after a loss to Nottingham Forest, which led to rivals Manchester City winning the Premier League, the flavor was shelved and plans were cancelled. [59]
In January 2023, the Ultimate Fighting Championship announced a joint marketing agreement with the company, with Prime becoming the official sports drink supplier for the mixed martial arts promotion company. [60] [61] Prime signed several athletes to sponsorships, including Alex Volkanovski, Israel Adesanya, Patrick Mahomes, Alisha Lehmann and Erling Haaland. [62] [63] In February, Prime was promoted in a Super Bowl LVII commercial. [64] In the summer of the same year, FC Barcelona and FC Bayern Munich signed a sponsorship agreement with Prime. [65] [66] In November, Toronto Maple Leafs player Auston Matthews signed a sponsorship agreement. [67]
In February 2024, NASCAR champion and Hendrick Motorsports driver Kyle Larson signed a sponsorship agreement with Prime. [68]
In February 2024, Borussia Dortmund signed a sponsorship agreement with Prime. [69]
For April Fools' Day in 2024, Paul announced a partnership with KFC to introduce a Kentucky Fried Chicken flavor. [70]
In April 2024, Prime became the first center-ring mat sponsor of WWE, for which Paul performs, when it was revealed during the March 8, 2024, episode of SmackDown . Since WrestleMania XL, it sponsors all of WWE's premium live events. [71] [72] Since WrestleMania XL, a stand with a Prime bottle prop at ringside (dubbed the "Hydration Station") has been used during episodes of Raw and SmackDown (in addition to the livestreaming events). [73] [74]
On July 19, 2024, the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee filed a legal case against the brand for infringing the Olympics copyrights while the drink was being advertised. [75] The lawsuit, filed in Colorado, accuses Prime of using trademarked Olympic phrases and symbols on a special edition of its drink featuring basketball star and three-time Olympic gold medallist Kevin Durant. [76]
On August 14, 2024, Juventus signed a sponsorship agreement with Prime. [77]
In the 2023 South Park television special "Not Suitable for Children," the energy drink Cred becomes a popular trend among children. The drink is a parody of Prime, mimicking its bottle design. [78]
In 2024 Más+, sponsored by Lionel Messi, launched and was criticized for its similarity to Prime. [79] [80]
Mountain Dew, stylized as Mtn Dew in some countries, is a soft drink brand, produced and owned by PepsiCo. The original formula was invented in 1940 by Tennessee beverage bottlers Barney and Ally Hartman. A revised formula was created by Bill Bridgforth in 1958. The rights to this formula were obtained by the Tip Corporation of Marion, Virginia. William H. "Bill" Jones of the Tip Corporation further refined the formula, launching that version of Mountain Dew in 1961. In August 1964, the Mountain Dew brand and production rights were acquired from Tip by the Pepsi-Cola company, and the distribution expanded across the United States and Canada.
Jolt Cola was a carbonated soft drink produced by The Jolt Company, Inc.. The cola drink was created in 1985 by C. J. Rapp as a highly caffeinated beverage. It was targeted towards students and young professionals, stressing its use as a stimulant in a similar manner as energy drinks. Its slogan reads "All the sugar and twice the caffeine!"
Gatorade is an American brand of sports-themed beverage and food products, built around its signature line of sports drinks. The drink is manufactured by PepsiCo and is distributed in over 80 countries. The beverage was developed in 1965 by a team of researchers led by Robert Cade. It was originally made for the Gators at the University of Florida to replenish the carbohydrates that the school's student-athletes burned and the combination of water and electrolytes that they lost in sweat during vigorous sports activities.
An energy drink is a type of functional beverage containing stimulant compounds, usually caffeine, which is marketed as providing mental and physical stimulation. They may or may not be carbonated and may also contain sugar, other sweeteners, or herbal extracts, among numerous other possible ingredients.
Surge is a citrus-flavored soft drink first produced in the 1990s by the Coca-Cola Company to compete with Pepsi's Mountain Dew. Surge was advertised as having a more "hardcore" edge, much like Mountain Dew's advertising at the time, in an attempt to lure customers away from Pepsi. It was originally launched in Norway as Urge in 1996, and was so popular that it was released in the United States as Surge in 1997. Lagging sales caused production to be ended in 2003 for most markets.
Bawls is a non-alcoholic, highly-caffeinated soft drink.
Rockstar is an energy drink created in 2001, which, as of 2020, had a 10% market share of the global energy drink market, the third-highest after Red Bull and Monster Energy. Rockstar is based in Purchase, New York. As of January 2013, Rockstar Energy Drink was available in more than 20 flavors and in more than 30 countries. Since March 2020 Rockstar is a part of PepsiCo.
Pepsi Wild Cherry is a cherry-flavored cola first introduced in 1988 by PepsiCo. Two sugar-free versions are also available, with zero calories, named Diet Pepsi Wild Cherry and Pepsi Zero Sugar Wild Cherry, and a vanilla-flavored version Pepsi Cherry Vanilla is also available. Alongside the beverages, a lip balm version is also available. Pepsi Wild Cherry is currently sold in the United States and Canada as a regular, permanent product.
Monster Energy is an energy drink that was created by Hansen Natural Company in April 2002. As of 2022, Monster Energy had a 30.1% share of the American energy drink market, the second-highest after Red Bull.
Energy Brands, also doing business as Glacéau, is a privately owned subsidiary of The Coca-Cola Company based in Whitestone, Queens, New York, that manufactures and distributes various lines of drinks marketed as enhanced water. Founded in May 1996 by J. Darius Bikoff with an electrolyte enhanced line of water called Smartwater, Energy Brands initially distributed its products to health food stores and independent retailers in the New York area. Adding Fruitwater and Vitaminwater to its line in 1998 and 2000, respectively, the company expanded to nationwide distribution in the early 2000s.
Monster Beverage Corporation is an American beverage company that manufactures energy drinks including Monster Energy, Relentless, Reign and Burn. The company was originally founded as Hansen's in 1935 in Southern California, originally selling juice products. The company renamed itself as Monster Beverage in 2012.
Four Loko is a line of alcoholic beverages sold by Phusion Projects of Chicago, Illinois, United States. Four Loko's recipe formerly included caffeine. Phusion operates as Drink Four Brewing Company. Four Loko, the company's most popular beverage, debuted in the United States market in 2005 and is available in 49 states, and in 21 countries including Ecuador, Guatemala, Paraguay, The Bahamas, Peru, Mexico, Colombia, Bolivia, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, China, Canada and some countries in Europe. The name "Four" is derived from the original drink having four "key ingredients".
NOS is an energy drink sold in 16-and-24-US-fluid-ounce cans. The drink was also distributed in a bottle designed to look like a NOS tank but this bottle has been discontinued. Formerly a property of the Coca-Cola Company, it is currently produced by Monster Beverage and licensed by Holley Performance, which owns the trademark. NOS contains 160 mg of caffeine, with an unknown amount of taurine and guarana. L-Theanine was removed as a "CMPLX6" ingredient in 2016, with inositol becoming listed as one of the six featured ingredients on the can. NOS Energy is currently available in Original, GT Grape, and Sonic Sour.
Bang Energy is an American brand of energy drinks made by Vital Pharmaceuticals, a corporation located in Florida. As of 2023, Bang was the fourth-highest-selling energy drink in the United States, behind Monster, Red Bull and Celsius.
Venom Energy is an American brand of energy drink that is produced and distributed by Keurig Dr Pepper of Plano, Texas. It is one of the few energy drinks that uses a thick aluminum bottle. Venom Energy was released in 2002 in a more typical beverage container and was relaunched in the new aluminum bottle and with a new taste in early 2008.
Olajide Olayinka Williams "JJ" Olatunji, better known by his online alias KSI, is an English social media influencer, professional boxer, and musician. He is a co-founding member of YouTube group the Sidemen, the CEO of Misfits Boxing, and the co-owner of Prime Hydration, XIX Vodka, Sidemen Clothing, restaurant chain Sides, cereal brand Best Breakfasts, and snack brand Lunchly.
G Fuel is a brand of caffeinated drink mix sold by Gamma Labs, based in West Babylon, New York. It is marketed as a supplement for gaming that is designed to improve focus and reaction time.
Celsius Holdings, Inc. is an American company that produces a range of fitness and energy beverages under the brand name Celsius. The company's products are marketed as healthy, a strategy that the CEO credits the brand's success to.
Más+, or Más+ by Messi, is an American brand of sports and energy drinks created and marketed by Más+ Next Generation Beverage Co. It was founded by professional soccer player Lionel Messi and debuted in Miami, Florida, on June 13, 2024. Más+ is affiliated with White Claw Hard Seltzer founder Mark Anthony.
Lunchly is a brand of snack kits created and marketed by Lunchly LLC. The brand is promoted and founded as a joint venture between YouTubers Olajide "KSI" Olatunji, Logan Paul, and Jimmy "MrBeast" Donaldson. It is a copy of and marketed as a healthier alternative to Kraft Heinz's Lunchables, and is positioned as a more expensive competitor. The product line was announced on September 16, 2024.
Launching on February 17, the new Mango flavor will be available exclusively through a Prime x KSI bundle on the official UK store page.
The wild popularity of Prime can be credited to KSI and Paul. KSI, a British rapper and boxer whose real name is Olajide Olayinka Williams Olatunji, has 24.1 million subscribers on YouTube, 11.1 million followers on TikTok and 12.7 million followers on Instagram. Meanwhile, YouTuber-turned-boxer Paul boasts 23.6 million subscribers on the video-sharing platform and 25.5 million followers on Instagram. Combined, these two men wield influence over nearly 100 million followers—more than the population of Vietnam.
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: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)Today, FC Bayern Munich announced its partnership with Logan Paul and KSI's popular beverage brand, PRIME. Founded by the YouTube stars in 2022, PRIME's flagship product, Hydration, a sports drink alternative, will be the official isotonic partner for the club of 33-time German champions.
During an appearance in Toronto this past weekend, the World Wrestling Entertainment-contracted Paul hinted that they had signed a Leafs player. 'We may have just signed someone from the Toronto Maple Leafs to Prime," Paul told fans at Yonge-Dundas Square. "I can't say who it is yet, but be on the lookout because we got another big signing.'
So, WWE has the Prime "Hydration Station" ring side now. Yes, it's a big ad for Logan and his business. But is it just a prop for props sake (or plunder for advertising purposes), or is it something that can (or should) be used for its named purpose? Wouldn't the ad be even better for Prime if someone needed to actually get a drink? I'm thinking especially at the Saudi show or this summer outdoors in Cleveland. And how well are the wrestlers hydrating and is there a time during a match when if they needed to get something that they would be able to?
Reigns hit Rhodes with a giant PRIME bottle from the PRIME Hydration Station before they headed to the crowd area.