Stars have long been associated with alcohol brands. Take Ryan Reynolds’ gin or Katherine Jenkins’ gin, P. Diddy’s vodka, David Beckham’s whiskey and Donald Trump’s wine.
But now famous faces revolve around food and (non-alcoholic) drinks.
Ed Sheeran’s release of Tingly Ted’s Hot Sauce is the latest high-profile example of a celebrity breaking into a grocery store.
These days you don’t seem like a star without your own line of stinky candles (Gwyneth Paltrow), functional drinks (Bella Hadid), or indeed “Big Sexy Cheese Pizzas” (Lewis Capaldi).
Paul Schaafsma is the man behind Benchmark Drinks, who transformed famous wines from a novelty into an exciting and growing category. Since its inception in 2018, it has welcomed big names like Kylie Minogue, Gary Barlow and Graham Norton under its roof.
Kylie Minogue wines have now sold more than eight million bottles, are listed in 31 countries worldwide and are the best-selling premium rosé in the UK according to Benchmark.
Regarding the diversification of celebrity brands and the products they make, Schaafsma says success depends on consumers resonating with celebrity personalities. The more consumers know, identify with, and trust the celebrity behind the product, the more likely they are to buy.
“What the proliferation of celebrity brands has shown is that people recognize the brand by personality and see that product as fitting with their lifestyle,” he says.
“For wine, 93% of consumers have never been to a winery and many of the products don’t mean much to them. But when they see a brand from a star they know—a brand that’s part of their lifestyle and a personality that they associate with fun and good times—it creates credibility for the product.”
The most prominent example of this craze is sports drink Prime Hydration, which enjoyed viral success following its launch in the UK in January by influencers Logan Paul and KSI.
“Take Prime as an example. It’s just another drink, but it’s associated with celebrities and therefore has more prestige and resonates with customers,” adds Schaafsma.
“You have to deliver too much to the consumer for the phenomenon to continue”
He’s not surprised to see more celebs launching their own products, but warns that quality has to be right to avoid being criticized as gimmicks.
“Brands need to be careful and make products that deliver quality, whether it’s wine, spirits or hot sauces… They need to deliver more to the consumer for the phenomenon to continue,” he adds.
“That’s why we put so much effort into our products so that critics can’t say anything negative.
“They have to keep that up with food, too, so people don’t get cynical.”
Here are a few examples of celebrity food and drink brands that have popped up recently:
Prime – Logan Paul & KSI
Products: Seven flavors
Price: £2 for 500ml – £2.50
Launched: January
Accessible: Supermarkets, convenience stores and online
On the surface, there’s little that sets this brand apart from its competitors.
It has all the attributes of a standard sports drink: bright packaging, electrolytes, vitamin B12, and fruit and vegetable juices for color.
But with YouTube heavyweight influencers Logan Paul and KSI behind them, demand for the drink soared before the first batches left depots.
Asda was the first company to stock it under an exclusive deal that ended in January. Subsequent launches at Aldi and Sainsbury’s drew attention amid chaotic scenes with long lines and shoppers scrambling to buy limited stock.
Purchasing restrictions were introduced and Prime’s reputation was polished. In fact, hardly a day goes by when Prime isn’t making headlines and being a great example of the success Starpower can bring to an otherwise mundane product.
Lewis Capaldi’s pizzas
Products: The big sexy cheesy and the big sexy meaty
Price: £4
Launched: 2022
Accessible: Tesco and Iceland
While Lewis Capaldi has become a household name for his music, the singer still has some extra money to make on the side.
Capaldi said he got the idea for his pizza collection during lockdown. In an Instagram post, he said: “It took a while, it was a lot of trial and error, it was a lot of late nights alone trying to come up with what would become my Big Sexy Pizzas.
“Eventually that spark just caught and I stumbled on greatness… The Big Sexy Pizzas were born. These pizzas are big and they’re sexy and they’ll burst in your mouth. They just fill your mouth wall to wall with flavor, yummy yummy juicy juice flavor.”
Ed Sheeran’s Tingly Teds
Products: Sparkling and Xtra Sparkling
Price: £6/248ml
Launched: February
Accessible: On-line
Ed Sheeran is a well-known spice lover and famous for frequent visits to Nando’s, earning him the chain’s coveted black card.
Now, Sheeran has teamed up with Heinz to launch his own brand of hot sauces.
Tingly Ted’s debuted with two flavors: Tingly and Xtra Tingly. Tingly is a medium hot sauce, while Xtra Tingly is “for those who want to take the heat to the next level”.
Bella Hadid’s Kin Euphorics
Products: canned and mixed beverages
Price: £40 for eight
Accessible: On-line
Designed to get consumers to “ignite the light within themselves,” Kin Euphorics contains adatogens said to reduce stress and nootropics to positively impact brain function, and botanicals to provide flavor.
The functional drinks are developed using ingredients that “nourish the mind and body.”
These “energy-transmuting ingredients” help “balance your mood” and “activate the power, energy, and peace that is already within you.”
All this is to say that it is a slightly hippie brand. Hadid and co-founder and CEO Jen Batchelor feature an eye of providence alongside their zodiac signs on the brand’s website, the coming together of which appears to amount to a “karmic connection.”
CleanCo—Spencer Matthews
Product selection: Six non-alcoholic spirits
Price: £16
Launched: 2019
Accessible: About the mults and online
Made in Chelsea star Spencer Matthews launched the alcohol-free spirits brand after giving up alcohol himself.
CleanCo offers a range of gin, rum, tequila and whiskey substitutes.
The sugar-free, vegan spirits contain around 13 calories per 50ml serving and are sold in 70cl bottles.
It gives consumers the ability to “enjoy the delicious, refreshing cocktails you know and love without the impact”.
In January this year, the brand received a £7million funding injection from a group of investors including former Diageo executive Ursula Burns and digital-first investment firm Stonebridge, which advises CleanCo on its growth plans.
Dolly Parton’s Baking Collection
product selection: Six baking mixes
Price: $12 (£9.63)
Launched: 2022
Accessible: US and online
The 9 to 5 singer last year announced a new collaboration with Duncan Hines called Dolly Parton’s Baking Collection.
Country music star Parton’s limited edition baking collections include two brownie mixes, a cookie mix and a sweet cornbread muffin mix, which were first available in January this year but have since sold out.
No1 Living – Johnny Wilkinson
Products: Health Shots, Kombucha and Water Kefir
Price: £1-£3.50
Launched: 2018
Accessible: Waitrose and online
Rugby star Jonny Wilkinson’s No1 Living range is one of the forefathers of famous food and drink brands.
Now the label is expanding into the market with a range of kombucha shots and kefir water
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