Foreword: I wrote this bulk of this piece in November 2023. I chose against publishing it, due to the lack of data I had to showcase this phenomenon. However, The Grocer published a piece in April 2024, indicating that what I observed in the wild was correct. On this basis, I wanted to show case what I’d foreseen, as well as provide future commentary on Lunchly.
In early 2023, PRIME was the hottest drink on the market. Scenes like this were not uncommon, as shoppers fought to get their hands on the sweet elixir.
For those not in the know: PRIME is a fitness hydration drink by influencers KSI and Logan Paul, competing against established market favourites like Gatorade or Lucozade. Alongside the relationship with their founding influencers, PRIME has undertook a vast marketing campaign, with sponsorships with Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Barcelona, the UFC, amongst others.
The initial limited roll out led to mania, with shops being depleted within minutes of availability. The mania even created celebrities. Mohammed Azar, better known as WakeyWines, became a sensation after his shop became a reliable source of PRIME, with people making a pilgrimage to get the drink, and take part in the customary TikTok that Azar would take with the customer. Within about 6 months he got a song out.
The supply problem is over
The big limiter was that PRIME could not produce drinks fast enough. They've solved this now, and have evolved from limited deals with ALDI and ASDA, to having deals with every major British supermarket. Tesco initially backed out of a deal, due to concerns about supply.
Going on my regular shop, PRIME went from being a laughing stock, to being a regular item.
But is the demand there?
It became evident that PRIME wasn't selling all that well in my local Tesco. This picture is of a bin full of PRIMEs, in the area of the supermarket designed to capture as much customer attention as possible: the checkout.
Picture of an overflowing bin containing PRIME Hydration drinks, taken within a Tesco (2023, Internet Talk)
Yet for multiple weeks, these bins did not change. Nothing was seemingly going in or out.
Equally, PRIME started appearing elsewhere.
A local corner store had started to pick up supplies, combined with a fancy display cabinet occupying premium floor space.
Picture of a PRIME promotional display within a Co-op (2023, Internet Talk)
Yet, just as quickly as they made it there, they were shifted to be a part of the meal deal (a promotion where you can combine a sandwich, with a drink and a snack, for a reduced price). While being a permanent meal deal fixture is emblematic of true success, being forced to be part of the meal deal to push products is indicative of the opposite.
Picture taken in a local Co-op, showing an empty PRIME Hydration bay, with a full PRIME energy bay (2023, Internet Talk)
There appears to have been no effort to restock any of the PRIME Hydration to the left of the PRIME Energy drinks
The cabinet is now gone, with that floor space having been reclaimed by absolutely nothing. (In the months since, all PRIME has disappeared from my Co-op.)
When I was in London, it was noticeable that a random cycling shop had supplies of it. From being a difficult to acquire exclusive, it was seemingly everywhere. But critically, it was no longer disappearing from shelves. It was staying.
They’re trying again
Lunchly is a crossover product between PRIME, and fellow influencer Mr. Beast’s Feastables. The aim is to provide a competitor to Lunchables, a popular lunchtime snack in the United States.
The more likely true aim is to juice up both products. Video collaborations are great ways to bring in new viewers, so it makes sense to apply this principle to their products as well.
And indeed, the initial reaction has been large. The controversy aside, this has garnered the most amount of attention that either product has had in months.
The lifecycle of this product is likely to be the same as the original PRIME, only shorter. The only new aspect of this product is the terrible “lunch” content. Feastables and PRIME are already available and accessible, and have already reached their peak. Therefore, there only vague incentive for children to purchase it is the branding.
No doubt an initial hysteria will emerge, making the product seem fashionable to those not in the know. But at the end of the day, the hype will not propel the product to long term success, and no amount of crossovers will achieve it.