Olipop Names Camila Cabello as Brand Ambassador
Functional soda brand Olipop has signed multi-Grammy nominated Cuban born singer/songwriter Camila Cabello as its first major brand partner. While known primarily as a singer, songwriter and actor, Cabello is also a passionate businesswoman working to support brands with impactful missions. The partnership will center around deep creative collaboration on upcoming marketing initiatives, as well as ongoing involvement and advocacy of their shared mission in the health and wellness space.
This partnership is a testament to the better-for-you beverage’s current exponential growth and long-term ambition to transform the traditional soda industry, as Cabello is going against the grain by choosing to partner with an up-and-coming brand like Olipop.
“What we put into our bodies can lead to so many different health issues, including negative effects on your mental health,” said Cabello. “I’m proud to partner with a brand that is working to provide healthier drink options that align with how I strive to live.”
“Authentic alignment with our talent partners is critical to us, and our partnership with Camila sprung out of her organic love for the product and our love for her amazing values and creativity,” said Ben Goodwin, Olipop’s founder, formulator and CEO. “We are thrilled to partner with Camila to amplify Olipop ’s involvement in meaningful cultural moments born out of making a positive change in society and spreading true enjoyment in the process.”
Cabello was previously announced as an Olipop investor in February 2022, but is deepening her relationship with the brCaand with this new deal. OLIPOP’s delicious product offerings, health benefits, and transparency to customers have attracted additional strategic celebrity and business investors including Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Nick Jonas, Joe Jonas, Kevin Jonas, Mindy Kaling, Logic, Gwyneth Paltrow, top execs from ClassPass, TikTok, Shake Shack, Equinox, and many more.
Since launching in 2018, Olipop has already achieved a striking valuation of $200 million, disrupting the traditional soda industry and amassing widespread appeal for its tasty, nostalgia-infused flavors, and proprietary gut-friendly formulation. The brand was started by beverage entrepreneurs Goodwin and David Lester who set out to create a functional soda—one with a familiar and delicious taste but with the added benefits of microbiome and digestive health support.
While traditional soda is loaded with sugar and additives, each can of OLIPOP has only 35-45 calories, contains two to five grams of natural sugars, and provides nine grams of prebiotic plant fiber, which is one-third of the daily recommended amount. The product is eliminating the consequences of the traditional soda category, and making way for a new functional soda with benefits, changing the trajectory of health outcomes for many consumers.
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Central Perk Coffeehouse Breaks Into Reality
EDITOR’S NOTE: Try reading this announcement about Central Perk without having the “Friends” theme loop in your brain. We couldn’t!
Warner Bros. Themed Entertainment with CenPer Holdings, composed of industry experts from the coffee, specialty food and beverage, hospitality, and entertainment worlds — including “Top Chef” and multiple James Beard Foundation Award Winner Tom Colicchio — announced Central Perk Coffeehouse, a modern-day coffeehouse inspired by the hit TV series, opening its first location in 2023.
Imbued with the same heart and soul as the iconic setting from the series, Central Perk Coffeehouse will be a place for fans (and friends) to slow down and come together over great coffee and eats.
Fans know Central Perk as the gathering place for Rachel, Monica, Phoebe, Joey, Chandle>r, and Ross — the ultimate hang-out spot — not only to get a delicious cup of coffee but also where the gang spent much of their free time conversing and making memories. Fast forward 28 years and a modern-day version will open its real doors in 2023.
“Central Perk is more than just a coffeehouse, it was a home away from home for our six favorite ‘Friends’,” said Peter van Roden, SVP, Warner Bros. Themed Entertainment. “Working closely with the CenPer Holdings team in creating this fresh, yet familiar environment, we’re looking forward to giving fans a coffeehouse of their own — coffeehouses that captures the heart of the show while delivering a first-class coffee experience.”
While the first location and opening date will be announced soon, fans will immediately be able to get their coffee fix now with the launch of Central Perk Coffee, a line of artisanal quality coffees made with the highest quality premium Arabica beans available in three select varietals:
– “How You Doin’?” (medium roast)
– “Pivot Blend” (medium/dark roast)
– “We Were on a Coffee Break” (dark roast)
“Our goal with this partnership and the Central Perk brand,” Colicchio said, “like all of my food and beverage enterprises, is to secure the best ingredients and then deliver superior products and services for a great customer experience. With Central Perk, we can’t wait to offer friends old and new a really enjoyable premium cup of coffee and hope they settle in with us for the next chapter of this beloved story.”
Each blend is available in whole bean and ground formats, as well as BPI Certified compostable single serve coffee pods compatible with Keurig K-Cup brewers. Single Central Perk Coffee products are also available. All coffees are sustainably sourced, produced and packaged using responsible environmental practices.
Central Perk Coffee can be orderedby visiting www.centralperk.com. The first 6,000 subscribers will receive a complimentary collectable can of “How You Doin’?” coffee, a medium roast ground varietal. This individually numbered limited edition tin was created exclusively for true “Friends” fans and coffee lovers.
Fans can watch “Friends: The Reunion” special and binge all 236 episodes of the original beloved series on HBO Max.
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Greene Concepts Donates Truckload of Be Water for Kentucky Flood Relief
Donations for Kentucky flood disaster relief are being accepted through the state at https://secure.kentucky.gov/FormServices/Finance/EKYFloodRelief
North Carolina beverage bottler Greene Concepts Inc. has donated a truckload of Be Water premium artisan bottled water to support rural residents in the surrounding areas affected by the recent Kentucky flood who have yet to receive aid.
Greene Concepts sent 1,540 cases (36,960 bottles) of Be Water to the First Church of God in Jackson for distribution among the area’s residents still in need of supplies. The truckload of Be Water arrived on Aug. 4.
“This is one of the most devastating deadly floods that we have seen in our history. These are proud, hardworking folks that just lost it all, and maybe even lost someone they love. The least we can do as human beings, as people of faith and values, is to give and do what we can to get them back on their feet,” said Gov. Andy Beshear.
“We are very grateful for the opportunity to donate Be Water to the people of Breathitt County, so that it may be delivered to the county’s most rural residents who have yet to receive potable water,” said Amy McNally, Greene Concepts’ vice president of sales and marketing. “In addition to the 37 lives lost, and many others unaccounted for, the state also lost approximately 440 homes, which equates to over 31 square miles of families that have had their homes destroyed. While nothing can replace the lives lost in this tragedy, we want to do our small part in helping Kentucky residents that have been tremendously impacted.”
“We understand the urgency to assist those in peril and importance of getting our bottled water into their hands as quickly as possible,” CEO Lenny Greene said. “Many people had no advance warning of the floods, nor had any evacuation routes from the rising floodwaters. The people who reside there are proud patriots; in fact, Breathitt County is historically known as the only County in the United States to 100% volunteer for World War I and World War II.
“Mayor of Jackson, Laura Thomas, is working tirelessly to provide aid to citizens in distress, and her immediate action and resilient spirit is a testament to the Kentuckian strength. It is our hope that our donation is a catalyst for others to also support the eastern Kentucky region whose residents have suffered during this unimaginable calamity. Kentucky, we are here for you.”
Due to the overwhelming in-kind donations still being processed, volunteer organizations are asking for monetary donations to support the work being done in Breathitt County. Proceeds of donations to the Eastern Kentucky Flood Relief will go toward room and board for the volunteer teams and other relief efforts helping those impacted by the deadly flood.
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