Scott Van den Berg on LinkedIn: When 50 Cent partnered with Vitamin Water to endorse the brand, he didn’t… | 42 comments (2024)

Lewis Hamilton didn’t win today’s F1 race but he is winning off the race track. Last week, it was announced that Pernod Ricard had acquired a minority stake in Lewis Hamilton’s non-alcoholic agave brand ALMAVE.Tequila has always been Lewis Hamilton’s drink of choice. But he wanted an alternative that allowed him to live a busy life without restraint. He quickly realized there was a gap in the market and joined forces with Casa Lumbre, a best-in-class Mexican spirits innovator, to create an authentic product that follows and respects the traditional process and craftsmanship of tequila in a non-alcoholic form. It led to the launch of ALMAVE in 2023, a non-alcoholic agave.Like tequila, Almave is made from the same raw materials in the same part of Mexico, but it skips the fermentation process, turning the liquid into alcohol. It allows drinkers to enjoy tequila’s fresh and distinct agave taste and character without alcohol. This also fits Hamilton’s lifestyle, as the Seven-Time Formula One™ World Champion can’t be drinking and driving. Last week, Pernod Ricard announced that it had acquired a minority stake in Almave, aiming to take the brand to “several markets” globally.Pernod Ricard is a worldwide leader in the spirits and wine industry. It blends traditional craftsmanship, state-of-the-art brand development, and global distribution technologies. Their portfolio includes Absolut vodka, Royal Salute, Jameson Irish whiskey, Havana Club rum, and many more. Hamilton said: “It’s exciting that Pernod Ricard has, today, become an official stakeholder in Almave, allowing us to unleash the potential of the next stage of our journey and help take Almave to even more people worldwide.”“Agave is a highly sought-after category worldwide,” Pernod Ricard chairman and CEO Alexandre Ricard said. “Having a non-alc proposition in our premium portfolio that pays full tribute to the craft and savoir-faire of its traditional distillation makes it a true gem. I’m very excited to see Pernod Ricard support the development and fulfill the true potential of Almave.”While Hamilton is nearing the end of his Formula One career, he is already embarking on new journeys. Besides launching his brands, he is also an investor in several other startups.Do you think he can win one more Formula One title at Ferrari?

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Alani, founded by influencer Katy Hearn, is currently the #4 energy drink on the market. Alani is a better-for-you health and wellness brand focused on providing low-calorie products with unique flavors. Alani offers a range of products, including energy drinks, daily essentials, on-the-go snacks, and more. It was founded in 2018 by entrepreneur, trainer, and influencer Katy Hearn.A couple of years later, it’s already the #4 energy drink on the market, showing once again the power of creator-founded brands. Congo Brands is its operating partner. It is also behind Prime, which was co-founded by YouTubers KSI and Logan Paul. Recently, Alani also partnered with Kim Kardashian to launch a limited edition flavor. Interested in angel investing in brands founded by celebrities and influencers?You can do so now via CELEB VC. Apply here: https://lnkd.in/eXdGzMYZAccredited investors only.

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Last year, creator Sarah Renae Clark earned $2.6 million by creating content about coloring. In this week’s newsletter, Jordan Wolfe and I discussed how she started, where she is right now, and what other creators can learn from her. Clark is a great example of a creator who has built a strong, engaged community by tapping into a deep human desire to be creative. Which creator should we break down next? Let us know in the comments. Also make sure to subscribe! https://lnkd.in/eaq8PW2q

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Selena Gomez is officially a Billionaire, mainly because she founded Rare Beauty 5 years ago. The 32-year-old was estimated to have a net worth of $1.3 billion by Bloomberg 💰.While her various endeavors in acting and singing have made her wealthy, her brand, Rare Beauty, brought in the vast bulk of her wealth. In fact, it brought in 81,4% of her wealth. Gomez founded the makeup brand Rare Beauty in 2019 💄.The company offers makeup made to feel good. Think of vegan & cruelty-free makeup products.The brand reportedly made $400M in sales in the last 12 months and is currently seeking a large investment or acquisition at a valuation of $2 billion 🤑. That means that she owns about 50% of the company. Gomez’s other income streams include her mental health platform, Wondermind, and earnings from music, acting, properties, and brand partnerships. The wealthiest artists don’t get rich through music but instead use their popularity to build their own consumer brands. This is not only the case for artists but basically for every influential person. 🎤 Rihanna’s net worth is $1.7 billion, of which $1.4 billion comes from her equity stake in the beauty brand Fenty and the lingerie brand Fenty X Savage. 🎾 Federer’s net worth increased by $90 million in 2022, although he played no competitive tennis matches. The bulk of this increase came from his equity stake in footwear company On, now valued at $300 million. 🎥 Jessica Alba’s net worth is $400 million, although she only made $40 million from acting, which gave her influence. She used this influence to build The Honest Company and her equity stake is now valued at $150m. Performing (in sports, movies, or on stage) brought in just a fraction of their wealth. Company building brought in the vast bulk of their wealth. And these won’t be the last successful celebrity-founded brands.Many celebrities and creators are now thinking about starting their own companies after seeing the successes of their peers. As an investor in multiple celebrity-/creator-founded brands, I might be biased. However, I genuinely believe the next generation of iconic consumer brands will be founded by celebrities and creators. Interested in co-investing with me in celebrity-founded brands? You can do so now via CELEB VC. Apply here: https://lnkd.in/eXdGzMYZAccredited investors only.

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Not all celebrity-founded brands are successful. Like any other brand, some celebrity-founded concepts are finding that their initial vision is too complex to execute, or isn’t gaining the traction they hoped. Still, others are finding that they have to adapt to new consumer behavior years after they launch. Think of Mr.Beast’s Feastables, which pivoted the formulation of his products to be less ‘better-for-you’, his original value proposition. Or market conditions suddenly being changed. Think of Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard’s Hello Bello, which started off successfully doing over $100M in revenue. But eventually had to file for bankruptcy as a result of the increased shipping and production costs. That’s why often, similar to traditional brands, celebrity-founded brands have to pivot or relaunch. Just because the brand has a celebrity on board doesn’t instantly mean it will succeed. It has to find product-market fit. That’s why they often have to pivot or relaunch in a way similar to traditional brands. https://lnkd.in/evqJu7t3

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Jake Paul's Betr is killing it. Within two years, they achieved some amazing results (see picture). It's a great example of celebrity-product-market-fit. Congrats to Joey Levy and the whole team.

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Tennis Player Sloane Stephens just launched Doc & Glo, a body care brand. As an athlete,Stephens has tried many body care products. To be exact, the tennis champion, who has a Grand Slam title to her name, has spent 15 years testing the latest in beauty and wellness. It's alonglist of rituals that includes multistep "everything showers," red light therapy, dry brushing, cold plunges, saunas and cryotherapy— all of which she's done to help her body recover after rigorous days of traveling, training and competing.However, Stephens admits that her complex routine was actually devoid of the most “basic" yet necessary steps. So, she created her own products to fill those holes, which is how Doc & Glo was born. Doc & Glo is a personal care brand for active individuals who want tofeel confident, fresh, and clean wherever their busy lives may take them.“This has been four years in the making,” Stephens said. “Making custom formulations, everything from scratch, was a process. I didn't want to rush anything. It was very much my passion project: beauty has always been something I've been really passionate about.”Sustainability is a big part of Doc & Glo’s branding, too. Stephens assures she and her team were "not wasteful queens." Beyond production (during which imperfect formulas were improved upon for use rather than tossed out), Stephens also made sure to house her products in refillable units and reusable packing so shoppers could restock their stash responsibly. “Single-use plastic is out,” she adds. Stephens is on a mission to create high-quality essentials that move with you as you balance the daily ‘hustle and grind’ with the ease to ‘move with intention’ so you can feel empowered when prioritizing self-care & find purpose in the ways you confidently choose to move through the world.Recently, tennis legend Serena Williams also created her own personal care brand WYN. I am curious how Stephens can compete with WYN and other brands.

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Grace Beverley just raised $2M for her new company Retrograde, an AI-powered talent agent in your pocket. It’s on a mission to democratize the creator industry using AI, helping all creators - no matter their size - earn more from their work. Retrograde offers creators a world-class AI agent aimed to support content creators witha world-class 24/7 AI talent agent accessible to creators of any size, anywhere. The AI is capable of managing brand deals from end to end, giving creators a viable alternative to working with a talent management agency. Congrats, jake browne, Gary Meehan, and Grace Beverley. This is not the first time Beverley has raised capital for a startup. Previously, she raised over $10M for TALA, the activewear brand she founded in 2019. It’s exciting to see creators and celebrities building brands on top of their audience. It started with subpar products in oversaturated markets. Slowly, however, we see more and more talents looking at building meaningful companies and solving real customer problems. But as an investor in celebrity- & creator-founded brands, I might be a bit biased 😜 . https://lnkd.in/eFHfzNyN

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A big thank you to the LinkedIn team for finally allowing us to edit our scheduled posts. I've been praying for this feature for a long time 😂 🙏

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Actors Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley just raised a $5M funding round for their whiskey brand, Brother’s Bond Bourbon. Brother's Bond Bourbon is a bourbon line created in 2021 by actors Paul Wesley and Ian Somerhalder, who starred in “The Vampire Diaries,.” “Our friendship’s true bond strengthened while drinking bourbon, both on and off-screen, for over a decade. Brother’s Bond is a nod to our on-screen characters, our shared love for great bourbon, and a reflection of the brotherhood we have formed over the years.”The award-winning bourbon not only tastes delicious, it helps the environment too. Part of the proceeds go to regenerative agriculture and reversing climate change. Somerhalder, who is a UN Environmental Programme Goodwill Ambassador, has been connected to nature his whole life. Raised exploring the unique outdoors of Louisiana, Somerhalder’s parents instilled the importance of caring for the environment at an early age.In 2010, the actor launched the Ian Somerhalder Foundation, which aims to conserve natural resources by advancing science. With Brother’s Bond Bourbon, he can combine his passion for the environment and bourbon. So - great celebrity-product-market-fit if you ask me. From day 1, people seem to love Brother’s Bond bourbon. In its first four months, the brand shipped 50,000 cases, making it the fastest-selling bourbon brand in the world. Brother’s Bond Bourbon is also the most followed alcohol brand on Instagram, with over 1.58 million followers. Last week, they announced that they had raised $5M in fresh funding to continue growing the brand in the US and expand to other parts of the world, such as Europe and Asia.

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