Alex Cooper, host and creator of one of the world’s most popular podcasts, Call Her Daddy, is jumping into beverages with the launch of Unwell Hydration, a functional drinks line made in collaboration with Nestlé and set to roll out into Target stores next month.
Named for Cooper’s media business The Unwell Network, Unwell Hydration features three flavors – Strawberry, Mango Citrus and Orange Hibiscus – made with 700 mg of electrolytes, B vitamins and is “gently caffeinated” with green coffee extract. The drinks will be available in 16.9 oz. bottles with an SRP of $2.49 each, or for $14.99 per 8-pack. The brand will be exclusively available in Target and through Target’s website for several months before later expanding nationwide.
“Women are often expected to juggle multiple roles and be everything to everyone, which is why I wanted to create a hydration drink that helps replenish what we give out,” Cooper said in a press release. “Hydration, however, is a universal need, and that’s what truly matters — a drink that supports wellness for everyone, regardless of who you are.”
Speaking yesterday at the New York Times‘ DealBook Summit, Cooper said that Unwell Hydration is being produced with Nestlé, but the ownership structure of the brand wasn’t discussed.
During the on-stage discussion Wednesday, Cooper said she was looking for a consumer product that would appeal to women and which her listeners could integrate into their “Unwell lifestyle.”
“Every time I went to pick up an energy drink or any type of hydration drink, it’s all catered to men,” she said. “If you go on their Instagrams, the packaging is for men and a lot of time it has to do with high performance, like you have to be a professional athlete to drink this and it’s all made for men, by men, marketed to men.”
Although seemingly positioned more as a sports drink than an energy drink, Unwell Hydration launches as the energy category has been broadening its appeal with women in recent years via brands like Alani Nu and Celsius make broader strides with female consumers, while category leaders such as Monster have introduced products such as Reign Storm that seek to diverge from the aggro, hypermasculine branding that previously defined much of the category.
Cooper added during the session that she is “looking into all of the white spaces” in CPG categories and although she could be open to extending the Unwell brand into other sectors in the future, her focus for the foreseeable future is on the Hydration launch.
“When I met with Nestlé it made the most sense because I wanted to make sure the product was credible and absolutely I could get it into the most hands as possible,” she said.
Once crowned as “Gen-Z’s Barbara Walters”, Cooper’s Call Her Daddy was the second most listened to podcast globally on Spotify in 2022, behind only The Joe Rogan Experience, and it still ranks within Spotify’s top 25 most popular shows. In August, she entered a three-year, $125 million deal with SiriusXM to host not only Call Her Daddy, but The Unwell Network’s other current and future podcast projects, including the shows Hot Mess and Boyfriend Material.
Call Her Daddy also received a notable bump this election season after Vice President Kamala Harris sat down with Cooper for an interview in October.
While her name may be far less recognizable by older consumers, Cooper joins a growing list of celebrities popular with Gen Z who have entered the beverage game, including Logan Paul and KSI (Prime), Emma Chamberlain (Chamberlain Coffee) and “Nelk Boys” (Happy Dad hard seltzer).
BevNET has reached out to Unwell Hydration for additional comment.