Russell Wilson, AJ Vaynerchuk Team Up On Hydration Beverage Local Weather

NFL quarterback Russell Wilson and digital media guru AJ Vaynerchuk have teamed to enter the RTD beverage market with the launch of Local Weather, a NFT-powered, nootropic-boosted hydration drink brand aimed at Gen Z consumers.

The new venture hopes to capture a piece of the nearly $9 billion sports drink market, a space that has largely been consolidated around leading players PepsiCo (Gatorade) and Coca-Cola (BodyArmor/PowerAde), each of which have sought to develop next-gen products under those banners that can play across various hydration occasions and functional need states.

Local Weather follows a similar playbook: using the tagline “Mind & Body Hydration,” the drinks feature coconut water for hydration and pink Himalayan sea salt for electrolytes, plus ashwagandha, L-theanine and L-tyrosine to “support mental stamina, focus and performance.” The line will launch in 16 oz. aluminum bottles in four flavors: Fruit Punch, Orange Clementine, Mango Passionfruit and Wildberry.

“Throughout my career I’ve found the high-sugar and artificial sports drinks we all know prevent me from achieving my best,” Wilson said in a press release. “As a professional athlete and father, I truly believe we owe it to the next generation to provide a better option that suits their performance needs and speaks to their creative pursuits. It’s time to start a new conversation and change the dialogue around sports hydration forever.”

The pairing of Super Bowl-winning quarterback Wilson, and Vaynerchuk, co-founder of digital media group VaynerMedia and current head of sports agency VaynerSports, gives Local Weather a larger-than-average platform to start building the brand. While Wilson brings the athletic credentials, Vaynerchuk is leveraging his track record in social media and Web3: in May Local Weather will launch a limited number of NFTs that will grant holders access to perks — including exclusive access to a forthcoming fifth flavor — that will be outlined via a roadmap on the brand’s website sometime in April.

Otherwise, details on the product itself — including pricing, nutrition facts and availability — will all be announced via Discord and other social channels “at a later date,” according to a spokesperson for the brand.

“From the very beginning, our goal has been to approach this product differently,” said Vaynerchuk. “We wanted to create a space for everyone to express different opinions and creativity, and most importantly, to center ourselves around a community. The NFT component coupled with our social channels will allow us to craft something everyone needs, desires and loves. We’re here to change the game. Period.”

Wilson has previous experience in the hydration category through an investment in now-defunct functional water brand Reliant Recovery Water.