Dive Brief:
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Nutrabolt’s C4 brand is partnering with Hershey on a line of energy drinks and protein powders that include several of the confection giant’s popular brands. Nutrabolt is licensing the brands from Hershey.
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A Bubble Yum pre-workout powder will be introduced this month, along with canned energy drinks based on three Jolly Rancher flavors: Blue Raspberry, Green Apple and Watermelon. In October, the collaboration will expand to include C4 protein powders in Hershey’s Milk Chocolate and Reese’s Peanut Butter. New products will roll out this fall with additions planned for 2025 and beyond.
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The launches come as energy drink makers look for ways to stand out in the $19 billion category dominated by Red Bull, Monster and Celsius.
Dive Insight:
Hershey’s longevity and the popularity of its confection brands have led to partnerships with companies making everything from milk and cookies to cereal and frozen desserts. For those businesses that license one or more Hershey brands, they get a respected name and familiar flavor profile that is instantly recognizable to consumers.
“For years, users have been mixing their own peanut butter and chocolate protein shakes, and we’ve frequently heard requests for a Jolly Rancher candy flavored C4,” Doss Cunningham, Nutrabolt’s CEO, said in a statement. “This launch is particularly meaningful as we continue to deliver the best tasting and top performing products on the market.”
In the case of protein powders, they have long been associated with unpleasant flavors or bad aftertastes. By incorporating Hershey’s or Reese’s into its new powders, the chocolate and peanut butter flavors could make the product more enticing for shoppers since they know what to expect. This could encourage people to try a product they might have passed on before. It also has the added benefit of helping C4 attract additional consumers to its portfolio, most notably its energy drinks.
Cunningham told CNN that energy drinks, which are most often bought by millennial and Gen Z customers, have “a lot of affinity” with Hershey’s products. He added that the partnership allows him to “tap into these brands that are more than 125 years old and are very nostalgic.”
C4 is no stranger to bringing sweets to its energy drinks. It has previously incorporated fruit-forward brands Popsicle, Skittles and Starburst into the beverage.
For Hershey, the powders and drinks offer yet another way to promote its iconic products, participate in a category not associated with its brands and connect with a category that has a better-for-you halo attached to it.
“We are constantly seeking new ways to introduce our adored Hershey candy and chocolate treats in innovative formats,” said Andy Paladino, director of global licensing with Hershey. “These new beverages and powders sweeten the performance category for athletes and fitness enthusiasts to achieve their best.”
