After creating a buzz in the natural energy industry with the launch of the first-ever plant-based matcha energy drink, MatchaBar is announcing the expansion of the Hustle family that includes new flavors of the canned plant-based matcha energy and a brand new direct-to-consumer subscription model.
The just-announced Hustle family is a line of no sugar-added matcha energy drinks with real fruit juice, and includes 12-oz cans of Lemon & Lime, Peach and Mint with plans for expansion in the spring of 2020. This shift to positive, low-sugar energy positions MatchaBar, the natural energy category’s fastest-growing brand, as an ever-evolving player in what experts claim will be a $32 billion global natural energy drink market by 2025.
“Similar to what happened in the dairy industry with soy, almond and oat milks, it’s exciting to be at the forefront of our category as plant-based options disrupt the energy drink market,” said MatchaBar co-founder and president, Max Fortgang.
This rebrand and expansion of Hustle is accompanied once again by a celebrity-backed campaign called “New Decade, New Hustle” that celebrates embracing your Hustle, no matter what it might be. To spread the word, MatchaBar called upon their original MatchaFam—Artist of the Year Billie Eilish and Grammy-winning DJ, songwriter and producer Diplo—to ask what Hustle means to them in the new decade, simultaneously bringing a direct-to-consumer subscription model to market.
“I play 300 shows a year, and I’m always searching for clean, healthy sources of energy,” says Diplo. “Hustle keeps me creative through countless sleepless nights and long flights. Whether it’s headlining festivals with Major Lazer, playing a Diplo show in Nepal or bringing the party to Stagecoach, I’ve always got MatchaBar with me.”
“Your Hustle isn’t just your 9 to 5, it’s what makes you smile! People need energy to fuel their passion and energize their day-to-day, but also when it’s time to unwind and experience all that life has to offer,” said MatchaBar co-founder and CEO, Graham Fortgang. “We hope to redefine Hustle as the pursuit of happiness, reflecting our core values and mission to create a community powered by positivity.”
Additionally, MatchaBar is announcing a partnership with CHOOOSE to offset the carbon footprint of each Hustle can sold. MatchaBar—backed by angel investors such as Level One Fund and MAHR Projects—is subsidizing renewable energy projects so Hustle consumers can directly invest in a climate-positive lifestyle. For each Hustle can sold, consumers are offsetting the carbon equivalent of 35 plastic water bottles. MatchaBar is committed to reducing its climate impact and strongly believes your carbon footprint should be a consideration and cost of doing business.
“I am always supporting a plant-based lifestyle and MatchaBar’s commitment to offset the carbon footprint of every can is important to me,” said Billie Eilish. “My upcoming tour focuses on this, too. Every little decision helps our planet!”
The Hustle rebrand was designed and developed by global brand agency Jones Knowles Ritchie. “Hustle is all about good energy, and we created a brand that looks how the product makes you feel,” said Stephen McDavid, creative director at JKR. “In a world of performance and functional benefits we crafted a brand identity that makes you want to get up and get down—inspired by the rich world of funk music, an inclusive culture focused on positivity and self-expression.”
As always, MatchaBar sources its ceremonial grade matcha from their fifth-generation family farm partner in Kagoshima, Japan. The full Hustle line is available direct-to-consumer on MatchaBar’s website and can be found nationwide in Sprouts, Wegmans, Whole Foods and 1,500 CVS stories, with additional retailers to be announced in early 2020.
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Photo Credit: Joe Seer / Shutterstock.com