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It has been over three years since the Hailey Bieber smoothie launched at Erewhon’s famous Tonic Bar, and in the time since, brands including Dove, Brooklinen, Heinz Ketchup and Vacation sunscreen have put their own spins on branded beverages. Countless other influencers, celebs and models have done the same, with businesses including Erewhon, of course, but also Pressed Juicery, Juice Press, Butterfield Market and SunLife Organics, among many others. Just Thursday, Makeup By Mario introduced Mario’s SurrealSkin Latte at both locations of Los Angeles’s Dialog Café. And while most of the brands Glossy spoke to for this story acknowledged that the trend has become somewhat saturated, all seemed eager to participate.
For some wellness brands, like Cowboy Colostrum, partnering on smoothies, beverages and, most recently, a protein bowl — at Pressed Juicery — has been key to growth. Cowboy Colostrum launched in January 2024 and, just a month later, was included as an ingredient in Sofia Richie Grainge’s Sweet Cherry Smoothie at Erewhon. At Erewhon, brands pay to be on the ingredient list in a smoothie, and Cowboy Colostrum co-founder Jessy Shenfeld called the investment “probably the best marketing dollars we’ve ever spent.” According to an off-the-record source, Erewhon charges approximately $40,000 for smoothie participation, and featured brands must be sold in its stores.
The Richie Grainge smoothie, available from February 19 to March 19 of 2024, sold over 15,000 units. In the same period, Cowboy Colostrum did just under 700 orders, up 120% from the previous month. Then, from March 19 to April 19, it grew another 120%. “It’s hard not to credit Erewhon for a big part of our early momentum,” Shenfeld said.
This summer, Cowboy Colostrum worked with Pura Vida on a Strawberry Matcha, available at all 36 of the fast-casual health food spot’s locations. Originally slated just for the month of June, the drink “was flying,” Shenfeld said. “Within a week, Pura Vida decided to keep it on the menu all summer. They ended up selling over 30,000 Strawberry Matchas.”
Now, with the Cowboy Colostrum Bowl, Pressed will help the brand reach a whole new level of awareness. The brand will be showcased on decals in the windows of the juice and smoothie chain, which has over 100 locations across 10 states. Having a “real-life presence” helps people understand that a brand is more than just something they’re being “pushed on Instagram,” said co-founder Steph Stoikos, “You can kind of feel that there are real humans behind the brand, running it.”
The Absorption Company brand, which sells powdered supplements designed to achieve specific wellness benefits (think: Sleep, Calm, Energy), just relaunched the Calm Down smoothie, first available in March, with the smoothie shop SunLife Organics. In March, the brand had slightly different goals than it does now, said Grace Verrill, The Absorption Company’s vp of marketing. Then, the goal was customer acquisition, while today, it’s about driving awareness. The brand counts Ian Somerhalder (25.3 million Instagram followers), the actor known for his work on “Lost” and “The Vampire Diaries,” and wife Nikki Reed (3.9 million Instagram followers), known for the “Twilight” movies, as two of its four co-founders. On October 6, Somerhalder hosted an event at SunLife’s USC location, attracting over 350 customers to try The Calm Down smoothie.
Of course, for all of these partnerships, the opportunity to social-share is part of the draw for consumers. As Shenfeld put it, “[With] the Hailey Bieber smoothie, it’s half the reason you go get it: so you can share it on your social to show that you tried it and were there.”
The limited-edition nature of these collaborations also helps get feet in the door, said Euan Franco, operations and brand manager at SunLife Organics. “We market [each partnership] as only available until the month ends,” he said.
In March, Verrill said, The Absorption Company’s social engagement increased 25%, its social impressions increased 11%, and sales of its Calm supplement to new customers spiked by 6%, all compared to the month prior. The brand also saw an uptick in organic traffic to its e-commerce site, as well as in clicks and conversions. The smoothies sold in March featured a QR code that took customers to the brand’s website. (This month, they do not.) Those who purchased via the QR code had a higher lifetime value than customers acquired through other channels, Verrill said. The brand does not pay SunLife to partner; rather, it is a mutually beneficial partnership, with SunLife benefitting from Somerhalder and Reed promoting the smoothie.
For his part, Franco said he looks for brands that are willing to co-market their partnerships. “Collab posts on Instagram are a big thing. That’s kind of a requirement for me, in order to proceed with a collab. We’re still trying to build our social presence, so it’s a good way to get new eyes on SunLife,” he said. SunLife has 97,000 followers on Instagram; The Absorption Company has 232,000. To date, Franco noted that The Absorption Company has been the smoothie chain’s second-most successful collaboration, only trailing a collaboration with the jewelry brand Kendra Scott.
As for the aforementioned Makeup By Mario latte, it was designed to promote the makeup brand’s September 4 launch of its SurrealSkin Natural Finish Foundation. “The product has the same color scheme as your favorite latte,” said Oskar Chabrowski, Makeup By Mario’s CMO, adding, “We believe in craftsmanship. We believe in artistry. We believe in formulations. We put so much heart into our cosmetic formulas, [and so does] Dialog Cafe, into their coffee [recipes] and their food [recipes].”
Furthermore, as a New York-based brand, the partnership gave Makeup by Mario the opportunity to further tap into its L.A. community. The latte itself uses Vital Proteins Skin Complex, infusing the beverage with collagen peptides and vitamin C, and providing a link between the foundation and the beverage — the foundation also contains skin care-forward ingredients.
For a limited time, Dialog Cafe customers will receive Makeup by Mario’s mini Soft Pop Blush Stick (a $16 value) with the purchase of the $7 latte. Makeup by Mario is aiming to drive Dialog customers to Sephora to get shade-matched for the new foundation. Customers who buy the new foundation at Sephora’s Century City, Beverly Drive, Americana or The Grove location will then receive another freebie. To measure the success of the new partnership, Makeup by Mario will examine its earned media value, as well as the number of people who go to Sephora and get shade-matched.
Collaborating on a latte also accomplishes bringing the brand into the lifestyle space, said Jenna Frankel, Makeup By Mario’s senior director of global marketing. “Dialog naturally brings the trend-savvy customer and the active customer into [Makeup By Mario’s] space — this is [a customer] who’s looking for a healthy balance,” she said, noting that Dialog’s second location is inside a Los Angeles Equinox.
Such collaborations show no signs of slowing down. Still, that doesn’t mean marketers aren’t thinking about what comes next. “There’s going to be something after the smoothie, and we are going to be the ones to figure out what that next thing is,” Verrill said. “What is the next experience that we want people to have, and how do we do it to push our mission forward? But also, how do we do it so that it garners attention?”
Week in review
Pop-up of the week
Underneath its Nolita store, San Francisco-based Marine Layer has opened the Patch Bar, where customers can choose from a wide variety of patches to customize cashmere sweaters and the brand’s new Cloud 9 collection of sweats. It will be open through January.
“The goal of the Patch Bar is pretty simple: Use this space to build lasting, authentic relationships with our NYC customers. By helping our customers create their new favorite and personalized goods, we can drive brand awareness and brand equity, and hopefully increase customer lifetime value,” said Marine Layer CMO Renee Lopes Halvorsen.
“We’re excited to do this now because, in an increasingly digital, AI-driven era, taking the time to customize something tactile, fun and personal has more meaning than ever,” she said. The brand will also use the space to host comedy, music and cocktail-themed events for its community.
Collabs of the week
RMS x Hart
Makeup brand RMS has partnered with jewelry brand Hart, both Charleston-based brands, on a lip and cheek tint-filled locket, as holiday gifting season ramps up.
“This collaboration honors beauty and jewelry as deeply personal acts of self-expression,” said Elaine Sack, RMS’s chief strategic officer. On the inside, the locket is engraved with the mantra “carpe diem,” reminding users to “embrace joy, boldness and presence wherever you go.”
To celebrate, RMS and Hart will co-host a takeover at a Charleston coffee shop, The Daily, “complete with custom-branded touches and a red carpet that connects The Daily to Hart’s flagship store on King Street,” Sack said. Founders Rose-Marie Swift and Hart Hagerty will welcome local tastemakers, VIP creators and members of the Charleston community who have supported both brands. A second activation will follow at Hart’s boutique in Nashville. The collaborative product is being sold on both brands’ websites for $175 when purchased on a red cord or $250 on a gold chain.
Coco Schiffer x Ring Concierge
On Wednesday, the fine-jewelry brand Ring Concierge introduced a seven-piece jewelry collection with stylist Coco Schiffer. “I’ve always admired how jewelry can completely transform a look and tell a story about the person wearing it,” said Nicole Wegman, CEO of Ring Concierge, referencing the collection’s modern silver shapes, pearls and black tassels.
“We wanted to create pieces that feel bold and expressive, yet effortless enough to wear every day,” Wegman said. “This collaboration is such a fun way to merge our shared love for maximalist styling with the [Ring Concierge’s] timeless craftsmanship, and connect with both longtime fans and a new audience discovering the brand for the first time.” The collection is available on Ring Concierge’s website, with pieces priced $128-$498.
Naadam x Olivia Culpo
Naadam, known for its more-affordable cashmere, introduced a 14-piece cashmere collection with mega-influencer Olivia Culpo (5.5 million Instagram followers). “Olivia was a natural fit for Naadam,” said Lydia Feniger, vp of marketing at Naadam. “She’s a millennial woman with a real love for cashmere, she lives life on the go, and her audience mirrors our core customer. Our goal is to reach more people who align with the brand through pieces that reflect how she actually lives.” The collection is available on the brand’s DTC site; prices range from $138-$458.
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