THE DROP
Insights, launches, and strategy from inside the creator economy.
NOTES FROM THE EDITOR
This week, we’re doing something a little different.
Instead of highlighting what’s working in the creator economy, we’re breaking down a brand that’s stumbled — hard. Prime Hydration, once the undisputed king of influencer brands, saw its sales drop more than 70% in a single year.
We wanted to slow down this week and zoom in. No fluff, just one deep dive into what went wrong, what we can learn, and what it means for anyone building a brand in the creator economy.
Sometimes the best insights come from the stumbles.
Let’s get into it.
☕ Solo Story
🥤The Downfall of an Empire - Prime Hydration
How did Prime Hydration go from the kingpin of influencer brands to losing 70% of its sales in just one year?
If you don’t know what Prime is, we’ll assume you’ve been living under a rock. But since it’s our job to keep you informed, here’s a quick refresher: Prime is the energy drink brand co-founded by Logan Paul and KSI that shot into the $1B club almost overnight. Kids were lining up at 5 a.m. Bottles were flipping on eBay for 10x retail. Even parents knew what it was.
But in 2025, is Prime still the dominant influencer brand it once was?
A recent headline caught our eye: Prime’s sales have plummeted by over 70%. As a company that closely follows the world of influencer-led brands, even we were surprised. Prime was the dominant name in the influencer space. So what went wrong? Our goal in this newsletter is to give aspiring creators actionable takeaways they can apply to building their own brands.
The Initial Hype:
When Prime launched in 2022, there was crazy hype behind the brand. They used scarcity-driven marketing tactics to drive up demand and create chaos among consumers. With stunts like a WWE boxing appearance where Logan Paul wore a life-size Prime bottle costume, or when Logan and KSI surprised schools with free crates of Prime, the duo went on a marketing tour, and it worked. Prime has been one of the best initial influencer brand drops of all time.
The Downfall:
As much hype as the duo brought to Prime’s launch, just two years later the momentum has hit a wall. In the UK alone, sales dropped from $153 million in 2023 to just $45 million in 2024—a staggering decline for a brand once considered unstoppable. And if early signals are any indication, 2025 isn’t looking any brighter.
So what exactly happened to Prime that brought it down from stardom?