Case Study: The Over Influencing of PRIME
- Christine Mackenzie
- Oct 8
- 5 min read
How KSI and Logan Paul turned a drink into a digital idol, and what happens when hype outpaces substance.
Launching a Legend
When Logan Paul and KSI two very popular YouTube stars, boxers, and provocateurs launched PRIME in early 2022, it seemed like a standard celebrity product. But their real gamble was far more calculated: they intended to use influence itself not as endorsement, but as the business and marketing infrastructure.
From day one, scarcity was baked in. Limited drops. Short supply. FOMO fueled by “sold out” signs. PRIME’s marketing felt less like beverage promotion and more like a spectacle of hype. It became a viral hit thanks to influencer power and artificial scarcity.¹
In its first year, PRIME claimed roughly $250 million in retail sales (and around $110 million in internal gross).² It wasn’t just a drink, it was a cult object. Such hypergrowth captured attention: beverage giants took notice, marketers dissected the launch playbook, and analysts asked the question the internet rarely does... is it sustainable?
The Engine: Influence as Infrastructure
Most celebrity products ride their founder’s fame for a brief burst. PRIME built its entire operating system out of its founders’ social media. Every tweet, vlog, boxing promo, or podcast segment doubled as a marketing asset.
The brand leveraged the creators’ combined audience in the tens of millions across their platforms to seed immediate demand.³ It amplified reach through celebrity endorsements (Kevin Durant, Erling Haaland), transforming a niche fandom into mainstream curiosity.⁴
Influencer stunts became part of the machine: videos of fans throwing empty bottles, fake “store raids,” and viral reaction clips blurred authenticity and strategy.⁵
Interactive displays in stores bridged digital hype with physical presence.⁶ Region-specific “drops” kept momentum high.⁷
Buying PRIME became less about hydration and more about identity, a so called badge of belonging. But identity is volatile currency.
Cracks in the Hype: Regulatory and Health Backlash
As influence soared, scrutiny followed. The same tools that fueled the rise exposed the cracks.
A. Caffeine and health concerns
PRIME Energy, the caffeinated variant, triggered major backlash in 2023 when Senator Chuck Schumer called it “a cauldron of caffeine” being marketed to kids.⁸ Schools began banning it; one can contained caffeine equivalent to six Coca-Colas.⁹
Logan Paul defended the drink, insisting it complied with FDA rules and was not aimed at minors.¹⁰
B. Ingredient lawsuits
Soon came class-action suits alleging misleading claims about caffeine and PFAS (“forever chemicals”).¹¹ One suit claimed certain flavors exceeded safe limits which is a serious issue in the world of consumer safety.¹²
C. Legal and trademark battles
The U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee sued PRIME for using Olympic imagery in marketing with Kevin Durant, implying endorsement without authorization.¹³ It highlighted a pattern: chasing legitimacy in athletic spaces while testing legal boundaries.
D. Declining performance
By 2024, cracks turned to collapse. In the UK, sales fell about 70 percent from £112 million in 2023 to £33 million in 2024.¹⁴In the U.S., sales reportedly dropped nearly 40 percent during the same period as buzz faded.¹⁵
Manufacturing partner Refresco filed a $68 million suit, alleging PRIME defaulted on purchase agreements.¹⁶
The message: hype can launch a brand, but only substance sustains one.
The Branding Paradox: When Marketing Outpaces Product
Marketing can be rocket fuel, or an accelerant for implosion. Critics argued PRIME’s flavor and formula didn’t justify its elevated image. When consumers realized the drink offered no functional edge over established sports beverages, fascination gave way to fatigue.
With “over-influencing,” every misstep magnifies. A viral complaint can counteract a million-dollar campaign. Fans who bought into authenticity feel betrayed when stunts seem scripted.
Gen Z’s relationship with brands is intensely emotional and fleeting. The same demographic that anoints a brand today will meme it into irrelevance tomorrow. PRIME, built for velocity, wasn’t built for endurance.
The Audience’s Role: Identity, FOMO and Social Proof
PRIME’s ascent was powered by human psychology as much as marketing.
Social proof loops: Every unboxing video, sold-out sign, and restock frenzy amplified desirability.
Peer signaling: Kids and teens used the bottle itself as status. Owning one, even empty, meant belonging.¹⁷
Resale culture: Limited-edition flavors sold online for multiples of retail price.¹⁸
Co-creation: Fans speculated on flavors, decoded teasers, and spread micro-rumors, keeping engagement perpetual.
It was masterful behavioral design, until novelty wore off. When hype becomes habit, desire turns to fatigue.
What Went Wrong with Prime Influencing and What’s Next?
A. The Hype Ceiling
Influencer energy has a half-life. Once the audience senses overexposure, engagement nosedives. Sustained success requires operational depth, not just charisma.
B. Regulatory Drag
Labeling, caffeine limits, chemical compliance, trademark boundaries, all routine hurdles for traditional beverage companies but became existential risks for a creator-led brand.
C. Supply Chain Mismatch
The Refresco lawsuit showed the classic pitfall: scaling hype faster than production.¹⁶ Demand spikes mean little if supply collapses.
D. Market Maturation
Youth culture rotates faster than corporate planning. Once mainstream press covered Prime bans and lawsuits, the rebellion factor vanished.
E. Brand Repositioning
To survive, PRIME must evolve from influencer stunt to credible consumer brand — focusing on taste, transparency, and long-term trust.
Lessons & Takeaways for Brands:
Influence accelerates, it doesn’t sustain. Hype is ignition, not infrastructure.
Embed value early. Product and compliance must precede virality.
Anticipate scrutiny. Targeting minors ensures regulatory attention.
Control the throttle. Manufactured scarcity drives initial frenzy but breeds expectation.
Shift narrative ownership. Move from personality to product quality.
Diversify trust. Don’t let founders be the brand’s only credibility source.
Final Reflection
PRIME’s story is more than a cautionary tale, it’s a mirror for the influencer economy itself. In a world where visibility masquerades as value, brands can skyrocket overnight and unravel just as quickly.
The Over Influencing of PRIME reminds us: hype is the sugar rush of modern commerce, intoxicating, profitable, and unsustainable.
One day, the noise fades. What remains determines if the brand was ever real.
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Sources & Notes
Fortune, “The Rise and Fall of Logan Paul’s Prime Energy Drink,” 2024.
Soar With Us, “Prime’s $250 Million Launch Analysis,” 2023.
KnowHow Marketing, “Prime Hydration and $1.2 Billion Sales,” 2024.
KnowHow Marketing, “Endorsement Strategy Overview,” 2024.
WIRED, “Congo Brands and the Prime Playbook,” 2024.
MetroClick, “PRIME Hydration Leverages Interactive Displays,” n.d.
NoGood Agency, “Prime Marketing Strategy: Viral Growth Model,” 2023.
Delish, “Prime Energy Drink Backlash Over Its High Caffeine Content,” 2023.
Delish, ibid., section on caffeine equivalents.
ABC News, “Logan Paul Responds to Safety Claims,” 2023.
Fox Business, “Prime Hydration Sued Over Caffeine Content,” 2024.
WIRED, “PFAS Claims and Product Testing,” 2024.
Reuters, “U.S. Olympic Committee Sues Logan Paul’s Beverage Company,” 2024.
The Times (UK), “Sales of Logan Paul’s Prime Drink Slump as ‘Hyper-Growth’ Ends,” 2025.
Business Insider, “Prime Sales Plummet in Key Markets,” 2025.
New York Post, “Prime Hit with $68 Million Suit for Manufacturing Breach,” 2024.
Wikipedia, “Prime (Drink)” — section on school bans and resale culture.
Soar With Us, “Prime Secondary Market Analysis,” 2024.
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