• by Nina Lentini  @Nina_Lentini, July 18, 2018

There’s a new kid in town who’s looking to hustle its way to domination of the $22 billion energy drink market owned by Red Bull and Monster.

It’s name is MatchaBar and it has just launched Hustle, which it says is the first of its kind, a sparkling matcha energy drink in a 12-ounce can. In June, it hit Whole Foods Market’s shelves across the country. MatchaBar sources its exclusive blend of ceremonial grade matcha (tea) from a fifth-generation Japanese family farm. It is sold nationwide in Whole Foods Market as well as at other retailers.

Now, it is out with a social media campaign designed to introduce the product to friends of current users with a coupon for a free can sent via Facebook Messenger. A roster of celebrity partners appears in a MatchaBar digital video campaign on YouTube and Facebook, “Don’t Know the Hustle: A MatchaBar Story,” created by YouTube sensation Jack Coyne and takes part in the “GiftTheHustle” campaign.

The campaign leverages the access that Whole Foods Market as a distributor provides for the young brand, while encouraging taste-testing and generating retail sale opportunities for both MatchaBar and Whole Foods. 

The brand is banking on entertainment and consumer media placements because of the star power, which include producer and DJ Diplo and NFL Super Bowl MVP Von Miller. Golden Globe actor nominee Ansel Elgort, and young female pop icon Billie Eilish also join the MatchaBar team alongside platinum-selling recording artist Drake, whose involvement was announced last year. These celebrities join a long list of investors who aim to help brothers Max and Graham Fortgang bring a new category of energy drinks into the modern world.

The Fortgang family founded MatchaBar in 2014, planting their flag as the first matcha café in the country. MatchaBar's flagship is located in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. It also operates stores in Manhattan and Los Angeles.