• by Les Luchter , March 25, 2024

Bringing the appeal of anime to the sports nutrition category, eight-year-old brand Bucked Up has created its own “Fruit of Gainz” universe, giving alternate identities -- and individual characters -- to five pre-workout formulas and two other supplements. In place of its usual imagery of a buck’s antlers, the products now feature images of such characters as Pump Ocalypse and Mother NBucker – although each is adorned with antlers.

The anime line, under the limited-edition monikers of Yuzu Peach and Ninja Nectar, has launched online; at Bucked Up’s 11 retail stores, located in Utah and Idaho and in its Patriot Gym in North Carolina; and nationwide at Gold's Gyms and other 24hr Fitness centers.

 “With a positive response, we aspire to extend its [the anime line’s] availability and eventually introduce it to larger chains such as Walmart, GNC, Vitamin Shoppe, and beyond,” Bucked Up CEO Ryan Gardner tells Marketing Daily. Those chains currently account for about 80% of Bucked Up’s sales, he says.

“Our aim is to captivate fans, inspiring them to eagerly collect all the characters," Gardner explains. And going beyond pre-workout and supplement powders, Bucked Up, which considers itself a lifestyle as well as a sports nutrition brand, has also launched T-shirts and sweatpants featuring the anime characters in its online store.

Bucked Up is supporting the launch of its anime line with a dedicated landing page; paid ads on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok; and an introductory video telling “Fruit of Gainz’s” origin story. Other videos will follow this summer, telling the storylines of the seven individual characters, Gardner reveals.

"We launched the anime-themed line to bridge the world of anime with the passionate fitness community,” Gardner said in a press statement. "Anime has inspired individuals with its themes of perseverance, transformation, and the pursuit of excellence. This line is our way to motivate all consumers to push beyond their limits."

Bucked Up is handling all content and marketing for its anime line in-house.