Nutrabolt’s C4 Energy drink brand is launching a new campaign featuring Kevin Hart which is designed to communicate the product’s ability to give a boost through a long day. The campaign (titled “Energy That Hits”) focuses on how Hart has to wear many hats as a comedian, father, actor, entrepreneur and fitness enthusiast throughout the day to the point where he needs to try and fit 29 hours of activity into 24 hours.
The energy drink category, which now generates more than $20 billion in revenue in the U.S. is highly competitive. In this context, the choice of Hart to endorse C4 Energy is an excellent one as he is a good match for the brand and has strong appeal to the core target audience.
Experts observe that finding the right talent for a celebrity endorsement who “matches” the brand is important to a campaign’s success. As many of today’s A-list celebrities, like Hart, are entrepreneurs in their own right, they are very selective in terms of the products they endorse and how it affects their own personal brand.
Hart clearly sees the match between himself and the brand and notes that he was already a customer before endorsing it. “C4 lined up because it was an authentic opportunity to attach myself to a brand I used anyway,” he says in an exclusive interivew. “I fell in love with the product when using it early in the morning at the gym and it was just something that helped give me that added boost that you need as a 4:30 AM or 5:00 AM riser.”
Hart and the company both view the endorsement as a partnership. Hart observes, “I remember I was using the powder and putting it in my drinks for a while and a friend of mine was actually with the brand and I said I would love to meet him and talk about the future of what we can do together because I naturally use it. Then I can find ways to align myself with products that I’m already a fan of and that I’m already 100 percent embedded in. I think that’s how you ultimately find success and great partnerships.”
Robert Zajac, Chief Marketing Officer of Nutrabolt concurs with the notion of partnership being important, stating, “We collaborated with Kevin Hart because he is the ultimate multihyphenate, and needs the energy to do it all, from comedian to businessman to fitness enthusiast. And we worked with Hartbeat Productions to get the most authentic and effective content possible.”
Hart was given input into the creative process and clearly values it as part of the partnership. “I love being a creative partner and think that’s the beauty of my relationship with C4,” he states. “It’s not just to smack my name on something and I walk away it’s collaborative ideating in order to do our best to find ways to tell the correct story that we want people to see and to get them to understand and identify with the brand and the meaning behind it. It’s a mutual understanding of partnership from me to them and them to me, so wow you’re very directly involved.”
In elaborating on his input into the ad, Hart relates that he wanted his own feelings about the brand to come across and it is clear that he put his own comedic touch on the ad. “The ‘Energy That Hits’ slogan for the brand means a lot to the guy who is very active in the gym at that 4:00 AM or 4:30 or 5:00 AM hour,” he says. “ You want to go in there and you want to get rid of the sluggish feeling that comes with that morning rise. C4 was the exact answer for me and the ad gets this across. It is a true bump in bonus energy for me so when I say that this campaign has energy it makes me laugh because it really does.”
A report issued by Mordor Intelligence projects continued growth with an estimated annual revenue increase of 7.6% per year from 2024-2029. Recent years have seen the core target market for energy drinks move from primarily athletes to young men aged 18-31 who are focusing on mental alertness throughout the day. It is easy to see how many in this target group can relate to Hart’s energy level and success in addition to his likeability.
Given the size of the category, it is not surprising that competition has become intense in this growing industry, with a wide array of drink, shot and mixer products being offered by companies including Red Bull, PepsiCo, Monster, Campbell’s and National Beverage Corporation. Many new flavors and versions of these products have been introduced and extensive focus is put on the specific benefits of the products in order to expand the market. With advertising and promotional expenditures rising in this competitive market, celebrity endorsements and sponsorships have become very important.
Zajac observes that C4 Energy has moved from a top-10 brand to a top-5 brand in the energy drink category. In addition to effective promotion, he cites a strategic partnership with Keurig Dr Pepper that has increased retail availability in addition to the work of the company’s sales team as driving this success.
In terms of category growth and positioning, Zajac notes, “We offer several key products under the C4 Energy umbrella that are uniquely positioned to meet consumer needs within the energy category, thus increasing both our distinction and our total addressable market. One of which is the incredible C4 Performance Energy in the iconic yellow can which this campaign is centered around.”
Regarding the “Energy That Hits” campaign, Zajac explains, “The main goal of C4’s newest campaign is to showcase that when the C4 hits, anything is possible! It’s great in the gym, and in the office and when you are vacuuming and when you are getting ready to go out. C4 delivers Energy That Hits whenever you need it.”
The campaign will include custom digital and social elements, as well as a targeted paid campaign with Hartbeat and Laugh Out Loud Network and distribution across premium CTV, Sports/Live Sports CTV, OLV, and display. The campaign is well conceived as is the partnership with Hart.
