Robert Downey Jr. starts a coffee brand
Happy takes advantage of the mental wellness movement to sell to those who are looking for a lift without the need for rehab.
Hollywood A-lister, Robert Downey Jr., is now a coffee mogul. He along with a partner have founded a brand called Happy.
Over the past few years there have been a queue of celebs that have gotten themselves into alcohol. Ryan Reynolds (Aviation Gin), Snoop Dogg (INDOGGO Gin), George Clooney (Casamigos Tequila) etc etc - the list is long and the trend is tired.
But alcohol in so may ways is hugely problematic. It's expensive, it's addictive, it's bad for your health and is a nightmare of a product to successfully commercialise.
Especially for celebrities that have a public history of substance addiction - like Robert Downey Jr.; coffee and the reimagining of coffee seems like a nice forward-orientated fit.
As far as we can tell, the brand is focusing on selling tubs of ground coffee, beans, pods, instant granules, RTDs - all for the make-it-at-home-yourself-you-lazy-sod marketplace. Also the packaging's resemblance to a pharmaceutical-product is both weirdly odd and ironic (considering the name...and the founder) and maybe remarkable?
Product itself looks 'different', has been ethically-sourced and is roasted to make you happy, not necessarily buzzed.
Coffee might seem like a category that is over-saturated, but in so many ways there is a well-worn recipe for brand building that most incumbents follow that is just begging for some creative reimagining by those who are more open to experimentation and winning. Especially in Southern Africa, we haven't even seen the start of coffee culture revolution in this region as yet. The runway for this category is jam-packed with opportunity.
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Jon Cherry
Jon Cherry
Jon Cherry