Protein soda brand Proda is adding Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel as co-founders as the nascent company looks to enter the mainstream market.
Proda, founded earlier this year, has 10 grams of whey protein per 12-ounce serving. The beverage taps into growing consumer interest in protein but in a lighter format compared to traditional protein shakes.
Proda competes with other sparkling protein offerings on the market, including those from Premier Protein and C4 Energy. The soda brand is available at Sprouts Farmers Market, Amazon and through the brand’s e-commerce website.
As co-founders, Timberlake and Biel will assist with Proda’s creative strategy, flavor innovation, product development and cultural partnerships, according to a press release.
The sodas are sugar-free and available in seven flavors: Shirley Temple, strawberry lemonade, golden apple, cherry lime, lemon lime, classic orange and root beer.
Bringing on celebrity co-founders could help Proda stand out and attain its goal of entering more mainstream locations, such as club and grocery stores. Studies have shown customers are more willing to try something unfamiliar when a celebrity has endorsed the product.
Timberlake and Biel join co-founders and co-CEOs Jeff Church, who founded Suja Juice, and actor Matthew Postlethwaite. Proda also added Joey Gonzalez, executive chairman of global fitness brand Barry’s, as a co-founder, to bring operational scale and “fitness culture expertise” to the brand.
Nearly half of adults (48%) are actively seeking more protein in their diets, according to a recent report from Circana, up 7 percentage points from last year. The trend has caused many mainstream companies and upstarts to reformulate how much more protein they can fit in their products.
The beverage market has been conducive for protein innovation because the category already has an association with the nutrient thanks to protein shakes. The functional soda market also has been ripe for innovation, with mainstream soda makers buying better-for-you brands or innovating within their own portfolios. Another celebrity-backed brand, Stiller’s Soda, is marketed as filling a gap in the better-for-you soda market.
