So it was hardly a surprise when, in 2011, big-shouldered rapper 50 Cent put his name and face behind his own energy drink called Street King.
But here’s where the story gets unusual. Emerging from an image makeover, the new and improved Street King—which has gone by SK Energy Shots since 2012—doesn’t prominently feature 50 Cent anymore. In fact, you’d be hard-pressed to know Curtis Jackson has anything to do with the brand now (though he’s still a part owner). Gone is his signature gold bling from the bottle; gone is his face from the homepage and the marketing. It’s a celebrity brand minus the celebrity. What gives?
“Curtis was supportive of this pivot,” said SK president Sabrina Peterson. “He never advocated that he needed to be on the packaging. It’s about making the product the hero, and going back to basics.”
The experience of SK suggests that while hip-hop’s famous names and faces can easily sell a range of products—clothing, liquor, snack food—they can’t sell everything, especially not in a category that’s become as controversial as energy drinks.