Backed by Bradley Martyn, the new PRIME Protein range delivers 32g of protein per can and signals a strategic shift toward functional nutrition.
When former foes KSI and Logan Paul combined their collective pull to launch PRIME in early 2022, chaos ensued.
People were quite literally wrestling each other to secure a bottle of their debut hydration beverage.
Such was the clamour for a taste of their creation, a mini black market formed among teens. Bottles were being pinched and sold at huge premiums — and people were paying it.
Since those dystopian days, PRIME has struggled to keep the initial fire burning. Despite launching into energy drinks a year later, fans’ appetite slowly began to moderate.
But all that might be about to change. The YouTube duo have now ventured into their third functional realm with the launch of PRIME Protein.
To help them crack the category, they’ve enlisted fitness creator and Zoo Culture founder Bradley Martyn.
Martyn has been plugged into online fitness communities for well over a decade, and previously ran his own supplement line under the Origin banner.
It seems Paul exclusively does business with those he’s once counted among his enemies, as the pair were formerly locked in a very public spat.
Back in June 2024, Paul travelled to Los Angeles and confronted Martyn at his Zoo Culture gym.
The feud started on social media before boiling over into real life. Footage from their so-called fight was ‘leaked’ by Paul this week — although, in light of PRIME Protein’s arrival, that has since transpired to be a calculated marketing play.
“We’re excited to announce PRIME Protein to the world and showcase what happens when rivals come together as brothers and business partners,” Paul and Martyn said in a dual announcement.
“Our goal was to create a fantastic ready-to-drink protein shake that can fuel any lifestyle.”
In PRIME Protein — or the PRIME Shake, as it will be officially branded — they appear to have met that brief.
The product debuts in a shelf-stable canned format, following the trend set by brands such as Slate and Barebells.
Each 11oz (325ml) serving delivers 32g of complete protein from ultra-filtered skimmed milk, 3g of sugar and 150 calories, while being completely lactose-free.
Three classic milkshake-style flavours make up the PRIME Protein launch menu: Chocolate, Vanilla, and the more inventive Cookies & Cream.
“We believe we’ve created the best Ultra-Filtered Protein Shake on the planet, and now that we’re both fighting for the same team, we truly believe the sky is the limit,” Paul and Martyn continued.
Why PRIME Protein Makes Sense
PRIME flew out of the blocks at launch, turning shops into battlegrounds and securing big-name partnerships with some of the world’s most revered athletes and teams.
Kevin Durant, Alisha Lehmann, Auston Matthews, Rafael Leão and Alexander Volkanovski are among the elite stars still signed to the PRIME roster.
However, that impressive line-up — and indeed the popularity of KSI and Paul themselves — hasn’t been enough to keep every customer coming back.
Trends fizzle out, audiences move on, and virality is famously unforgiving.
That reality soon showed up in the data. In 2024, PRIME generated around £33 million in UK drink sales across Hydration and Energy.
That figure was down from £120 million the year prior — a decline of more than 70%. With PRIME Protein, the brand is now targeting a category moving firmly in the opposite direction.
Also in 2024, America’s milk consumption increased for the first time since 2009, according to data from the US Department of Agriculture.
The shift has been partly attributed to shopper’s renewed enthusiasm for protein-rich products.
Modern consumers, both in the US and the UK, are increasingly gravitating towards functional alternatives, with higher protein intake sitting at the heart of that trend.
PRIME Protein offers the brand a fresh lease of life — and a rapidly expanding market to attack.
At 32g of protein per can, the formulation outguns much of the current competition. And with two superstar founders behind it, few would bet against PRIME forcing its way past established players on the retail front too.
PRIME Protein is already live on Amazon, priced at £22.28 for a case of 12, and is set to roll out to “select U.S. retailers” in the near future.
More details are expected on when, and if, it’ll arrive on UK shelves.
