Why Alex Cooper’s new drink Unwell Hydration is being called problematic and inauthentic
“There is a lot of pressure on me to keep it moving, but I love pressure” are words spoken like a true businesswoman at the top of her game. Over the past five years, Alex Cooper has built an impressive and financially lucrative media empire. Hot girlies everywhere are hella loyal to Cooper and have also helped propel her podcast Call Her Daddy to icon status. Now, the influencer and brand expert is sashaying her way into the drinks industry—a move that the Daddy Gang seems pretty split over.
Welcome back to Explained By a Blonde. As a blonde businesswoman myself, it’s only right that this week we discuss the internet’s reaction to Alex Cooper’s new business venture. Mainly because, as per usual, everyone and their nan has an opinion on the move.
On 5 December 2024, it was announced that Cooper was launching Unwell Hydration, a beverage catered towards the “hungover b*tches on their walk of shames, the hot c*nts who actually go to pilates every morning, the girlies grinding it out at their desks, and the superhuman moms working their asses off.” The imagery is immaculate, I will say.
Evidently wanting to compete with the likes of fellow influencers KSI and Logan Paul’s energy drink Prime and Emma Chamberlain’s coffee company, Cooper’s new hydration drink is perfectly packaged and marketed specifically for the female consumer. Moreover, it’s refreshing (no pun intended) to see a woman at the helm of such an impressive venture.
That being said, there are a few things about Cooper’s new brand that could be deemed as… iffy. So, from calls for the podcaster to surrender her feminist badge to some insights into her highkey unethical product partner, let’s delve into everything you need to know about Unwell Hydration.
Why are fans upset with Alex Cooper’s new drink brand?
Following the launch, Alex Cooper’s Instagram posts about Unwell Hydration became flooded with comments from unhappy netizens. The initial consensus seemed to be that Cooper’s move into the beverage industry was solely financially motivated. In other words, that it was not a decision made for the benefit of her fans but more for the benefit of her wallet.
One user wrote: “You didn’t beat the boys. You joined them. You have the money and reach to really do something and yet you chose to sell an unnecessary product under the guise of feminism so you could make money off of women. It’s just so disappointing.”
“This is so underwhelming…everyone and their mother has a trendy non-alcoholic drink company at this point. Logan Paul with Prime, Bella Hadid with Kin, Blake Lively with Betty Buzz. I wish you had done something that is more authentic to you and your brand other than another beverage at the supermarket. Maybe in the future…” another disappointed fan claimed.
I understand not vibing directly with every product your favourite influencer releases, but I think insinuating that Unwell Hydration is inauthentic to the Call Her Daddy x Alex Cooper brand is a bit of a stretch.
Ever since launching the Unwell Network back in August 2023, Cooper has cultivated a media empire that directly targets Gen Z audiences—recruiting influencers like Alix Earle and Madeline Argy to create the perfect coven of ‘unwell’ creators. In my opinion, after having already rolled out merch and spending months and months perfecting the brand’s aesthetic, is a fully fledged product launch that out of pocket?
What is the controversy surrounding Alex Cooper and Nestlé?
But, what are the other concerns? The other primary complaint following the Unwell drink launch centered on Cooper partnering with Nestlé, a company that’s been embroiled in a number of controversies over the years.
For one, in February 2021, it was announced that Nestlé, Cargill, Barry Callebaut, Mars, Olam, Hershey and Mondelēz had all been named as defendants in a lawsuit filed in Washington DC by the human rights firm International Rights Advocates (IRA), as reported by The Guardian. The suit had been filed on behalf of eight former child slaves who claimed they were forced to work without pay on cocoa plantations in the Ivory Coast.
The Swiss company has also faced further criticism for its approach to sourcing its bottled water. For example, in Canada, the corporation has faced boycotts from non-profit The Council of Canadians and indigenous rights organisation Lakota People’s Law Project for extracting water from watersheds that have seen droughts in recent years.
Although partnering with an unethical company is also nothing new in the influencer sphere, Cooper is an incredibly proficient and strategic businesswoman. So not swerving this oversight is pretty disappointing.
I don’t personally have a strong opinion on Unwell Hydration. However, I’m not going to sit here and pretend it’s not fun to see a woman absolutely cashing it in. The boys have been dominating these markets for decades and Cooper’s success is definitely a win for the girls. But Alex, I will say, the Nestlé move was a bad one—there, you should’ve done better, girl.
