What ‘Call Her Daddy’s’ Alex Cooper can teach us about modern product placement.
In 1982, audiences watched as a tiny alien was lured from the shadows by the irresistible allure of Reese’s Pieces. After that iconic scene in E.T., sales of the candy skyrocketed by 85%.
The product placement in E.T. remains legendary, rivaled only by FedEx’s essential role in Castaway and Aston Martin’s enduring connection to the James Bond franchise. 
Product placement isn’t new—but in modern films, it can often feel forced, or reminiscent of those ads that we generally try to skip through. Yet with more products to sell and more ways to reach audiences, does product placement still have a place in entertainment?
Enter Podcasting.
Alex Cooper, host of Call Her Daddy, one of the most popular podcasts globally, recently announced the launch of her hydration drink, Unwell. Though it won’t hit U.S. shelves until January 1, 2025, the bold, colourful bottles have already appeared prominently in her podcast videos, strategically placed beside Cooper and celebrity guests like Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie.
Unwell, sharing its name with Cooper’s podcast production company, and is marketed as a hydration drink packed with “electrolytes, B-vitamins, and barely any sugar.” Cooper herself described it as “a little something to help get you through all of life’s unwell moments,” dedicating it to “my hungover bitches 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.”
Does the world need another hydration drink?
Probably not. But that doesn’t matter.
What Unwell represents is the power of personal branding. Whether you’re one of the “hot c*nts” hitting Pilates at dawn or just pretending you are, carrying that bold bottle signals you’re part of Cooper’s aspirational world.
The concept isn’t new. The creator-to-beverage pipeline is well-established, with Prime, launched by Logan Paul and KSI in January 2022, setting the gold standard. Fuelled by frenzied demand and strategic scarcity, Prime racked up $250 million in sales during its first year and recently surpassed $1.2 billion.
But it’s not as simple as slapping a product next to a popular creator and watching sales explode.
Alex Cooper couldn’t sell Prime, and Logan Paul probably couldn’t sell Unwell. Why? Because product branding must align with the creator’s identity.
The liquid inside the bottles could be identical, but Prime and Unwell succeed because their branding reflects the unique aesthetics and personal brands of their founders. That authenticity is the magic ingredient.
So, will Unwell be any good?
That’s irrelevant.
It’s already seamlessly integrated into Cooper’s world and seen alongside some of the biggest celebrity names. Betting on its success feels like a safe wager.
After all, in the ever-evolving game of product placement, if you put the right product, next to the right creator, you’ve pretty much got yourself a sure thing.
