7 Influencers Who Work With CPG Brands: Charli to Alix Earle

The influencers who work most effectively with CPG brands turn a personal habit into a product people can buy. Charli D'Amelio's cold brew order became "The Charli" at Dunkin', Alix Earle designed a limited-edition poppi can and took an equity stake in the brand, and creators such as MrBeast, Logan Paul and KSI, Emma Chamberlain and the D'Amelio family built snack, drink and coffee brands of their own. This guide covers seven of them and what brands can learn.

Updated November 4, 2026. Part of EPR's CPG and Food & Beverage coverage.

Summary

• Dunkin' launched "The Charli" in 2020, its first collaboration with an online influencer, after Charli D'Amelio had been posting about her Dunkin' order on her own.
• Alix Earle partnered with poppi on a limited-edition Raspberry Rose can sold at Walmart and held an equity stake in the prebiotic soda brand.
• The D'Amelio family launched Be Happy Snacks popcorn at Walmart after deciding to own what brands kept asking them to endorse.
• MrBeast launched Feastables in January 2022, and Logan Paul and KSI launched Prime Hydration in 2022, which CreatorDB reports passed $1.2 billion in revenue in 2023.
• The strongest pairings start with real affinity, give the creator a stake or a product role and fit the creator's audience.

Contents

1. What makes an influencer a good partner for a CPG brand?
2. 1. Charli D'Amelio and Dunkin'
3. 2. The D'Amelio family and Be Happy Snacks
4. 3. Alix Earle and poppi
5. 4. MrBeast and Feastables
6. 5. Logan Paul and KSI with Prime Hydration
7. 6. Emma Chamberlain and Chamberlain Coffee
8. 7. Addison Rae and Alani Nu
9. How do the seven partnerships compare?
10. What do the best CPG creator partnerships have in common?
11. How should a CPG brand choose an influencer partner?
12. Frequently asked questions

What makes an influencer a good partner for a CPG brand?

A good CPG partner has an audience that already buys the category and a genuine reason to be associated with the product. The seven examples below were chosen because each has public reporting on what the partnership or creator-led brand actually did. They include brand-led collaborations, equity deals and creator-founded brands, which are three different ways a creator can work with consumer packaged goods.

1. Charli D'Amelio and Dunkin'

In 2020, Dunkin' teamed up with TikTok star Charli D'Amelio on "The Charli," a cold brew made with whole milk and caramel swirl, named after her own order. Ypulse reported that it was Dunkin's first collaboration with an online influencer and that the drink earned the brand millions of views on TikTok after D'Amelio shared herself ordering it. A Stack Influence analysis notes that she had been posting about Dunkin' on her own, without sponsorship, which is a large part of why the partnership felt natural.

Reported results vary by source. NeoReach says cold brew sales rose 27 percent on the day and 45 percent the next day, while another analysis cites a 20 percent cold brew lift on launch day and a 57 percent rise in daily app downloads. Dunkin' later followed with a "Charli Remix" campaign. Why it worked: the product came from the creator's real habit, so the audience read it as her order, not an ad.

2. The D'Amelio family and Be Happy Snacks

The D'Amelio family went a step further and launched their own brand. In an Entrepreneur profile, Marc D'Amelio said many brands were coming to the family for endorsement deals, so they started D'Amelio Brands to create something they owned. Snack and Bakery reported that D'Amelio Foods launched Be Happy Snacks popcorn, inspired by Dixie D'Amelio's song "Be Happy," with natural ingredients and flavors including Cotton Candy, Maple Bacon, Parmesan Garlic and Nice Spice, at a $3.98 retail price and with Walmart as a national retail partner. NOSH noted that the family was backed by a new investment from Fifth Growth Fund.

Why it worked: the brand tied a product to a personal story and a purpose, mental health awareness, which gave retailers and press a clear narrative.

3. Alix Earle and poppi

Alix Earle took an equity route with poppi. BevNET reported that her partnership went beyond content creation, with Earle designing a can slated for Walmart, and that she and poppi declined to share the size of her stake. In August 2025, Beverage Industry reported that poppi partnered with Earle on a limited-edition Raspberry Rose can available exclusively at Walmart stores and Walmart.com. Beverage Industry also noted her investment in SipMARGS, where she is an investor and brand partner.

PepsiCo acquired poppi for $1.95 billion in 2025, which made an early equity deal especially notable. Why it worked: she was already drinking the product, her audience saw the partnership as a continuation of content they followed, and she shared in the brand's upside.

4. MrBeast and Feastables

MrBeast launched Feastables, a snack and chocolate brand tightly connected to his YouTube channel, in January 2022, according to CreatorDB. NeoReach notes that many YouTube creators run mid-video ads for CPG brands, including soda brand OLIPOP and Feastables, which MrBeast runs and markets himself. Why it worked: the product sits inside the creator's content world, so every video is also a distribution channel.

5. Logan Paul and KSI with Prime Hydration

Logan Paul and KSI launched Prime Hydration in 2022 to compete in the sports drink market, with coconut water, antioxidants and electrolytes, as Foodsided described. CreatorDB reports that the drink was an immediate hit and surpassed $1.2 billion in revenue in 2023, and the brand built partnerships with sports organizations such as UFC. Why it worked: two creators with enormous combined audiences made scarcity and fandom part of the launch.

6. Emma Chamberlain and Chamberlain Coffee

Emma Chamberlain began making YouTube vlogs about her coffee runs in 2016 and launched Chamberlain Coffee in 2019, a path described by Creator Hero and in EPR's profiles of Emma Chamberlain and the Chamberlain Coffee marketing blueprint. The brand also ran pop-ups, including one in Los Angeles. Why it worked: the product matched the content her audience already knew her for.

7. Addison Rae and Alani Nu

Addison Rae's brand work includes collaborations with Alani Nu and American Eagle, according to SponsorUnited, and she co-founded ITEM Beauty, a creator co-created beauty brand, with incubator Madeby Collective. Why it worked: she combined brand collaborations with a brand of her own, giving her both reach and ownership.

How do the seven partnerships compare?

What do the best CPG creator partnerships have in common?

EPR's reading of these cases is that the partnerships work when four things line up. This section is analysis rather than reported data.

1. Real affinity. Charli D'Amelio and Alix Earle were already fans of Dunkin' and poppi.
2. A product role. A named drink or a designed can gives the creator something to talk about beyond a sponsored post.
3. A stake in the outcome. Equity, ownership or co-founding gives the creator a reason to stay committed.
4. Retail reach. Walmart appears in several of these stories, connecting online fame to shelf space.

How should a CPG brand choose an influencer partner?

1. Start with creators who already buy or mention the product.
2. Match the creator's audience to the brand's category buyers.
3. Offer a product role, not only a post.
4. Consider equity or revenue share for deep partnerships.
5. Plan retail distribution before the content goes live.

For more, see EPR's 33 best CPG marketing campaigns, the CPG Citation Share Index, the guide to influencer marketing in the answer-engine era, best influencer marketing agencies, how RXBAR, Billie and Oatly built digital-first success and the food industry PR pillar. Brands handling a product problem should also read food crisis communications.