Fedez, Lazza and Leonardo Maria Del Vecchio drink with ginger
Leonardo Maria Del Vecchio believes in Boem, the low-calorie and low-alcoholic ginger-flavoured drink launched last summer by Tubo, an Italian startup he financed together with Fedez and Lazza. The heir to the Luxottica empire has invested another 3 million euros, although so far the business does not seem to have taken off. Facts, names and numbers
Born with the idea (of Fedez) of wanting to innovate the Italian drinks universe, thinking above all of young people attentive to drinking less and better, Boem, the low-calorie and low-alcoholic ginger-flavoured drink launched last summer by Tubo srl – startup in which, in addition to the singer, the rapper Lazza, Camillo Bernabei of the Bernabei distribution group and above all Leonardo Maria Del Vecchio participate -, according to what Italia Oggi wrote a couple of months ago, it had not achieved great success.
However, its authors seem far from willing to give up. Starting with Del Vecchio who, with a capital increase of 3 million euros, became the majority shareholder. And to give it new impetus – in view of the summer? – new management was also announced.
BUT WHAT DRINK (AND IDEA) IS IT?
Just under a year ago, Fedez and Lazza announced the (slightly) alcoholic novelty they invented and named Boem. It is a hard seltzer, i.e. a carbonated soft drink with a low alcohol content and few calories, with a ginger flavour. It comes in a 33 cl can, like those of beer, and has an alcohol content of 4.5%. The kcal is 91.
After a year spent finding the right mix of aromas, Lazza, Fedez, Del Vecchio and the Bernabei have therefore launched their first “vegan” and “gluten free” drink, which “represents a new category of fun and flexible drinks for every occasion ” and that “it is disruptive and captivating”. On the site you can purchase a minimum of 4 33cl cans at the price of 9.16 euros.
Wired who had tasted it in preview commented : “the taste is very, very delicate: you shouldn't imagine a ginger beer, you can barely taste the ginger. On the palate, more than the aromas, comes a sugary sensation. If you have to make a comparison, it reminds you of a Sprite with much less lemon. But with a little alcohol, which you can't smell at all while drinking it. In short: it has so little intense flavor that everyone could like it, because it is designed precisely to be a pop product."
A HALF FLOP?
Although designed to appeal to adults and children alike (in any case adults), Boem does not seem to have given the expected results. In fact, according to what Italia Oggi wrote in mid-February, "it should have been distributed everywhere already at the beginning of 2024, but at the moment it can still only be purchased online or found in Esselunga stores and in those of the Bernabei family in Rome".
Furthermore, hard seltzers, apparently appreciated by more health-conscious young Americans, have not yet caught on in Italy. According to Corriere della Sera , "abroad the turnover has exceeded 10 billion dollars (around 9 billion euros) and is estimated to grow with an annual average of over 10% until 2030", while for Affari Italians are expected to see “consumption growth of 12% by 2027”.
BETWEEN MEMBERS WHO MANDATE AND MEMBERS WHO INVEST
Tubo srl, a company set up by Happy Seltz (joint venture of the companies Zedef of Fedez and Rome&More of the entrepreneur Camillo Bernabei) to launch Boem, subsequently saw the entry into the capital of Lmdv Capital of the young Del Vecchio and of J Project of Lazza and Francesca Liseno, mother of the rapper who came second at the Sanremo Festival last year.
However, Italia Oggi also observed that, considering "the first months of the market, Francesca Liseno, the mother who manages Lazza's companies, seems to have had a long view, preferring to limit the investment to only 3% of the capital of the company that produces the soft drink ”. Del Vecchio, however, when he became part of the project, acquired "40% of the share capital, and therefore 40 thousand euros, but by paying a premium of 2,460,000 euros with a reserved capital increase which gave the company all the liquidity necessary for investments".
DEL VECCHIO'S CAPITAL INCREASE…
But the heir to Luxottica has really taken a liking to it and, after the launch of the BitterBoem cocktail in his new Trattoria del Ciumba in Brera in Milan, he has now announced a capital increase of three million euros with Lmdv Capital. Del Vecchio is therefore now the majority shareholder with 54% of the capital, diluting Happy Seltz to 43% and Lazza's J Project to 3%.
The increase, explains the note, will allow Boem to hire "new highly qualified and motivated professional figures, with previous experience in important companies in the sector", and "to strengthen its presence on the market" by expanding its presence "in thousands of premises throughout Italy and on the shelves of all the main supermarket brands". Boem will also be available at the main Italian music festivals and last September became the official partner of AC Milan .
…AND THE NEW YOUNG MANAGEMENT
No sooner said than done. The news of the increase followed that of the new management who has the task of making Boem grow. Seven months after the launch of the drink, the CEO, the winemaker manager Massimo Benetello, had been replaced with Edoardo Tribuzio, a young manager, born in '89 and former founder of Mymenu ("a company that tried to protect riders" but which recently " was forced to raise the white flag”, wrote Avvenire last December). Joining him as head of marketing is Matteo Giannetti, 32 years old, former marketing manager of Campari Italia's premium spirits.
This is a machine translation from Italian language of a post published on Start Magazine at the URL https://www.startmag.it/economia/fedez-lazza-e-leonardo-maria-del-vecchio-sbevazzano-con-lo-zenzero/ on Mon, 22 Apr 2024 14:19:51 +0000.