“They did it”: Squeezie, Léna and Inoxtag are taking on energy drinks with Ciao Energy, their “cleaner” version

The three French creators, who boast over 30 million subscribers on YouTube alone, are expanding the Ciao brand universe, launched by Squeezie around kombucha, with a new range of sparkling, caffeinated, vitamin-rich, but less sweet drinks. "We've chosen to use natural flavorings," claim the new competitors to the duopoly formed by Red Bull and Monster.

“We did it!” exclaim Inès Benazzouz, Lucas Hauchard, and Léna Mahfouf in turn, before a parade of characters takes over the catchphrase in their place in the brand-new launch ad titled “The perfect energy drink finally exists.” The three partners, better known by their respective YouTube creator names (Inoxtag, Squeezie, and Léna Situations), officially embark on a new joint venture in the world of consumer goods this Monday.

With Ciao Energy, the trio is expanding the universe of the eponymous brand launched in May 2025 by Squeezie around kombucha, a naturally carbonated green tea infusion blended with fruit juice. The second-ranked French YouTuber at the time wanted to popularize this soda alternative, which he discovered during his travels in Asia. Recent figures from the consulting firm Circana credited the brand with sales of €23 million.

This time, Inoxtag, whose entrepreneurial ambitions were not fully satisfied with the aborted Gang Potion project five years prior, and Léna, owner of the lifestyle brand Hôtel Mahfouf and a well-known energy drink consumer, are joining forces with Squeezie in a "clean energy" offering. The creators boast a recipe with reduced sugar content compared to other formulas on the market (4g of cane sugar vs. an average of 11g), flavors developed from blends of natural aromas, caffeine (32mg) from beans as well as natural guarana, and stevia as the sole sweetener.

In addition, it contains vitamins known to contribute to "normal energy metabolism and the reduction of fatigue." "We preferred to keep a simple recipe, without adding any ingredients we didn't consider essential," explains the French trio, thus justifying the absence of artificial colors and taurine, a typical component of traditional energy drinks. Not to mention that it's bottled in France "according to European quality standards."

"Less cynicism than the big brands"

Behind Ciao Energy is Banger Ventures, a studio founded last year following the success of Ciao Kombucha. Its credo: "The creator economy is not a marketing tool, but the new foundation for brand creation in the 21st century." Its founder and CEO, Cyrille Jacques, assures Socialrama that this is not a "marketing drop" but, more importantly, "that there is much less cynicism towards the consumer than in major brands . Every decision is made with the community in mind first."

Thanks to their audience, creators can help a brand take off, but without product quality, it can quickly crash and burn. Yet, creator brands operate in a market with no history, little perspective, and therefore no clear long-term outlook. In France, Ciao has the advantage of being a pioneer, particularly in terms of volume. But Cyrille Jacques doesn't hide the potential for expansion into other markets, for example, with a launch in Belgium planned for "soon." Whether it's the kombucha range or now also the energy drink, Ciao has ambitions to become a national brand. It certainly seems to be transcending the spheres of influence of just the YouTuber subscriber community, aided by the reach of more traditional channels that expose it to a wider audience. This is also due to a general acceptance of alternatives to sodas, including energy drinks.

“Energy drinks are becoming mainstream,” Monster Beverage proudly announced earlier this month, reporting $2 billion in quarterly sales for the first time in the history of the company, a rival of giant Red Bull. “Household penetration continues to increase, driven by functional aspects and a lifestyle-oriented positioning,” believes Hilton Schlosberg, CEO of Monster, noting an increase in purchase frequency and extended use throughout the day.