This CBD-Infused Soda Is Offering to Buy $200 Worth of Therapy for Some Customers
Bimble wants to continue the vibe of Mental Health Awareness Month into a stressful June
Mental Health Awareness Month may have ended a few days ago, but could there possibly be a better time to extend it?
Recognizing that June is off to an emotionally rattling beginning as U.S. police clash with protesters nationwide, a startup called Bimble, which makes sparkling CBD-infused drinks, is offering to cover up to $200 in therapy costs for some of its customers.
“During a year with a pandemic, the worst unemployment numbers in a century and riots in the streets of every major city, it would seem that only one month dedicated to mental health awareness wasn’t enough,” said Ari Halper, founder of Sauce Idea Lab, the consultancy behind the project. “It only makes sense for Bimble and therapy to join forces during one of the most stressful times in modern history.”
Bimble, which bills itself as “therapy in a bottle” and sells at specialty retailers and direct to consumers, will run the stunt through June 9. The brand has pledged to give $200 for counseling to the first five consumers each day who order a case of its product.
Buyers who use the code “therapy” on the brand’s website agree, via terms and conditions, to earmark the cash for mental health expenses. A case of Bimble costs about $75, putting it at the high end of the category, though reviews note that it packs a bigger CBD punch than some of its competitors.
The stunt marks the first major marketing campaign for the young brand, founded in 2019 by a former Wall Street trader turned beekeeper and CBD enthusiast.
Halper, who launched Sauce this spring after leaving his job as creative partner at FCB North America, said Bimble targets those looking “to recover from the stressors of a toxic world.”
Riding the CBD growth wave
The beverage, which straddles a line between a flavored soda and sparkling water, has entered an already jam-packed market crowded with established brands including Recess, Kickback, Sprig and Canna Nano. The CBD category, including kombuchas, coffees, energy drinks, teas and waters has exploded in recent years, as noted in a recent feature by HealthMJ, but with consumer appetite high, it still has room to grow.
While riding that wave, Bimble has also tapped into the spiritless cocktail trend that had been gaining momentum, pre-lockdown, in both the U.S. and the U.K. Brands like Kin, Seedlip and Curious Elixirs have gained in popularity in restaurants, bars and boutique stores, especially among millennials and Gen Z.
But quarantine has prompted in a spike in alcohol sales which, Halper said, “comes with a lot of consequences that can be almost as toxic as the stressors you are trying to escape.”
That’s where he thinks Bimble can come in. The hemp-based soda, like others in the space, promises a chill result without alcohol’s aftereffects.
“When you need to actually function the next day,” Halper said, “it’s nice to have a way to decompress in a healthier, more responsible way.”
