Merch is Dead. Long Live the Brand.

THE DROP

_{Insights, launches, and strategy from inside the creator economy.}

NOTES FROM THE EDITOR

This week, we’re breaking down three very different stories — but each is a masterclass in creator-driven brand building.

• Jimmy Butler, a 6x NBA All-Star, turned a $20 covid hotel room hustle into a global coffee brand and opened his first flagship store last year.

• Vikkstar, a founding member of the Sidemen, brought affordable eyewear to the creator economy with CIRCULR.

• Emma Chamberlain, one of the earliest YouTubers to build a serious CPG business, is now pushing $33M in annual revenue — and she paved the way for nearly every creator reading this.

These aren’t just vanity projects. They’re actual brands — built with depth, direction, and a whole lot of persistence.

Let’s get into it.

🕶️ New Brand Spotlight

Vikkstar’s CIRCULR: YouTube Reach Meets Streetwear Style

Vikkstar, best known as one of the founding members of the Sidemen, has been on YouTube for over a decade. But now, he’s going beyond gaming — and getting into fashion.

In 2023, Vikk partnered with UK-based CIRCULR to relaunch it as a creator-owned eyewear brand, offering high-quality, fashion-forward sunglasses at an accessible price point.

The brand’s DNA:

• Every pair is £39.99, with names like “Tokyo 143” and “London 115.”

• Gender-neutral designs, with a heavy emphasis on style and utility.

• 100% UVA/UVB protection, lightweight frames, and impact-resistant lenses.

• Aesthetic-wise: it sits somewhere between fast fashion and designer streetwear, but with a community-first message.
  

CIRCULR has leaned into Vikkstar’s influence to bring the brand to new audiences. But this isn’t a drop-and-run move — it comes with a strong creative direction, a full rebuild of the product catalog, and long-term plans to expand globally.

And of course, the Sidemen connection gives the brand a cultural edge — with access to a creator ecosystem that’s one of the most powerful in Europe.

📌 Major Takeaway:
CIRCULR shows how creators don’t need to invent a new category — they can reclaim one. With the right product and positioning, a strong creator can take an overlooked brand and turn it into something aspirational.

🐯 Legacy Check-In

Emma Chamberlain’s Coffee Empire: The One That Paved the Way

Before Alix had canned margs and MrBeast was on grocery shelves, Emma Chamberlain quietly launched one of the smartest creator-led CPG brands of the last five years.

Chamberlain Coffee was born in 2019 — long before it was trendy to have your own brand. It started with simple, sustainable, single-serve steeped bags (with fun animal mascots like Careless Cat and Early Bird), and quickly grew into a Gen Z cult favorite.

Today, Chamberlain Coffee is a full-blown beverage brand:

• Product line: organic beans, flavored blends, matcha, teas, and ready-to-drink canned lattes

• Retail presence: sold at Whole Foods, Target, and Walmart, plus online

• Café expansion: opened its first brick-and-mortar store in LA earlier this year

• 2025 revenue projections: over $33 million, with investor decks pointing to potential acquisition by Nestlé or Coca-Cola
  

Emma stepped in as co-CEO, drove product development, and stayed heavily involved in packaging, positioning, and brand identity. Unlike many influencer brands, this one didn’t just use her face — it scaled because of her decisions.

📌 Major Takeaway:
Chamberlain Coffee wasn’t just a brand — it was the blueprint. Emma proved that creators could go from DTC novelties to retail powerhouses. Every creator brand since has borrowed a page from her playbook — whether they realize it or not.