UPDATE Enters 4,000 Walmart Stores With Kim Kardashian as Co-Founder

UPDATE is relaunching with Kim Kardashian as its co-founder and a nationwide Walmart debut.

The paraxanthine-powered brand announced a major reset, bringing Kardashian into the business not just as a face, but as a hands-on partner.

The relaunch comes ahead of one of Walmart’s largest beverage rollouts, with more than 4,000 stores set to carry UPDATE beginning March 1.

CEO and Co-Founder Daniel Solomons said Kardashian’s involvement goes far beyond visual branding.

“Her perspective on purposeful energy and her instinct for what resonates culturally have sharpened our long-term vision for the brand,” he said.

Looking ahead, Solomons added that the brand's focus is simply to "build the most trusted, science-backed energy brand on the market and continue challenging the status quo."

"This moment is a major milestone for the brand and the business, but we’ve got big plans together — and we’re just getting started," he added.

UPDATE wants to establish itself against traditional high-caffeine formulas by using paraxanthine, a compound the body naturally forms from caffeine.

The pitch then becomes smooth, controlled energy without the crash or jitters.

Kardashian’s relationship with the brand began in 2023 as a consumer. Come 2024, her team was placing consistent product orders.

Over time, she began giving feedback on flavor, formulation, and packaging before formally stepping into a co-founder role in 2025.

This is celebrity marketing at its best, evolving into endorsement, quity, and product influence.

From DTC to 4,000 Shelves

The relaunch includes five signature flavors: Berry, Grape, Peach, Mandarin, and Pineapple.

The real inflection point, however, is Walmart.

On top of the 4,000 stores, additional SKUs will expand throughout the year, and wider retail distribution is planned for spring.

Ambitious in its plans to scale, UPDATE's forthcoming Walmart venture hopes to shift its footprint from niche wellness to a mass contender.

The energy category has seen similar attempts at reinvention before.

Prime Energy's marketing tactic leaned heavily on influencer equity, with Logan Paul being its face and co-owner, to drive early retail sell-outs.

However, UPDATE appears to be combining two playbooks, and that's science-forward claims with Kardashian firepower.

This relaunch will test whether a brand identity closely tied to a celebrity can stand on its own once it enters the retail aisle.

Star power can drive trial, but long-term shelf performance depends on repeat purchase, clear differentiation, and product quality.

UPDATE’s Co-Founder Pivot

To those building brands from the ground up, UPDATE serves as a sharp example of how to merge product science with cultural influence.

• Lead with ownership in mass retail. Equity signals long-term commitment to buyers and shoppers.
• Anchor expansion in clear positioning. Category clarity shapes how products are judged on the shelf.
• Give founder talent real influence. Credibility grows when partners shape product and positioning.

Walmart, which plans to house the new UPDATE drinks, earned a total of $179.5 billion in the third quarter of its fiscal year 2025. 

This level of distribution makes any retail debut a high-visibility test with little margin for error.

Our Take: Can Energy Drinks Grow Up?

When a founder-level celebrity steps in before mass retail expansion, the brand is aiming for long-term ambition, and not just a viral moment.

I think the real gamble for UPDATE is cultural maturity.

If consumers are truly tired of the crash-and-burn cycle, then Kardashian's new drink may be arriving at a pivotal moment.

But a Walmart scale plan is unforgiving. The shelf does not care about narrative.

If the cans are eye-catching enough, ample buzz and reviews are generated online and offline.

And if the formula delivers and repeat purchases follow, then UPDATE could be a case study in how science and celebrity can build something durable together.

In other news, Bubly recently teamed up with Nintendo and Illumination to create a 360 campaign around the upcoming Super Mario Galaxy Movie. 

Brands planning a retail relaunch often work with partners that can clarify positioning before shelf pressure sets in.

Browse these top branding agencies that specialize in identity, packaging, and retail rollout strategy.