Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter Ben Haggerty, better known as “Macklemore,” has been named as the Brand’s first Creative Director and celebrity investor by CLEAN Cause, an Austin-based sparkling Yerba Maté beverage brand.
CLEAN Cause, a beverage company on a mission to help people in recovery, has teamed up with Macklemore, who has long been an advocate for the power of recovery and has been open about his own experiences with substance misuse. CLEAN Cause, which is ranked second in the yerba maté category, distributes half of their net profits (or 5% of net revenues, whichever is bigger) to sober living scholarships.
Haggerty will serve as Creative Director and investor for the Brand, giving artistic direction on a new limited edition CLEAN Cause can, digital editorial content, and music and creative direction for the Brand. Macklemore and CLEAN Cause will run a number of campaigns over the next year, including a “Scan the Can” initiative that will provide consumers with exclusive content via a QR code on the product and POS.
“I chose to align with and endorse a Brand that is at the forefront of creating awareness for addiction and actively supporting the recovery community,” said Haggerty. “As Creative Director and a new investor of the already impactful brand, I am excited to combine my creative passions with a great product in an effort to save lives. Together, our goal is to inspire and educate individuals on addiction and support those who are in recovery.”
This important collaboration comes at a time when the COVID pandemic is having a direct impact on the drug overdose and addiction epidemic. According to the American Medical Association, overdose deaths have increased in every state in the United States. According to preliminary data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics, there were an estimated 100,306 drug overdose deaths in the United States during the 12-month period ending in April 2021, up 28.5 percent from the 78,056 deaths the year before. According to the new data, predicted opioid overdose deaths surged to 75,673 in the 12-month period ending in April 2021, up from 56,064 the previous year. Every day, more than 275 Americans die as a result of a drug overdose in the United States.
“We are grateful to be able to partner with one of the most iconic entertainers of our time who shares a similar passion to bring awareness and activism to the world on the epidemic of addiction,” says Wes Hurt, CEO, and Founder of CLEAN Cause. “As Creative Director, investor, and a person in recovery, Macklemore will bring fresh ideas and knowledge to our Brand to further spread awareness on the epidemic. While we both have different experiences with addiction, we are committed to fighting addiction. We’re just two men on a mission.”
You can learn more about CLEAN Cause here.
