Executive Briefing
Everlane’s founder is back with Magna, a new hydration brand
Michael Preysman is going after the electrolyte drinks market with a post-Nike ideology.
By Dan Frommer on Monday, July 15, 2024 at 9:30 pm
Michael Preysman is back. After launching the pioneering DTC clothing brand Everlane in 2011, and exiting the CEO role a couple of years ago, Preysman is introducing his new business: Magna, an electrolyte beverage brand with an initial emphasis on magnesium.
Interest in magnesium, a mineral, has grown dramatically over the past several years, usually associated with relaxation, sleep, and other mood-related uses. “If you look up any nutrient or mineral,” Preysman tells me, “magnesium is the most-searched on Google. Above everything.”
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Magna’s initial formula contains three types of magnesium, each designed to have a different effect. There’s magnesium L-threonate, which Preysman touts for its effects on cognitive focus; magnesium malate for energy; and magnesium glycinate for faster muscle recovery. Each sleeve of Magna powder — available in four flavors, including a pleasant tea lemonade — also includes sodium and potassium, but zero sugar, sweetened instead with stevia.
Magna enters a crowded but growing market for hydration drinks and electrolyte supplements, ranging from the classics like Gatorade and Pedialyte to culty newcomers like LMNT, which has built a large business off Huberman Lab-type podcast sponsorships and a contrarian assertion that consuming a lot of salt is actually good for you.
I was a little surprised to find out that Preysman was going into the beverage and supplements business, after following him and Everlane since its launch. (Which industry is more relentless before you reach scale, clothing or drinks? Flip a coin!)
But after our conversation over the weekend, it’s tracking: Beverage, like fashion, is as much about vibes as it is about the actual product; there’s a bigger idea here; and Preysman is a talented storyteller and brand builder.
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