Benson Boone and the Celebrity Push Behind Cactus Water as a Coconut Water Alternative

benson boone is listed among the celebrity investors tied to Caliwater, a beverage brand built around prickly pear cactus water and positioned as an alternative to coconut water. The company’s lineup and marketing lean on a mix of health-forward claims, flavor variety, and star power—an approach that highlights how celebrity backing continues to shape attention around emerging drink categories.

What’s driving attention around Benson Boone and Caliwater?

Caliwater was co-founded by Oliver Trevena, who is also described as having acted alongside Gerard Butler, Nicolas Cage, and Kelsey Grammer. Trevena’s co-founder is Vanessa Hudgens. The brand’s celebrity connections extend beyond founders: Demi Lovato is linked to endorsing the blood orange flavor, and the investor list named alongside the brand includes Glen Powell, Gerard Butler, Cody Bellinger, and benson boone.

The product itself is described as water from prickly pear cactus. The company positions it as hydrating, high in electrolytes and antioxidants, low in calories and sugar, and designed to taste good—framed explicitly as a coconut water alternative. The combination of a distinctive base ingredient and a recognizable roster of names functions as a two-pronged play: novelty for the curious, and familiarity for consumers who follow celebrity-backed products.

What happens when cactus water is framed as “the new coconut water”?

Caliwater’s messaging centers on the prickly pear base and a set of promised benefits: hydration, electrolytes, antioxidants, and a profile that is low in calories and sugar. At the same time, the brand emphasizes taste, positioning the beverage not only as functional but also enjoyable—an attempt to avoid being seen as purely a wellness product.

Flavor variety is part of the strategy. Alongside prickly pear, additional flavors listed include ginger and lime, pineapple, and watermelon. The company also presents the drink as a mixer for cocktails and mocktails, a positioning choice that broadens the product’s use cases beyond gym bags and office fridges.

In parallel, the brand is described as catering to a younger audience by launching kids’ pouches. That packaging move signals an effort to expand consumption occasions across the day and across age groups, from youth sports settings to adult social settings, while keeping the core identity anchored to prickly pear cactus water.

Where the product and brand strategy stand right now

The available details point to a brand that is trying to balance celebrity attention with product credibility. Despite the resources implied by its celebrity roster, Caliwater’s stated intent is to communicate that the beverage can “stand on their own, ” not only on endorsements. In practice, the product proposition blends:

• Ingredient differentiation: prickly pear cactus water as the base
• Benefit positioning: hydration, electrolytes, antioxidants; low calories and sugar
• Flavor expansion: including ginger and lime, pineapple, watermelon, and blood orange
• Occasion expansion: mixer use for cocktails and mocktails
• Audience expansion: kids’ pouches aimed at younger consumers

Taken together, the approach suggests Caliwater is not relying on a single claim or a single audience. Instead, it is building a flexible narrative: functional beverage, flavorful refreshment, and social drink accessory—supported by recognizable names, including benson boone.