‘Mission Level’

In talks with Beyonce, an old-school endorsement deal was never part of the conversation, said Jody Levy, co-founder and creative director of World Waters.

“That’s such an important differentiation between a traditional celebrity influencer connected to a brand, because this really comes at the mission level,” she said.

Beyonce cited that mission, which includes health and female empowerment, as central to her interest in the brand.

“I invested in WTRMLN WTR because it’s the future of clean, natural hydration; as partners, we share a simple mission to deliver accessible wellness to the world,” she said in a statement. “This is more than an investment in a brand, it’s an investment in female leaders, fitness, American farmers, and the health of people and our planet.”

‘Meaningful Shareholder’

While the size of the investment wasn’t disclosed, Knowles is now a “meaningful” shareholder in the company, Levy said.

Beyonce’s involvement is the culmination of a series of events that started on Dec. 13, 2013, the day her song “Drunk in Love” was released -- a track that contains the lyric “I’ve been drinking watermelon.” That Friday was also the day WTRMLN WTR was first sold at a then-new Whole Foods store in Brooklyn. Levy said her phone started “blowing up” as friends and family heard Beyonce sing the line.

Levy, who used to work in the entertainment industry, made a couple of calls and got product samples sent to Parkwood Entertainment, Beyonce’s management company, and to the Barclays Center, the arena in which Jay Z was an early investor. The startup’s team sent similar packages on Valentine’s Day and Mothers’ Day.

“We were just in growth mode, and there was no intention to really bring in a celebrity,” Levy said. “I associated her with past endorsements like Pepsi that she had done, and I didn’t want anything in return.”