Delights that Enlighten
Review #17 - Alice 🍄
This one will be divisive, I fear.
Review #17 - Alice 🍄
What Is It
Alice makes “decadent mushroom chocolates you can feel.” Bold. They claim to be your “trusted guide for mushroom exploration” by way of their “treats” which contain organic, fruiting-body mushrooms with “the best adaptogens and nootropics”.
Alice is objectively everywhere. That is, if you’re me, a young person in a major metropolitan area who exists on social media. There’s a lot of chatter around this brand, most of which is curiosity around its efficacy, so consider my purchase (and review) of these Nightcap Chocolates an act of public service.
Brand / Aesthetic
Their brand is exactly what I would envision a female-founded mushroom chocolate company looks like. Don’t take that as positive or negative, it’s purely a fact.
In case you missed this part, the name, and majority of their persona, is a reference to Alice in Wonderland and the psychedelic lore that surrounds her. They’ve done something pretty unique in their brand development; they’ve depicted Alice (she/her) as a character in the brand’s story. Apparently, she’s “a seeker of delight, a companion of the unknown, and a student of the mind.”
While I’m not entirely sure what that means, I do appreciate this theme of curiosity around the unexplainable. It reminds you that this is all just FUN. Now that I think of it, fun is a great way to describe their entire brand. They don’t take themselves too seriously, and they’re just trying to have a good time.
Back to the Alice-as-a-person thing — it’s also interesting that she’s spoken about in the third person. Even though it’s the name of the brand itself, Alice (character) is not the “I” or “royal we” behind the brand’s “oops, we’re out of stock!” posts. She’s an ethereal third party which really adds to the whole, bear with me, “trippy” vibe.
Being that they’re a mushroom chocolate company, it makes sense why they’ve leaned into the “trippy” thing, as it were. Sorry, get used to the word “trippy”. No, I will not remove the quotes. Well actually, their aesthetic is better described as “trippy” meets sexy. Either way, a little too LA goes to Burning Man for my sensibilities, but to each their own.
On that “trippy” note (you should be about 5 shots deep at this point), there’s a catch: their current three SKUs — Nightcap, Brainstorm, and Happy Ending — are not psychedelic. Huh?!?! Yeah, been there. I can imagine I speak for most people reading this when I say that my reactions were as follows.
The psychedelic marketing for their non-psychoactive effects is obviously a common source of confusion, so their saved Instagram reply comes in handy here. This should clear things up for everyone:
TLDR: no, you will not trip from these chocolates. People on the internet have opinions (full stop) about their marketing being misleading. Here’s a pretty well-put example:
TW: I’m going to play Devil’s Advocate for a sec.
Coming from the brand side of things, I can understand what Alice is doing by leaning into the sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll of it all. It’s causing conversation, and if that conversation is riddled with confusion, well, it’s still conversation. And hey, they’re piquing your curiosity — isn’t that Alice’s whole schtick? (Alice in the previous sentence was a reference to the character, but I realize that differentiation gets equally confusing and the statement was also applicable to the brand. Meta, to say the least. And hey, I’m still talking about it. I rest my case.)
Also, because I do my due diligence, I know they’re playing the long game here. According to an article in Forbes, “the Alice team says they aim to be the very first psilocybin mushroom bar on the market once regulations and a legal framework exist.”
I appreciate the future planning here (I’m a Capricorn after all), but it doesn’t really change the fact that it’s confusing in the meanwhile. I’m also curious (they’ve won already) how they’ll distinguish the future psychoactive products from the current offerings. I told you, I can’t help myself from forward-thinking. It’s a blessing and a curse.
While sex (and drugs) sells, clarity is kindness, and I’d venture to guess that a lot of the Alice onlookers are not mad, just disappointed by this whole thing. Or maybe they are mad, straight up. I bet Burnt Simpson is.
This is a rare occasion where, to be frank, I don’t care. This messaging and its surrounding discussion isn’t particularly pushing my buttons for some reason, so I’m good with just observing here. I’d love to know how others feel though.
Marketing
Like I said, they’re f***ing everywhere. Their omnipresence is even more impressive when you consider the fact that they’ve been kicked off Instagram 3+ times. My heart goes out.
Story time! One time I was red flagged (?) on Instagram and it wouldn’t let me post stories. I absolutely spiraled into a dramatic episode amplified by Meta’s lack of customer service / user support. The easiest way to watch me go full Karen mode is if I can’t talk to a real human. Long story short, I almost got hacked because I called some phone number I found on Quora (you can say it, I asked for it) but the issue seemed to take care of itself when I checked the app a couple hours later and the coast was clear. Time heals all wounds, for real.
I was definitely scared for my life for a second there, which then turned to embarrassment about the whole emotional rollercoaster, which then turned to self-induced guilt. It’s fun existing in the modern age, you could say.
But seriously, the fact that they’re getting kicked off Instagram in 2024 for posting the modern equivalent of Nyan Cat memes is sad. Meta, get it together already. Your AI is showing.
I guess it’s par for the course when you’re disrupting industries 😐 and creating controversy, etc. It’s unclear if it’s intentional or not, but regardless, it’s smart of them to invest in channels outside of their owned, organic content given its fickle nature. We’ll get to those, stick with me for a sec.
The more I think about it, the more I realize this is actually a great exercise for brands, controversial or not. Imagine if your Instagram / TikTok channel was taken away from you tomorrow, what else would you have to show for yourself? It makes you remember that word of mouth is, was, and always will be the most powerful medium.
Tangent: I’m not saying that owned content is just whatever — it should exist in some capacity. Your profile is as important, if not more, than your website, so it should really be serving as a landing page that people can refer back to. The goal is to get profile visits, so give them something to look at, something that clearly showcases what you’re all about. Just a little something for my marketing managers out there, I see you guys.
That being said, there’s room for Alice to step it up. They’ve got great content on the glossary section of their site, and I think educational messaging around their mushrooms & nootropics would be very useful. It not only creates more awareness for their proposed benefits, but it also softens public perception by mitigating the psychedelic-related disappointment without overtly specifying the lack of, ahem, “trippiness”.
Now for the fun stuff: the non-social-dependent social marketing. This is a concept I praised Saie Beauty for doing very well, and I think the same is true for Alice. Just to refresh your memory, I postulated (yes, I used the word postulated in a newsletter about mushroom chocolates) that brands should have sh*t to talk about and then they can use social to talk about it. Not creating stuff for the sake of social. Save for the sprinkling of aesthetic imagery for brand cohesiveness. Let’s get into it:
Influencers and events
A great way to maximize WOM is by forcing the words into people’s mouths to create the appearance of organic conversation, thereby kickstarting the flywheel. Alice really shines in this department by getting cool people (and their related trivia games) to talk about them. Major props to their creative / community agency.
The insta-worthy events are a tried-and-true convo starter, especially when there’s an elaborate cake involved. Georgie, you have a gift.
the cake in question Brand Partnerships
This collab with Fleur du Mal is a pretty fab way to launch their aphrodisiac formula timed nicely for Valentine’s Day. Psychedelic, check. Sexy, check. It also helps that they’re repped by the aforementioned agency (once again, A8 - you crush it).
The Brain Buzz Mocha at Elk Coffee in NYC was also fun. I tried this a few months ago and can confirm it was delicious, although I didn’t pay attention to the whole focus thing, so I have nothing to report on the effectiveness front.
This Brainstorm Chocolate Almond Croissant at L’Appartement 4F looked good but it was sold out by the time I got to Brooklyn Heights. (Don’t worry, I bought myself a pity focaccia for making the trek.)
OOH Campaigns
This is really nails the “they’re effing everywhere” thing in the coffin. I love OOH marketing personally, and I think brands targeting the coastal elites (which is most wellness-adjacent brands, if we’re being honest) should do them. Especially now that the youths are over smartphones.
I walked by this truck on my way to the coffee shop where I wrote the majority of this newsletter. I mean…
I’m biased here, but anything that comes out of Harry’s mouth makes me smile and/or laugh and it’s been that way for years now. This, to me, is a brilliant way to kill two birds with one stone: (1) collaborating with a friend-of-the-brand without the weird, manufactured content and (2) creating email content that can easily translate to social.
Last notes here: the tin is chic. Rule #1 accomplished. Also, this is pretty specific so I’m not sure if anyone else cares about this, but I really like that they have a link to the stockists up top on their home page. I’ve instated a personal rule where I don’t buy anything online if it costs shipping and I live within walking distance, so I’ve become a pro at scouring sites for the “where to find us” tab. This saved me anywhere from 0.5 - 3 minutes. Nice!
Efficacy
I wanted this product to work. I really, really did.
But you know I cannot tell a lie, and I have to admit that these did nothing.
In theory, these would have been awesome for me, a magnesium advocate and dark chocolate enthusiast. I even attempted to go for a double-dose, since the package says that some may need a second square to feel the effects, but alas, my sleep was unaffected and I have the Oura stats to prove it.
I don’t say this to walk back my take, but I do need to give the obligatory disclosure that I am me and you are you and what my body reacts to — or doesn’t — is not necessarily true for you. That being said, LMK if you’ve tried these and had a different experience. You probably possess some secret chill factor that I could learn from.
Overall Thoughts
This was one of those brands that really grew on me over the course of this research project. While I’m not the most “edgy” (can you tell) in my taste, I can appreciate the story they’re trying to tell.
I’m incredibly honest (a backhanded compliment I once received. I think it’s code for being a New Yorker) so you now know where I stand on Nightcap. However, I’m not opposed to trying the other two formulas with the hopes of being proven wrong. I remain skeptical but hopeful.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️.5/5
In Other News…
Estée Lauder acquires Deciem, owner of The Ordinary, La Mer, and others.
Get them started early: Graza + Oatly for babies.
What’s the German word for needing a vacation from your vacation?
This is a win for brand integration. The Cut’s words, not mine.
That’s all for now. If there’s a product you want reviewed or just want to chat, reply to this email. :)
yeah the branding is super misleading and confusing. I get the whole long game thing but what they're doing is the opposite of surprise and delight which has to hurt
Omg. I REALLY thought that these were psilocybin, and every time I see ads I wonder how they're selling them legally.
I feel like they're a few years late to the mushroom as a superfood trend... the brand would've THRIVED if it came out 5 years ago when brands like Four Sigmatic and MudWTR were all the rage. I wonder who consistently buys these!