The Product
David Protein is moving beyond the bar set with the September 8 launch of its first ready-to-drink Protein Milkshakes — a 12 oz, ultrafiltered-milk format that delivers 30g of protein at 140 to 150 calories and less than 1g of sugar in two flavors: Vanilla and Chocolate. The bottles are available now on the brand's direct-to-consumer site and at select New York City retail locations.
The macros are competitive with the top tier of the dispensed-beverage and packaged-protein cooler set. Vanilla checks in at 140 calories; Chocolate at 150. Both hold the sub-1g sugar line that has become a differentiator in a functional-beverage aisle crowded with RTD shakes that often carry 5 to 15g of sugar. The ultrafiltered milk base concentrates native dairy protein rather than relying solely on added protein isolates — a formulation approach that appeals to better-for-you shoppers already comfortable with the fairlife positioning.
Portfolio Context
The RTD launch is the second major format extension David has executed in three months. In June the brand rolled out David Frozen Dessert, a pint delivering 30g of protein at 210 to 260 calories and 1 to 2g of sugar depending on flavor. The core bar lineup — David Gold at 28g of protein for 150 calories and David Bronze at 20g for 150 calories — established the brand's high-protein, low-calorie density positioning that the milkshake now extends into the cold vault.
For c-store buyers, that trajectory matters. Operators who already carry David bars in the single-serve snack and nutrition set now have a logical cooler companion that shares the same consumer promise. RTD protein shakes are one of the fastest-turning SKU groups in the cold-vault, and a brand with existing shelf velocity in the bar category carries lower sell-through risk on a cooler placement.
Go-to-Market
David is backing the launch with a campaign called "Drink David," featuring supermodel Stella Maxwell. Creative highlights the brand's gold-colored milkshake bottles through digital, social, and out-of-home placements concentrated in New York City this month. The fashion-forward aesthetic signals the brand is targeting a lifestyle-and-fitness consumer rather than purely a sports-nutrition buyer — a positioning consistent with the broader premiumization trend reshaping the functional-beverage segment.
Retail availability beyond the initial New York City footprint has not been announced. That limited launch geography is typical for a young brand stress-testing velocity before pitching regional or national chain planogram space. C-store category managers in the Northeast should expect a trade pitch in the near term if early sell-through data supports a broader push.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
