Irvine-based vaping company Propaganda Premium E-Liquid is growing up. A little.
The 5-year-old e-liquid manufacturer—profiled in the April 29 edition of the Business Journal—this month said it was introducing a new look for two of its most popular product lines—The Hype and its Salts collection.
The reason: to better appeal to those over 21, the legal age for vaping in California, while distancing itself from a look that might attract younger users.
About 3.6 million middle and high school students used electronic cigarettes last year, up from 2.1 million in 2017, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb last year called vaping “an epidemic.”
Chief Executive Nick DeNuccio said his company’s formula hasn’t changed but the brand has “done some growing up.”
“My partner and I were young and enthusiastic entrepreneurs when we launched this company, and our name and design choices reflected that,” DeNuccio said in an announcement detailing the changes.
DeNuccio was a teenager when he co-founded Propaganda with Chief Financial Officer Nick Bull.
Propaganda has grown to 24 employees, working out of its 10,000-square-foot factory near John Wayne Airport. It expects $12 million in sales this year, up from $7 million last year.
The vaping industry’s getting more attention from users, and federal authorities, according to the company.
“The brick-and-mortar vape stores we sell to and Uncle Sam have understandably high expectations, and our legal team, which specializes in FDA labeling, ensures that every product we put out meets all current requirements.”
The new product labels, which feature an updated font and neon colors, also show new names for its flavors. For example, its cotton candy flavor is now called pink and blue while strawberry shortcake was changed to strawberry a la mode.
The company offers six different e-liquid lines, featuring 24 flavors, and is sold at more than 5,000 retail locations in the U.S. and 40 countries. Products sell for about $19 to $40 each.
“From millennials to boomers, we’re proud to manufacture and distribute e-juice collections that are only meant for card-carrying adults,” DeNuccio said.
