Happy Planet Health Shots

Product Type:Functional: Energy Shot; Container: 75 mL PET
BevNET Review: For any brand that features products in a shot format, energy is likely to be the best seller, so this was our starting point for the Happy Planet Health Shots brand. The shot features 150mg of caffeine (derived from coffee beans), as well as yerba mate, guarana, kola nut, brahmi herb, ginkgo biloba, ginseng, lemon balm, St. John’s wort, oat greens, and added vitamins. The caffeine alone gives the drink some decent punch, while the added herbal ingredients allow the product to maintain its all-natural formulation. Flavor is decent, although since they don’t disclose the “other ingredients”, we don’t know for certain what sweeteners they use (although they are all natural). The product has a noticeably herbal flavor which also seems to have a note of the added mate and perhaps even some berry. Compared to shots that use artificial sweeteners, this one is definitely more palatable. Last, but not least, is the packaging, which is a square shaped 2.5 oz. shot bottle. It’s a pretty busy looking design, which is partially due to the multiple functional benefits that are jammed onto the front. We’d like to see the lightning bolt image made a bit more visible as this would add some much needed graphic punch. In addition, better integrating the Happy Planet logo would give the product some more personality, which is definitely missing in the current design. Overall, a good product whose best chance is definitely in natural channels. Reviewed on: 5/7/2010

Product Type:Functional: Energy Shot; Container: 75 mL PET
BevNET Review: Marketed as a “skin nutrition” product, Happy Planet’s “Glow” is a pleasant tasting product that’s enhanced with a cocktail of ingredients, including sea buckthorn leaf and berry, bilberry, orange peel, evening primrose, coenzyme Q10, rosemary, grape seed, grape skin, and B vitamins. From a taste perspective, it’s actually quite pleasant, utilizing grape and lemon juices along with natural flavors for the base. Added sea buckthorn has clearly left its mark, but fortunately it’s not too strong (pure sea buckthorn does not taste good). In terms of marketability, we don’t think this flavor will sell as well as the others for the simple reason that this is not as big of a functional category. Packaging is a 2.5 oz. square bottle with a grey color palette. For something that’s calling itself “Happy Planet”, the drab grey doesn’t really reinforce the concept of the brand. Instead, the product feels technical and maybe even medicinal looking. A more positive looking color scheme would certainly help – as would making the words “skin nutrition” easier to read. Overall, it’s a good concept and the execution of what’s inside the bottle is good, but we think that the look of the packaging could be improved upon.Reviewed on: 5/7/2010