Leisure Project is a new line of non-carbonated beverages that are enhanced with electrolytes, adaptogens and nootropics. Marketed as a “mind-boosting hydration” beverage, Leisure Project contains only 30 calories per 16 ounce can.

Unlike most hydration beverages, Leisure Project isn’t trying to be a sports drink that is formulated and marketed for improving physical performance. Instead, it has been designed with “your mental well-being in mind,” which explains the inclusion of nootropics and adaptogens.

Leisure Project also offers an NFT-powered membership program, which, as we’ll detail later, is also incorporated into the label’s artwork. While this isn’t mentioned in the label copy, the company’s website describes the utility of the NFT as having exclusive privileges including the ability to help “co-create the future” of the brand. While it doesn’t impact this review, we are certainly intrigued to see if and how this can be a meaningful part of Leisure Project’s future.

Moving back to the drink itself, it currently features three flavors: Original Citrus, Mango Ginger and Blueberry Lavender. The products are sweetened with a blend of agave (4 grams added sugar) and stevia to help keep calorie and sugar content low.  Other key ingredients include lemon juice, ocean minerals, magnesium, L-theanine, GABA, lemon balm and vitamin D3.

When it comes to flavor, all three Leisure Project SKUs have a light, bright note of lemon juice that hits your palate almost immediately. Much like a sports drink, the sweetness is subtle but present throughout. The blend of agave and stevia works well and there isn’t much in the way of aftertaste.  The two fruit flavored SKUs taste true to their names, although they do compete with the lemon juice somewhat. Still, all three are enjoyable and hydrating and we do appreciate that they’ve created something original rather than simply cloning popular sports drink flavors.

On the outside, Leisure Project has definitely created a look that’s all its own.  While the majority of the hydration category is filled with brands that look technical and sporty to build functional credibility, Leisure Project has a softer vibe that feels like it’s trying to build a more personable connection with the consumer. 

This starts with the packaging, opting for a can rather than the plastic bottles that are synonymous with sports drinks. While sacrificing resealability, it makes the brand stand out; it feels like a parallel approach to what Liquid Death has done in the bottled water category.

Moving on to the label, which has a white background, it is divided into a section of text at the top and an illustrated section for the lower half. The latter is the dominant of the two and is what catches your eye first. The illustrations are of the SKU’s hero ingredients and also feature a small illustrated character (from their NFT collection), which looks like a web3 version of the Kool-Aid man. 

The label copy, which sits above these illustrations, spans five lines and is easy to quickly read. The logo focuses on the word “Leisure” with “project” in a much smaller font and placed above the final “e.” Directly below this is the tagline for the brand, “hydrating wellness-ade.”  There are also callouts for “calm, balance, clarity” as well as “electrolyte & adaptogen infused.” 

While this copy is reasonably intuitive in terms of what the functions are, we do feel that not saying “sports drink” is going to result in a bit of consumer (and retailer) education in terms of what the use case is and what type of drink it replaces. If they are willing to play the long game a bit, this could pay off – and we again see a bit of a parallel to Liquid Death and the approach they’ve taken in bottled water.  

However, in the short term we think more prominently highlighting the fact that this drink is non-carbonated would be helpful. Currently, the label has a “no bubbles” callout running vertically on the side of the can, but we think this could be easy to miss and is something that does need education considering that most beverages using 16 ounce cans are carbonated.

Ultimately, we really like what Leisure Project has created with their initial offering. They’ve done a great job of taking something that’s familiar (and in a well-established category) and turning it into something that also feels new and innovative. There’s definitely still room for fine tuning, but even their first effort should have a chance to stand out.