Mickies

Product Type:Juice: Juice Drink; Container: 5 oz Pak
BevNET Review: Mickies Slices’ Pineapple Lemon is an organic beverage that’s labelled as being 100% juice. From a flavor perspective, it has an accurate pineapple flavor and a touch of lemon, but there’s also a hefty amount of apple to it. And that’s no surprise given that apple juice -- not pineapple juice or lemon juice -- is the only juice found in this product. While it definitely tastes good, we think there will be some confusion when an organic-conscious buyer reads the label and realizes that this is the case. Otherwise, the product’s 70 calorie formulation and added vitamins (B, C, D) certainly put it in the realm of where juice boxes fall. As for the actual container, the “slice” box is something that’s visually different from the rest of the products in the space. The product is held flat (as opposed to standing up), which definitely takes some getting used to. Otherwise, the name and the brand are okay (although there’s an obvious question of how it relates to the Disney character of the same name). And from a design perspective, there’s a lot going on on the front panel of the product. Simplifying and cleaning it up would be helpful. Overall, this product has very unique packaging and good flavor, albeit flavor that’s not significantly better than other products in the space. Reviewed on: 8/27/2012

Product Type:Juice: Juice Drink; Container: 5 oz Pak
BevNET Review: Mickies’ take on the classic “Fruit Punch” flavor is an enjoyable one that’s both organic and 100 percent juice. However, the 100 percent juice comes exclusively from apple juice, despite there being photo images of grapes and strawberries on the container. Otherwise, this product’s flavor is straightforward and pleasant as far as fruit punch goes. Like the rest of the Mickies line, it’s really the packaging that makes this product stand out from the competition. The “slice” package, which we’ve only ever seen used on a frozen confectionery product, is easy to hold and feels good in the hand -- at least when it’s standing upright. However, the product must be tilted to the side in order to get the straw in. This did, in our tests, require some instruction when giving it to children (most of whom are accustomed to pouches that must be kept upright at all times). Beyond that, the visual design of the product is appealing (although it misrepresents what’s inside), but the execution of the front panel is a bit crowded. Really, we’d love the formulation to include the fruits pictured rather than this approach to be changed. Overall, a novel approach to the juice box category, but it could certainly stand to be improved.Reviewed on: 8/27/2012

Product Type:Water: Enhanced; Container: 5 oz Pak
BevNET Review: Kiwi Watermelon is one of the two “flavored water with vitamins” varieties that’s found in the Mickies lineup. The packaging of the product is much more noteworthy than what’s inside, with a triangular shaped container that is placed sideways before it is opened with the attached straw. The crowded front panel says “flavored water” in somewhat small print, which makes it easy to confuse this for one of the regular juice varieties. As far as the flavor goes, this 30 calorie product’s fruit flavor is definitely weaker and less accurate than the juice box varieties. However, it, too, only features apple juice and has no kiwi or watermelon (these are just flavorings). In the case of this particular product, the flavorings are not nearly as accurate as its counterparts. All in all, this is a decent product if compared against other lower calorie juice boxes, but it could still be improved upon in both flavor and design.Reviewed on: 8/27/2012

Product Type:Water: Enhanced; Container: 5 oz Pak
BevNET Review: The second of two “flavored water” varieties of Mickies is this product, Orange Mango. Like the other flavors in the brand, it uses an apple juice base that allows the product to be labeled as 44 percent juice. The orange and mango flavors are accurate, but not there in a sufficient capacity to compete with the stronger apple flavor. As a result, the product has a nice first note of flavor, but is quickly overwhelmed and has a finish that’s somewhat off. The design of the package, which definitely gets points for being innovative and catching the eye, is somewhat complicated to use in comparison to a standard juice box. Specifically, the product needs to be turned on its side and is somewhat awkward to hold since it has to be kept on its side. Still, we like the concept of this -- we hope that they can tweak both the flavor and package in the future. Reviewed on: 8/27/2012