NERD The Focus and Energy Beverage

Product Type:Functional: Energy Drink: Regular; Container: 12 oz can
BevNET Review: Billed as a “focus and energy beverage,” Nerd comes in a 12 oz. can that looks and feels very much like an energy drink. Sweetened with corn syrup and sucralose, the citrus flavor of Nerd is quite impressive . It'’s strong, sweet, and has bite to the finish, very much like what you’'ll find in some of the caffeinated citrus CSDs. However, the bite goes a bit deeper than a CSD, offering a heftier note of vitamin flavor. Fortunately, it’s not an unpleasant flavor – and it'’s one that adds some credibility to the drink'’s functional claims. Speaking of functional claims, this product’'s “brain focus & memory retention blend” (that alone probably warrants a supplement panel instead of a nutrition panel) contains ingredients that aren't used too often in beverages, including vinpocetine, huperzine A, and DMAE (there’'s also ginkgo biloba) which make up the drinks "focus and memory enhancers." In addition, the product has an added energy blend, which consists of common energy drink ingredients such as caffeine (120mg per can), taurine, guarana, and inositol. While there’'s definitely some energy kick to this product, it didn'’t make us feel any more focused or have better memory (nor did we expect it to). Our point is that selling a function like focus is a tough one – and ultimately we think that taste, caffeine, and branding are going to have to sell this brand. As far as the “Nerd” brand goes, it’'s something that we’re guessing (based on the brain image) is a call out to the fact that it will improve your smarts. On the other hand, it has a sort of self-deprecating feeling to it as well, which could either be seen as hip or passé. Either way, the uniqueness of the name stands out and is, at least to us, memorable. That, paired with the product’'s really enjoyable flavor and caffeine buzz, would keep us coming back to this product again. However, we think that they need to do a bit more to make the “focus” functionality seem credible. Otherwise, a very enjoyable product.Reviewed on: 8/10/2009