Neuro

Product Type:Water: Enhanced; Container: 14.5 oz PET
BevNET Review: Neuro Sport is, as the name implies, the sports and hydration variety of the line. Featuring a citrus lemon flavor that’s delivered in a non-carbonated format, the product drinks very much like a traditional sports drink. That is with one exception – the use of sucralose, which cuts the calories (35 per bottle) but leaves a sweetener aftertaste behind. Given the level of sweetness that the drink has (it’s rather sweet), they could probably stand to use less of the sucralose and sugar, which would make for a lighter tasting product. Otherwise, Sport adds in a load of vitamins and minerals, delivering electrolytes and hydration. Plus, we like that this variety has no coloring in it, which again makes for a nice point of differentiation between the other flavors in the line. Packaging stands out, at least with the cone shaped cap on, but the small CSD style opening might not be a hit with sports drink consumers who are used to a wider mouth. Then again, this probably isn’t a product that’s being used during sweat occasions, with its smallish 14.5 oz. size being noticeably smaller than competing products. Overall, an enjoyable product that needs only a few tweaks.Reviewed on: 1/18/2012

Product Type:Water: Enhanced; Container: 14.5 oz PET
BevNET Review: Sonic is the “mental performance” formulation of the Neuro lineup. Featuring flavors that are intended to taste like elderflower and green tea, the product has a pleasant flavor that’s probably more akin to tropical berry flavor. It’s a carbonated product that’s sweetened with a blend of crystalline fructose and sucralose, resulting in a sweet flavor but only 35 calories per 14.5 oz. bottle. Functionally, there are a lot of ingredients that would typically be found in energy products, including taurine, caffeine, and inositol, while they’ve also added a cocktail of other ingredients for alertness, mood, and health. As a result, it’s hard to really put a label on this product, although energy is likely to be the one that the consumer feels first. That being said, calling this something less ambiguous than “Sonic” would probably help sales. On the outside, they’ve created something that does a nice job of feeling functional (from a credibility point of view) and hip, with a large cone shaped cap on what is otherwise a rather simple PET bottle. However, there are a lot of things that are competing for your attention, including a logo and three separate areas of text. Lost in the shuffle is the callout regarding the drink’s low calorie profile, which should definitely get billing closer to the front. Overall, nice taste and function, but a stronger emphasis on energy would likely make this drink sell better in the long run.Reviewed on: 9/29/2009

Product Type:Water: Enhanced; Container: 14.5 oz PET
BevNET Review: Neuro Bliss is a lightly carbonated lychee flavored beverage that’s designed to help you relax, “get smart” and enhance your mood. It’s moderately sweet, thanks to the use of crystalline fructose and sucralose, but has only 35 calories per bottle. It’s a nice tasting product that’s better than most diet CSDs, with a sweet fruit flavor, lots of carbonation, and a slight vitamin note to the finish. Functionally, this product relies on L-theanine, the key amino acid in green tea, as well as a cocktail of other herbal ingredients, amino acids, vitamins and minerals. Packaging is a proprietary 14.5 oz. bottle that has about the same weight as a standard PET soda bottle. The cap is a somewhat large conic shape with a bright baby blue tone, which certainly makes for a nice shelf presence. However, unscrewing this cap is another story, leaving both a bottle and a bottle opening that looks and feels very much like a regular CSD bottle. As far as the bottle design goes, it’s well done, with imagery and text that certainly emits a vibe of credible functionality. On the other hand, what the text says is a bit much, making multiple phrases and claims. Less would definitely be more, especially since some of the benefits are likely to be easier to feel than others (such as a “get smart”). Overall, it’s got a nice taste and a cool looking bottle from afar, but closer examination shows a product that’s promising a lot for a carbonated beverage.Reviewed on: 9/29/2009

Product Type:Water: Enhanced; Container: 14.5 oz PET
BevNET Review: Of the lineup, Neuro “Gasm” has the best and most memorable flavor, which is a mixture of blood orange, mango, and passion fruit flavorings. The 35 calorie formulation is sugar and sucralose sweetened, while a hefty dose of carbonation gives the product a crisp mouth-feel. Billed as helping your “body performance,” this product has a loads of functional ingredients aimed at a variety of functional areas, including energy, circulation, satisfaction, performance, and relaxation. From our point of view, this seems like an unfocused approach, especially since there’s potential overlap with other Neuro flavors. And then there’s the name “Neuro Gasm,” which is, at least to us, an unappealing name for a food or beverage product. Yes, it’s humorous, but it’s the type of thing that could get in the way of repeat business. That’s especially unfortunate given the product’s very enjoyable flavor. Packaging is attractive, at least from afar, having made good use of a CSD-style PET bottle. The cone shaped cap makes the product stand out, but, once removed, you’re left with a pretty pedestrian looking product. Like the other Neuro flavors, we’d like to see them more clearly articulate (on the front panel) what this drink is all about. Overall, we really enjoyed the flavor and its functionality feels credible, but a more narrow focus would probably help this drink in the long run.Reviewed on: 9/29/2009

Product Type:Water: Enhanced; Container: 14.5 oz PET
BevNET Review: Of all the flavors, this Neuro variety is definitely the most accurately named. Using a non-carbonated lychee flavor that’s sweetened with sugar and sucralose, this product is very easy to drink and enjoyable. Functionally, Trim is more focused than some of the other flavors, with the sole purpose being to support weight loss (although they say it in about ten different ways). They’ve used LuraLean, a new super fiber, as well as L-carnitine, caffeine, resveratol, green tea extract, and gymnema sylvestre. All in all, it’s a pretty well thought-out formulation. The same can be said for the outside, which, unlike the other flavors, hits you with a straightforward front panel that’s almost exclusively focused on weight loss. That bodes well for the success of this drink, which, aside from being in a category that has some momentum, has nice visual execution. The cone shaped cap combined with the uniquely shaped 14.5 oz. PET bottle should make this product stand out from the pack. Overall, the best of the brand. Reviewed on: 9/29/2009

Product Type:Water: Enhanced; Container: 14.5 oz PET
BevNET Review: Flavored with apricot and peach flavorings, Neuro’s “Sleep” formulation is a relaxation product that’s focused on assisting the drinker achieve a restful night of sleep. Functionally, they accomplish this primarily through the use of melatonin, a proven sleep aid that’s been making frequent appearances in relaxation products. In addition, the formulation has L-Theanine, the primary amino acid in green tea, as well as 5-HTP, taurine, and magnesium glycinate, which have been added to deliver detoxification and relaxation benefits. From a flavor point of view, it’s not bad, but not great either, with the peach and apricot flavorings and lack of carbonation exposing the somewhat harsh sucralose aftertaste. Also, we think that the name “Sleep” is going to pigeonhole the product and possibly scare off buyers unless they are really ready to go to sleep. With the relaxation market as small as it currently is, this niche is probably too small to sustain a product of this type. Furthermore, making it low calorie and adding “get smart” to the functional claims seems unnecessary and possibly confusing. Overall, a good concept, but the execution and positioning should make for limited appeal. Reviewed on: 9/29/2009