PowerBall Energized Juice

Product Type:Functional: Energy Drink: Regular; Container: 8 oz can
BevNET Review: The initial flavor of the PowerBall Energized Juice line, Acai Berry is a non-carbonated beverage that’s made with 25 percent juice. Using blueberry and red grape juices, instead of acai, the product’s flavor is pleasant, but no substitute for real acai juice. This results in a fruit punch flavor that drinks very much like a juice drink, rather than your typical energy drink. However, they’ve made it “energized” by adding caffeine, taurine, B-vitamins, inositol, and glucuronolactone. It’s certainly a different approach than what we’ve seen from the energy category in the past, but the product’s juice-like flavor might throw energy drink consumers for a loop. That’s okay by us, but it’s something that’s going to require consumer education on the part of the brand marketer. And it might be nice if a drink called “Acai Berry” actually had acai juice in it. As for the packaging, it feels somewhat disconnected from what’s inside the can. There’s a large disco ball adorning the front of the can, but the name PowerBall is, at least in the US, synonymous with the lottery game of the same name. Plus, while the liquid inside the can is unique, this design and branding feels generic and run of the mill, all the way down to the copy used on the back of the can. Overall, the concept of the formulation is good, but needs work in execution, while the branding is something that could use another trip to the drawing board.Reviewed on: 6/2/2009