Vuel Sports Rejuvenation Sports Drink

Product Type:Sports Drinks: Sports Drink; Container: 20 oz PET
BevNET Review: The Grape variety of Vuel’s “Sports Rejuvenation” was our preferred flavor of the two that we sampled. It features a tart and moderately sweet fruit flavor that helps hide the slight aftertaste of sucralose that we cited in the Lemon flavor. That certainly makes for a more enjoyable drinking experience, but it doesn’t add anything to the product’s thirst quenching capabilities. Still, it gets the job done in terms of quenching your thirst, with added chloride, potassium, and sodium. Having glucosamine is a marketable plus, although it’s something that could use more promotion in terms of where and how it’s promoted on the label. As of right now, you really have to look for it, which makes it something that could easily be passed over. Furthermore, we’re just not huge fans of the product’s name, which is overly technical sounding to the point where we probably would have guessed that this is a supplement product. Overall, it’s a good concept, but the execution of the branding needs work.Reviewed on: 11/2/2009

Product Type:Sports Drinks: Sports Drink; Container: 20 oz PET
BevNET Review: The Lemon flavor of Vuel’s Sports Rejuvenation is a reduced calorie glucosamine (and methylsulfonylmethane) enhanced sports drink. Sweetened with sucralose and crystalline fructose (sugar), the product has a full strength level of sweetness but only 35 calories and 7g of sugar per serving. It has that salty flavor that is typical of sports drinks (from the added electrolytes) and the lemon flavor is also pretty much on part with competing sports drinks. From a functional point of view, emphasis on the joints is a good way to differentiate and add value, as is a lower calorie profile. While we can’t speak to the product’s ability to aid in joint health, the product is quenching, although there’s a touch of sweetener flavor to the finish. On the packaging and branding front, the product has a nice look from afar, but upon closer inspection, it’s somewhat hard to make sense of what this product’s focus is. Really, it comes down to the placement of phrases like “Joint Health” and “sports rejuvenation,” which are placed off to the side using small font sizes. The result is a product that could easily be construed as just another sports drink. And if that’s the case, we’re not crazy about the name “Vuel,” which sounds odd as it rolls off your tongue. More importantly, it’s a name that doesn’t really add thing or inspire the consumer. Adding some more personality to the brand is what we’d like to see. Overall, it tastes nice and has the potential to be different, but right now the product looks like something that could be passed over.Reviewed on: 11/2/2009