Massachusetts-based Ocean Spray Cranberries is aiming to meet the growing demand for relaxation beverages with CarryOn, a new line of hemp-infused sparkling waters which launched this month in a pilot run.
The new line features two varieties: Descend, a blueberry flavor containing L-Theanine and 20 mg of CBD, and Elevate, a grapefruit flavor containing choline and 10 mg of CBD. Both flavors contain vitamins C & E, have no added sugar and contain 10 calories per 11.5 oz. can. The line retails for $4.99 per unit and is being piloted exclusively in AppleJack Wine & Spirits stores in Colorado.
According to Ocean Spray chief global innovation officer Rizal Hamdallah, CarryOn was developed by the 90-year-old company’s Lighthouse Incubator program, which since last year has also produced brands such as plant-based drink Atoka and consumable “sun care” line Dabbly. Hamdallah said CarryOn was intended to fill a white space for products addressing day-to-day anxieties impacting consumers.
Like all other brands in the incubator, Hamdallah said CarryOn was developed over five months, allowing Ocean Spray to respond rapidly to changing consumer trends. The short timeline, Hamdallah said, forces product developers to avoid dragging projects out for too long before going to market.
“When people hear the words ‘Ocean Spray,’ they think about our juice, but we’re now focused on a new destination of health and wellness,” Hamdallah said. “So we’re still doing our core business and innovating in juice, but we also need to think bigger. And one space that we realized is becoming more critical is that consumers have more anxiety now than ever before.”
Hamdallah noted that CarryOn aims to enhance the functional benefits of CBD through additional ingredients such as L-theanine and choline, which can improve memory and cognitive function. Though sparkling water has been a popular category for CBD beverages, with competitors in the space including Recess, Daytrip and Weller, he added that the format allowed more freedom to innovate in regards to flavor and function.
Though the company considered releasing the product line under the Ocean Spray brand name, Hamdallah said consumer testing showed that CarryOn performed better as a standalone product. However, if the test run proves successful, Hamdallah said the company could consider launching CBD or other functional lines under the Ocean Spray banner.
“We want to do it step by step and hopefully these steps help us to define what the opportunity looks like in the near future,” he said.
Because of the uncertain regulatory environment surrounding CBD in food and beverage, Hamdallah said CarryOn will only be available in Colorado during its test run. However, if the launch is successful, the line may become available online direct-to-consumer. To support the launch, the company is running a targeted digital consumer marketing campaign in Colorado.
CarryOn has also donated to the Colorado Restaurant Foundation’s Angel Relief Fund to support out-of-work hospitality workers during the pandemic.
“We believe that from a regulatory perspective, from a legal perspective, everything is comfortable for us to test this,” Hamdallah said. “If it is successful, great. If it is not, for whatever reasons, we can kill it. But the important thing is at least we try.”