NASCAR driver Bobby Grewohl shaved his head and endured his first makeup session today in New York City. It was a bit of a change for the small-town racer. “My head’s shiny,” Grewohl said. “They’ve got to dim it down a little bit.” After a photo shoot, Grewohl, the Hollister, Calif. native, joined representatives of 989 On Demand, a hydrating enhanced beverage with its functional ingredients stored in a mix-to-drink cap, for a guerilla marketing effort in the city streets.

With the consumer in mind, Odwalla has redesigned its packaging for the first time in six years. The healthy beverage and bar maker, owned by the Coca-Cola Co., Inc. says it has tried to remove much of the clutter from its bottles and proceeded with a cleaner look and a color-coded system that matches caps with drink segments.

In response to growing concerns about rising rates of obesity in the U.S., the Coca-Cola Co., Inc. has produced a two-minute video advertisement, that “encourages everyone to be mindful that all calories count in managing your weight, including those in Coca-Cola products and in all foods and beverages,” according to a statement released today by the company.

PepsiCo and Anheuser-Busch InBev are collaborating on joint promotions and in-store marketing for the first time, according to a story by Ad Age. The collaboration will take place in the days leading up to the Feb. 3 Super Bowl.

Kraft Foods Group is backing its faith in MiO, the liquid water enhancer, by placing a 30-second advertisement of the brand in the third quarter of the Super Bowl, according to Ad Age.

Bazi International, Inc., and its operating subsidiary True Drinks, Inc., announced Wednesday that Aquaball, a naturally flavored water, has gained national distribution in all Safeway, Inc.-operated stores, including Safeway, Vons, Pavilions and Randall’s.

As energy drinks continue to take heat from politicians and federal agencies for their caffeine content and labeling, the sales growth of Monster Energy and Red Bull has slightly decelerated, according to a consumer price index (CPI) report released Friday by Morgan Stanley.

The PepsiCo shuffle continues. After revealing a multi-million dollar marketing partnership with Beyonce and recent plans to “drinkify” snacks, the carbonated soft drink giant announced that it has added another sweetener to Diet Pepsi, according to the Associated Press.

Start with some capital, any capital at all, and so long as your brand has growth potential, you could be the next Starbucks or Rockstar. This message was repeated on the second day of BevNET Live Winter 12 in Santa Monica, CA, as representatives from big-time brands shared their paths from humble beginnings to current prestige before a bevy of note-taking startups.

With knowledge of some legal terminology and a well-prepared plan, your brand can avoid a suffocating contract and keep investors interested. At least, that’s what a group of lawyers told BevNET Live attendees during a breakout session in which they covered everything from trademark law to buyout terms.