LaCroix: NiCola

LaCroix’s NiCola is a sweetener-, color-, and calorie-free sparkling water that is formulated with cola flavoring. It’s a very novel concept in that cola is the poster child for the struggling CSD industry. So how does it translate to a sparkling water? Admittedly, our hopes were not high for this one. But as soon as we took our first sip, we were instantly won over by the flavor of the product. Whatever LaCroix has managed to do with this product, it hits the nail on the head in terms of replicating the smell and taste of cola in a guilt-free way. We’d certainly drink this over any diet cola that’s currently out there. While it’s less sweet than even a diet cola (it has no sweetness), the lack of any aftertaste is a huge plus. Ultimately, we’re not sure if we’d drink this over a fruit-flavored sparkling water, but it’s a very well-executed soda alternative that we think could extend into other flavors. On the outside, the product’s 12 oz. can has branding makes it look very similar to other LaCroix offerings. However, the design of the product, with it’s red, white, and blue “stripes”, has a look that one might say is a subtle nod to one of the big cola brands. And there’s the product’s name, NiCola, which is a reference to National Beverage’s CEO (who also came up with the name). The design of the product might not be something that will win design awards, but it does effectively say “cola” without making the product look like a CSD (which would be bad). In our opinion, that’s exactly what LaCroix needed to do with this product. Overall, an innovative and well-executed product.