WTRMLN

As announced in August, WTRMLN WTR is getting into the sports drink category with the launch of WTRMLNSLCE. The move not only diversifies the company’s offerings, but it also puts it into a much higher velocity category than it has existed in previously.

Launching with four flavors, including Original, Tart Cherry, Blood Orange, and Lemon Ginger (which we did not get to sample), the product contains 25 percent watermelon juice, is low in sugar (2g with no added sugar), and contains only 30 calories per bottle. On the functional side of things, WTRMLNSLCE features many of the same functional ingredients as the core line including citrulline for muscle recovery and lycopene for antioxidants.

As for the flavor profile, WTRMLNSLCE drinks very much like a flavored water rather than something that is cut from the cloth of traditional -- and typically sweeter -- sports drinks. There's definitely some watermelon juice flavor to these products, although it is much more subtle than what you'll find in the flagship line.

However, the flavors for each of the SKUs comes from flavorings as opposed to fruit juice. This makes the differences between the drinks pretty subtle and, in some cases, such as in the Tart Cherry, the added flavoring really overpowers the watermelon juice. While it might be hard to maintain the $2.99 price point by utilizing fruit juice instead of flavorings, we’re pretty sure that it would improve the flavor.

Still, if we compare WTRMLNSLCE against the competition, we think that the line is in a pretty good spot. Other products, which have heavier flavors, added sweeteners, or a strong aftertaste, simply aren’t as refreshing and crushable as WTRMLNSLCE. And there’s something about its flavor and positioning that makes it feel more wholesome and nutritious.

On the outside, the product is packaged in a 16 oz. PET bottle that is very much a staple of both the enhanced water and sports drink categories. The design has a soft and colorful appearance to it, which is a nice contrast to the more technical and often male-oriented designs of other products in these categories. That said, our guess is that this product’s most direct competition is Bai.

We have two points of constructive feedback for the design that they've created. First, we feel as though the flavor name needs to be much more prominent than it currently is. When we first picked up this product, we found ourselves scanning around the label trying to find it; tucking it in the top right corner requires you to read from the bottom of the label up.

Second, there's the company's use of abbreviated text in both WTRMLN WTR and WTRMLNSLCE. Simply put, we’re not sure that what has worked for the company in the premium juice set will work for the company in a higher velocity and more mainstream category -- especially when they’ve used it in an even heavier dose than on their flagship product. The issue that we have is that it requires  to stop and think to read it, which is quite different that something simple like “Bai.”

Overall, we think that WTRMLNSLCE is a big step forward for WTRMLN WTR. As with any company entering a new category with a new product line, there’s some room for improvement, but the value proposition that they’ve created is a good foundation for the company to jump into the sports drink category.

As previously announced, WTRMLN WTR is extending their “BLNDS” line of flavored watermelon waters with four additional flavors for summer 2018. These flavors, which include Mint, Cucumber, Cayenne, and Blood Orange, will be available in the same 12 oz. bottle that is used throughout the line.

Admittedly, we were somewhat skeptical of the need for additional flavors of WTRMLN WTR. When they launched BLNDS back in 2017, they gave us a good selection of flavors, including spicy, sweet, and citrus. And we thought they were all very tasty (review of BLNDS).

Fortunately, they’ve done a really nice job with their latest additions and they’ve definitely brought something new to the table. They’ve brought two delicate and classic summer flavors in Mint and Cucumber, an extra level of spice with Cayenne, and the bright fresh flavor of blood orange in the Blood Orange variety. They are all really well executed, with a nice balance between the watermelon juice and the additional flavors.

However, if we were going to pick winners, we’d have to go with the Cayenne and Mint SKUs. We really love the extra heat in the Cayenne variety -- it is a very nice complement to the sweet flavor of the watermelon. And the combination of mint and watermelon really just makes the Mint SKU one of those quintessential summertime flavors.

Visually, these products look very much like the rest of the BLNDS line. The label features a close up of a fruit image as its background and a text based design that’s somewhat busy. It’s certainly functional and readable, although we think it might be hard to tell the difference between the flavors since they look somewhat similar and there isn’t a primary visual element on each label.

Overall, these latest extensions to the WTRMLN WTR’s BLNDS line are well crafted, delicious, and bring something new and exciting to the brand for Summer 2018.

Since launching in 2013, the premise of WTRMLN WTR (pronounced “watermelon water”) has been one of simplicity, sustainability, and creating healthier beverages. To do this, the company crafted a flagship product utilizing “discarded melons” and the whole fruit. As the company has evolved, the premise has largely stayed the same, with the exception of their past expansion into a lemon flavor.

Now, in 2017, WTRMLN WTR is seems primed to expand. They have a new CEO and a relatively recent capital raise and the brand is now at over 15,000 retail outlets. To buttress this growth, WTRMLN WTR is expanding their line with several new products, launching nationwide at Whole Foods. The new offerings are called BLNDS (“blends”) and feature a pairing of their watermelon water base blended with another ingredient: LMN (lemonade), CHRRY (tart cherry), LME (lime), and GNGR (ginger).

Like their flagship product, these new product offerings are 100 percent juice and contain no added sugar. At their core is the delicate watermelon water flavor that you’ll find in their flagship product, but it has been complemented with a different accent flavor in each flavor. There’s ginger, which is slightly spicy, cherry, which is tart and sweet, lime, which is tart and a bit sour, and lemon, which adds the classic flavor of lemonade. In all, all four of the BLNDS flavors are well executed and there’s really something for every palate.

For the label design and packaging, WTRMLN WTR BLNDS utilize the same chic packaging design as their flagship counterpart. It all starts with a slender round 12 oz. plastic bottle, which has been wrapped with a label that has a watermelon rind running vertically on the sides from top to bottom. In the center, they add an accent color specific to the flavor as well as the logo, text, and a black circle that features a light hearted play on words specific to the flavor (e.g. “Vitamin C You At The Gym”).