News

Out with the polar bears, in with the showgirls. On Tuesday, Coca-Cola launched an interactive campaign centered around its Super Bowl ad, which displays cowboys, badlanders (a biker gang), and a bus full of showgirls in the middle of the desert.

Hoping to swarm distributors, the maker of Killer Buzz Energy drinks is actively seeking an acquisition of one or two beverage companies - and could spend upwards of $10 million to do so. “There’s no cap and no floor,” said Jeremy Friedman, director of marketing for Killer Buzz. “It’s more about opportunity than the size of the investment. If an opportunity warranted a $10 million acquisition, that number is not too high.”

Just in time for the Super Bowl, Kraft is adding a sports-centric SKU to its fast-growing MiO line of liquid water enhancers. MiO Fit, which was announced Tuesday in a press release, contains electrolytes, B vitamins and zero calories, and enables consumers to turn water into a sports drink. MiO Fit currently offers two flavors, Berry Blast and Arctic Grape, and is sold in two bottle sizes: 12 or 18 servings per bottle (along with 8 oz. of water per serving).

In an online plea, Oogave co-founder Gannon Merrell said the company needs to raise $500,000 to be able to reach positive cash flow in the next 18-20 months – or else it will have to liquidate.

ZUN founder Brian Stearns is pulling out of the energy and brain boosting business altogether, announcing that the brand is reinventing itself “as an all-natural ‘kid friendly’ beverage.”