Quietly, and with barely a shred of promotion, the Coca-Cola Co. Inc., has launched a new coconut water-infused Vitaminwater flavor called Coco-Refresh. It appears that Coke introduced Coco-Refresh exclusively in the New York City market a little over a month ago, and though the drink is listed among other Vitaminwater varieties on the company’s website, there are only a few tidbits of information about the product, mostly from the viral rants of beverage-crazed bloggers.
Coco-Refresh contains the same base ingredients as other Vitaminwater flavors (water, crystalline fructose, cane sugars, B-vitamins, electrolytes), along with coconut water from concentrate – which makes up 10 percent of the product – and pineapple flavoring. No word on whether Coke-owned ZICO is providing the coconut water for the new beverage.
The move to create a coconut water-infused Vitaminwater comes on the heels of Pepsi’s launch of a new SoBe Lifewater with Coconut Water extension that debuted late earlier this year, and it appears that Coke may be taking the same beach/island-themed marketing approach that Pepsi has used for the new SoBe line. On the Vitaminwater website, Coco-Refresh is described as one in which the “side effects of taste may include the desire to put a mini umbrella in the bottle. you may also consider getting a fake, orange tan (even though it will make you look… orange)… plus, your orange glow will match the beads on the end of your braids.”