Leaning into both ecommerce and functional beverage trends, PepsiCo today announced plans to launch a relaxation beverage brand called Driftwell this winter.
The product, which uses the tagline “Sip Into Relaxation,” is a zero calorie, noncarbonated enhanced water beverage aimed to help consumers “de-stress” and “relax and unwind,” containing 200 mg of L-theanine and 10% daily value of magnesium with no added sugar. The brand is set to launch nationwide online in December and in retailers in the first quarter of 2021 in a “spa water-inspired” Blackberry Lavender flavor for a suggested retail price of $17.99 per 10 pack of 7.5 oz. cans.
Driftwell was developed by PepsiCo employees for “The Next Big Idea,” the company’s internal pitch competition led by CEO Ramon Laguarta, and the product is being brought to market less than a year since its conception. The brand was created to address a gap in the over-the-counter sleep remedy category– a $1 billion market with over 9.5% four year CAGR according to IRI — which often feature products that have “little efficacy” or “heavy-handed ingredients,” the company noted.
“Driftwell is not just a product but an essential wellness conversation in North America that the brand is proactively driving,” the company said in a statement. “Relaxation and dealing with stress is a lifestyle shift.”
Driftwell will be part of the company’s move to establish a stronger ecommerce positioning. The company launched two direct-to-consumer platforms, snacks.com and pantryshop.com, featuring its portfolio of food and beverage brands, in May.
Sleep beverages have been a small but emerging trend over the last few years, including brands such as Som Sleep, whose formula also contains L-theanine and magnesium along with melatonin, and herbal sleep aid Snoooze. Brands such as Vital Proteins, Dirty Lemon, So Good So You and More Labs also market ready-to-drink sleep beverages and shots, while Nuun and Liquid I.V. offer powdered sleep aid beverage mixes.