Powdered hydration beverage maker Nuun is continuing to build out its suite of functional products with its latest line extension, Nuun Energy.
The dissolvable tablets contain a blend of 80 mg of caffeine sourced from organic green tea extract, Vitamins B5, B6 and B12, ginseng and electrolytes for hydration. The products are available in Berry Blast, Tropical Punch, Ginger Lime Zing and Watermelon Burst flavors. The line will retail for $8 per 10-tablet tube.
Nuun Energy is currently available online direct-to-consumer and in stores at select retailers including Whole Foods, REI and Dick’s Sporting Goods. According to Nuun CEO Kevin Rutherford, the company is looking to roll the line out to additional mainstream retailers in the coming months.
Nuun has tied its product portfolio together through hydration, with electrolytes playing the role of hero ingredient. However, over the past few years, the company has sought to expand its platform into additional functionalities, with lines focused around Immunity, Vitamins and Rest. The brand has also expanded beyond its tablet format into tubs, pouches and stick packs, offering more niche functionalities including Endurance, Recover and pre-workout formula Prime.
According to Rutherford, Energy gives Nuun a third key pillar, alongside hydration and health and wellness, to innovate and grow its offerings. Though the company has introduced caffeinated varieties in the past in its Sport and Vitamins lines, Energy is the first line to deliver a concentrated, functional benefit around focus and clarity in addition to a caffeine booster.
“What we were missing was a true energy product to provide mental focus and overall energy for your body,” Rutherford said. “And that’s the approach that we took with this one — let’s develop a true energy product that tastes really good and that’s portable.”
Although no additional products have been confirmed, Rutherford said the company is thinking about line extensions for Energy, including around dayparts and use occasions.
Rutherford also noted the line is intended to provide a better-for-you alternative to the RTD energy drink category. In addition to providing better flavor and a buzz without a crash, he said the brand is also emphasizing sustainability in its messaging with a focus on reducing consumers’ dependence on one-time use packaging.
“We really are on a mission to try to get people to rethink their reliance on ready-to-drink,” he said. “And so we really want to get people to adopt reusable water bottles to reduce the footprint and energy drinks aren’t currently doing that today. Now, I’m not suggesting RTDs go away. What I am suggesting is we reduce our reliance on them. So this product is 10 concentrated doses in a tube and I think that’s starting to go in the right direction, which has been our approach all along.”