Super Coffee Follows Path to Protein
Super Coffee’s tightened-up product strategy was on full display (almost) at Expo West this year, as the brand showcased a first look at its new Protein+ line, available in 12 oz PET bottles and in TetraPak 4-packs. The line is set to launch in two flavors, Mocha Latte and Vanilla Latte, each with 25 grams of whey protein each; the 12 oz. PET version will move via Polar and Big Geyser, while the 4-packs will start as a national exclusive with CVS.
The strategy aligns with Super Coffee’s reorganized portfolio, in which all products are directed toward a specific retail channel. Having ballooned at one point to 14 flavors, the brand has trimmed down to just 11 SKUs across four formats: 50 oz. multiserve cold brew for grocery, the canned XXXtra Energy for c-stores, Super Espresso for natural and specialty retail, and now Protein for ambient drugstores, convenience and other spaces where it can fight it out with category leaders Core Power and Muscle Milk in the coolers and Premier Protein in the center-store shelf.
Within that stratification, the brand is effectively honing its messaging around each, helping the brand off to two profitable months to start the new year per CFO/co-founder Jake DeCicco. For Protein+ its “Boost Metabolism and Maintain Muscle,” alongside callouts for 1 gram of sugar and 3 grams of net carbs. That should help give the line a sense of identity amidst of sea of protein innovation from upstarts like Slate and established players like Quest.
Chameleon Coffee Changes Skin
Chameleons are known for their ability to adapt to their environment, which is an apt metaphor for the coffee brand of the same name. Having launched in Austin, Tex. in 2010, Chameleon Coffee has endured the rise and saturation of the category, then a promising marriage to Nestle that dissolved and eventually saw Chameleon move to the SYSTM Foods portfolio alongside names like Humm Kombucha and REBBL.
The change includes a revamped script and logo; the signature chameleon is now more animated and dynamic, appropriately changing colors for different SKUs to contrast against the colored labels. There are also more callouts on the front for caffeine content, organic milk and “abalnced energy & focus support,” a tacit acknowledgment that coffee can’t just be “coffee” these days.
But the brand also has ambitious plans for the liquid itself, specifically through flash brew method that’s been embraced in RTD previously by the likes of Verve and Japanese import Boss as an alternative to cold brew. Flash brews will serve as the base for retooled 8 oz. cans, previewed at the show in nitro-infused black coffee, flat white and double-shot (160mg caffeine) varieties. The 10 oz. glass bottles of cold brew will also sport the new labels.
Death Wish Coffee Resurrects RTDs
New York-based Death Wish Coffee Co. is the latest (re)entrant to canned coffee, which, according to Mintel, is the most consumed format among Gen Z and Millennials.
Offered in three flavors at launch – Vanilla, Mocha and Original – the dairy milk lattes contain as much caffeine as one-and-a-half cups of coffee, up to 87% less added sugar than lead RTD coffee brands and are free from artificial caffeine, colors, flavors and growth hormones. The line is available in 11 oz. single-serve cans at select retailers, including Walmart, Albertsons, and Five Below and in 12-packs on Amazon.
This isn’t the first time Death Wish has ventured into the RTD space. In 2017, the brand issued a recall of its first nitro cold brew production batch (and pulled the product from shelves) after a peer review found its canning process could potentially lead to the growth of clostridium botulinum, the bacteria responsible for botulism. In 2021, Death Wish released what it touted as the “world’s strongest latte,” which contained 300mg of caffeine per 8 oz. can.
Gym Weed Re-‘Focuses’ Branding Away From Energy
Image is everything in CPG, and it doesn’t always come easy. But adaptogenic fitness beverage Gym Weed, which at Expo West unveiled its third packaging iteration since launching in summer 2022, believes this may be the one.
Founded by the Pickett Family, of Muscle Milk fame, Gym Weed has been tweaking its formulation and identity over the years. First, 200mg of hemp extract was removed, and an adaptogenic blend of Lion’s Mane mushrooms, ashwagandha, L-theanine, and green tea-extracted caffeine was chosen. This most recent revamp removed sucralose in exchange for a combination of stevia, monk fruit, and white grape juice.
In terms of its new look, Gym Weed is branding around being an “Athletic Focus Drink” as opposed to an energy beverage. The new packaging uses a bold single color per flavor as opposed to the two-tone palette of the former can design.
“We’re owning the athlete,” said president Shane McCassy. “With a name like Gym Weed, our ‘weeds’ are our plant-based ingredients. Without context, consumers don’t know what’s in it or not, so we brought the ingredients to front-of-pack. We brought out our racing stripes.”
The drink also uses certification from Informed Choice which assures athletes that a product is free from performance-enhancing additives, similar to NSF Certified for Athletes.
Gym Weed has expanded into over 3,000 doors including distribution nationwide at Vitamin Shoppe as well as partnerships with Circle K, QuikTrip and Meijer. The brand is targeting the New York City market in the first half of 2025 with deals at Duane Reade and Shop Rite locations.