This week’s batch of brands feel aspirational: Who wouldn’t want to feel “dead” less? Who doesn’t want to “be love” or hydrate like hoops hero Steph Curry? Here’s our take on releases from Deadless, PLEZi and Be Love. To submit your beverage product to BevNET for review, click here. And to browse past reviews, check the archive here.
Be Love is a new line of balanced electrolytes drinks available in three flavors — Citrus Zest, Orange Blossom and Berry Bliss — in 12 oz. cans, as well as a “pure” version in a 16.9 oz. resealable aluminum bottle.
Things that stand out:
- “Balanced” is a somewhat differentiated take on electrolyte drinks; that means sodium (210mg), potassium (45mg) and magnesium (15mg).
- Light, easy-drinking flavors; stevia doesn’t overpower and no bitter aftertaste. Citrus Zest was our favorite.
- Color-coded SKUs have nice visual pop and clear callouts.
Things to consider:
- Some lingering saltiness and mineral taste, particularly in unflavored “pure” variety.
- While we like design, messaging feels a bit too broad. “Love” is a nice aspiration, but a bit lightweight as a consumer hook amidst crowded field of hydration options.
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Deadless is a new line of naturally flavors sparkling adaptogen elixirs with three SKUs: Evil Island, Bloody Berry and Citrus Sinner, all of which contain 100mg L-theanine, 200mg ashwagandha, 100mg rhodiola rosea and 200mg lion’s mane per 12 oz. can. Citrus Sinner also contains 50mg caffeine.
Things that stand out:
- Clever messaging (“party on and be deadless”) and branding for an alternative to alcohol; nice visual contrast against black labels
- Light carbonation and sweetness from juice (~4%) and agave is a winning combination; even with functional boost, it’s worthy of drinking on taste alone
- Having a gently caffeinated SKU broadens appeal without cornering in “energy” segment
Things to consider:
- Skull imagery and SKU names may echo another well-known, death-obsessed brand a bit much for some.
- Function or flavor? Deadless can play both sides well, but may potentially be tricky for merchandising.
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Kids beverage brand PLEZi is moving into the adult hydration set with its new PLEZi Hydration line. Bearing the name of NBA star Stephen Curry on each 16.9 oz. bottle (an investor in the brand, which was founded by Michelle Obama), PLEZi Hydration comes in three flavors – Tropical Punch, Orange Mango Twist and Lemon Lime. Each serving contains 500 mg of potassium and is made with real fruit juice and sweetened with stevia.
Things that stand out:
- An effective thirst quencher that delivers on the core proposition.
- Flavors are bold and the use of fruit juice gives it a fuller body than many other sports drinks.
- Brand identity is fun and poppy and it feels consistent with what we’ve seen on the kids drink line.
Things to consider:
- The drinks are quite sweet, containing both natural sugars and stevia, and we wonder if pulling back the stevia would be beneficial.
- Animal characters on the label seem to blur the lines between a kids drink and adult beverage, creating potential confusion.
- Steph Curry’s name is presented in bold on the front of the bottle, but why is not immediately clear until you read the side panel.
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