Class Action Suit Takes Aim at 5-Hour’s Advertising

Celebrity lawyer Mark Geragos is shepherding a class-action lawsuit filed against 5-Hour Energy Monday in the U.S. District Court in the Central District of California. According to the suit, 5-Hour energy’s advertising claims of “hours of energy now, no crash later” are not scientifically supported and that its effects are not superior to other caffeine-based products like coffee or caffeine pills.

Larry T’s Brain-Twist Shutting Down

After nearly a dozen years developing some of the most innovative and off-the-wall products ever seen in the beverage industry, Brain-Twist is closing its doors. Company founder Larry Trachtenbroit confirmed to BevNET that the beverage incubation house, which is partly owned by The Coca-Cola Co. Inc., is in the process of winding down operations.

Review: Life Juice Spiced Almond Milk

For many of the raw cold-pressed juice brands that are coming to market, nut milks are becoming a standard part of the lineup. While several brands have taken these formulations and turned them into smoothies, Life Juice has kept it simple with its offering, Spiced Almond Milk.

Taylor Swift To Become New Face of Diet Coke

The Coca-Cola Co. Inc. announced yesterday that it has signed pop country singer Taylor Swift to a long-term endorsement deal for its Diet Coke brand. The deal will make Swift the centerpiece of Diet Coke's "Stay Extraordinary" campaign and "will be integrated into all key marketing efforts for the brand," including TV, print and digital advertising, according to the company.

FTC: POM Wonderful Made Deceptive Claims in 36 Ads and Promotional Materials

FTC Commissioners recently ruled against POM Wonderful on a variety of claims made in advertisements and on the company's web site that the company's pomegranate juice products could treat, prevent, or reduce the risk of heart disease, prostate cancer, and erectile dysfunction.

Beverage School: Awards that are Meeting The Millennial Opportunity

For many companies, monitoring trends with the darn kids these days is a futile effort. For others, like the winners of the 2012 Cass Awards, it’s a significant marketing opportunity. While Red Bull and Budweiser were the only two Cass Award winners from the beverage industry, the awards identify several other successful, millennial-based marketing ploys as discussed by Nick Shore, MTV’s SVP, at BevNET Live Winter 2012.

BevNET’s 2013 Supplier and Services Guide is Now Available

Looking for a co-packer or ingredient supplier? Need advice on a new distribution strategy? Think your brand could use a packaging refresh? BevNET's 2013 Supplier & Services Guide is the place to start. The guide is designed to help beverage marketers and manufacturers find the resources they need to formulate, design, package, produce, market, and distribute their product.

BevNET TV: Brand Updates, Trends at 2013 Winter Fancy Food Show

While the upcoming Natural Products Expo West show will undoubtedly showcase a throng of new beverages and product launches, the 2013 Winter Fancy Foods Show did feature a number of significant line extensions and packaging tweaks as brands looked to establish a solid footing and strong start out of the gate. In our video round-up of the event, we take a look at 19 brands each of which featured news and updates that fall in line with growing trends in the beverage industry.

Drink Chia Expands Distribution, Introduces Larger Bottle Size

As the market for chia products continues to thrive and expand, Drink Chia announced today that it has secured new deals with natural products distributors UNFI and KeHE, and dramatically increased the size of its footprint in the Northeast, Midwest, and throughout Florida. The company also announced that it has increased the package size for its whole chia seed beverage, moving it into a new 10 oz. bottle.

2013 Winter Fancy Food Show Recap (and Photo Gallery)

In yet another indication that the beverage industry continues to recover from recent lackluster years, the 2013 Winter Fancy Food Show packed the walls of San Francisco’s Moscone Center with thousands of suppliers, attendees, and buyers. While beverage marketers represented a small component of exhibitors at the show, booths were nonetheless bustling as brand owners indicated a positive view of the event and reported a steady flow of deals and opportunities.

N.A.A.C.P. and Hispanic Federation Support Beverage Industry Against Proposed NYC Soda Ban

Although obesity rates in African-American and Hispanic communities of New York City exceed the city average, the New York chapter of the N.A.A.C.P. and the Hispanic Federation is nevertheless supporting a lawsuit filed by the beverage industry that is aiming to block the so-called “Bloomberg ban” on large containers of sugary drinks. The ban would prohibit the on-premise sale of sugar-sweetened drinks that have more than 25 calories per 8 oz. serving in containers larger than 16 oz.

Coca-Cola Encourages Second Screen Interaction With Super Bowl Ad

Out with the polar bears, in with the showgirls. On Tuesday, Coca-Cola launched an interactive campaign centered around its Super Bowl ad, which displays cowboys, badlanders (a biker gang), and a bus full of showgirls in the middle of the desert.

Killer Buzz Maker Seeking Beverage Acquisition, $10 Million Deal is Possible

Hoping to swarm distributors, the maker of Killer Buzz Energy drinks is actively seeking an acquisition of one or two beverage companies - and could spend upwards of $10 million to do so. “There’s no cap and no floor,” said Jeremy Friedman, director of marketing for Killer Buzz. “It’s more about opportunity than the size of the investment. If an opportunity warranted a $10 million acquisition, that number is not too high.”

Review: COGO

COGO, a new line of coconut milk smoothies, was the runner-up in New Beverage Showdown 4 at BevNET Live Winter 12. In our review of the two of COGO’s four…