Update is a line of energy drinks featuring a very unique value proposition: no caffeine. Instead, they use 300mg of paraxanthine (enfinity®), which is intended to help focus, productivity, and energy. 

The drink comes in four varieties; Peach, Berry, Lime and Mandarin. For the purposes of this review we’re sampling only the Peach and Berry flavors, which have 15 calories and 20 calories respectively.  The products are sweetened with Reb A and Reb M stevia and are flavored with natural flavors. They’ve also enhanced the drinks with a host of nootropics, including N-acetyl L-tyrosine, taurine, alpha-GPC, L-theanine, G-HTP and vitamin B12. 

From a taste perspective, both of these products drink like other zero sugar energy drinks. They have a touch of fruit flavoring, a light amount of sweetness and carbonation, and there is a decent amount of bite from the added functional ingredients and stevia. That being said, the flavors feel like they are in the right ballpark compared to the rest of the category and we appreciate that they’ve gone after flavors that energy consumers should already be familiar with.

When it comes to functionality and positioning, it’s really interesting to see an energy brand hang its hat on having zero caffeine. If marketed right,  it could be something with appeal to a certain segment of consumers that’s looking to cut caffeine or has completely shunned energy drinks. And while we can’t comment on the effectiveness of this product when it comes to focus and productivity, you definitely feel the ingredients and the energy effect is definitely real (albeit very different from caffeine). 

So now let’s take a look at the branding and messaging. Update has chosen a sleek 12 ounce can – a popular choice for sparkling functional beverages – with a metallic matte finish sleeve label. It feels good in your hand and the label choice definitely gives it a premium vibe and it also matches well with the space / futuristic styling of the lettering on the label.

The front panel features a large Update logo with a tag line of “Stay Focused” placed directly beneath it. Both of these elements are running vertically from top to bottom but are still easy to read. Surrounding the logo are several callouts that speak to the product attributes.  Above the logo is the flavor name along with “naturally flavored energy drink.” To the right of the logo is “Smart Energy Drink” and to the left of the logo is a circle shaped arrangement of “zero sugar” and “zero caffeine.”  Finally, beneath the logo is where they state the size of the package.

While we’re fond of Update’s overall look, we feel that to unlock the brand’s full potential it needs to figure out how to better communicate the drink’s function and hero ingredient. As it stands right now, things like “energy drink” and “smart energy drink” are noise from the category and, as they are used by other brands, not enough to draw the user in. Yes, there is a callout for zero caffeine on the front panel, but it’s under zero sugar and feels lower priority.  Regardless, figuring out how to fully communicate the product’s benefit in a succinct front panel manner will be key for this brand’s ongoing growth.

Ultimately, we really like Update's approach to the energy drink category as well as the execution. We really like that they’ve blended something radically different (caffeine free energy) into a format and formulation that has a familiar feel. Plus, we suspect that there are energy consumers out there who, much like consumers seeking to reduce alcohol consumption, would be inclined to try a product without caffeine so long as it delivers at least equal benefits.