Powerade

POWERADE is a sports drink by The Coca-Cola Company and currently number two in the sports drink market worldwide. It was first introduced in 1988, starting in soda fountains. Matthew Ehrlich invented the drink, and by 1992 the beverage was launched nationally in the United States, and became the official sports drink of the 1992 Olympic Games. POWERade's primary competitor is Gatorade.

Marketing

In July 2001, Coca-Cola launched a new formula for POWERade including vitamins B3, B6 and B12, which play a role in energy metabolism.

In July of 2005, the Coca-Cola Company updated the bottles of the standard POWERade to a new sport-grip bottle.

In 2005, POWERade introduced POWERade Option to the US, no doubt in response to Gatorade's popular Propel. Option is a "low Calorie sports drink" that is colorless and sweetened with high fructose corn syrup, sucralose, and acesulfame potassium, to provide sugar-conscious consumers with another rehydration "option".

POWERade also conducted a marketing campaign that took advantage of the hype surrounding the upcoming sequels to the first Matrix movie, The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions, wherein an Agent would encourage viewers to "Drink more POWERade". POWERade vending machines can also be seen in some levels of the Enter the Matrix video game, and the option flavor 'Matrix Green' was also developed as part of this campaign.

Flavors

It comes in many flavors, including:

Mountain Blast (Berry flavored, Bright blue in color)
Lemon-Lime (Lemon-lime flavored, Greenish-Yellow in color)
Fruit Punch (Fruit Punch Flavored, Bright red in color)
Orange Burst (Orange flavored, Orange in color)
Black Cherry Lime (Black Cherry & Lime flavored, Dark green in color)
Jagged Ice (Blackberry and Raspberry flavored, Dark Purple in color)
Arctic Shatter (cherry, peach, and guava flavored, Frosty white in color)
Green Squall (Kiwi, Melon, & Pineapple flavored, Bright green in color)
Mango (Mango flavored, Light orange in color)
Strawberry Melon (Strawberry and Melon Flavored, Reddish-Orange in color)
Grape (Grape flavored, Purple in color)
LeBron James Flavor(Sour Melon Flavored, Teal in color)

International flavors:

Berry ice (New Zealand, Bright red in color)
Solar Flare
Mr. Netteberg Rush (red fruit punch)

In Europe there are a few other flavors available, including:

Forest Force
Citrus Charge
Ice Storm
Wild Cherry
Wild Berries
Gold (Grapefruit-Lemon flavored) - Was known as Gold Medal during the 2004 Olympics in Athens.

In New Zealand flavours also include:

Full Eighty (green coloured)- released to coincide with the launch of the Super 14 international rugby competition.
Silver Charge (light-gray coloured) - released in support of the All Blacks rugby team

In Australia flavours also include:

Gold Rush (Mango flavour that coincides with the Australia national rugby union team).
Socceroo Strike (Grapefruit flavour complete with a green and gold sipper cap in support of the Australian Soccer team the Socceroos)

Discontinued Flavors

Tidal Burst ("Blend of Sour Fruit Flavors," Teal in color)
Infrared Freeze (Fruit and Orange Flavored, Dark orange-red in color)
Black Bust (Blend of black licorice and mango, Black in color)

Option Flavors

Black Cherry
Lemon
Strawberry
Matrix Green

Trivia

POWERade is the official sport drink of NASCAR, the U.S. Olympic Team, and FIFA, in no small part due to their contracts with Coca-Cola.
POWERade also owns the naming rights to the NHRA's premier championship league.
Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James has become one of the brand's spokespersons. The logo can also be seen several times (judging by previews) in the movie The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, as one of Ricky Bobby's (Will Ferrel) sponsors.

External links

Non-alcoholic beverages | Coca-Cola brands | 1988 introductions