Led by a product called "Drank" - a purple-tinged carbonated beverage that combines the natural calming qualities of Melatonin, Valerian Root and Rose Hips, the so-called “relaxation” or “anti-energy drink” category is upon us.
PSFK notes an interesting twist in the marketing of the product:"Wishing to capture a youthful audience, the Houston-based Innovation Beverage Group, is playing up the drink’s hip-hop roots from its slogan promising to “Slow Your Roll” to promotional efforts that include distributing free samples from a Hummer and placing the product in a recent rap video. And while these associations might appear rather innocuous on the surface, given Drank’s obvious similarities to dangerous street concoctions with names like “purple drank” and “sizzurp” that combine cough syrup and soda, the company’s tactics are more than a little troubling."
With the Innovative Beverage Group reporting sales just shy of $1.5 million through the end of September 2008 - a few months after the product launched - there seems very little wrong with the positioning and the marketing of the product.
Via: PSFK, NY Times
