Coca-Cola's BodyArmor has launched BodyArmor Fit, the brand's first sparkling sports drink, in 12-oz slim cans. Each can contains 290mg of electrolytes, 60mg of caffeine, choline, and green tea extract, with zero sugar and no artificial flavors, sweeteners, or dyes. Flavors are Mixed Berry, Tropical Passionfruit, Citrus Grapefruit, Orange Mango, and Watermelon Lime. NFL quarterback Joe Burrow is fronting the launch campaign.
Poppi has launched 7.5-oz mini cans at Walmart stores and online in flavors Cream Soda, Shirley Temple, and Wild Berry in single cans and 6-packs...
Resealable C-store Bottle Launched for Pepsi, Dew in Select Markets
June 4, 2026
PepsiCo is betting on a new 13-oz PET bottle priced below $2 to reach consumers who are walking past the cold vault to better afford higher prices for gas and groceries. The company is rolling out the smaller bottle across five of its biggest sparkling brands. We dive deep in a Q&A with PepsiCo's US Sparkling Chief JP Bittencourt.
Rising Aluminum and Fuel Expenses Squeeze Distributor Margins
May 15, 2026
Rising fuel and aluminum prices against the uncertainty of a war in Iran and the highest annual inflation rate since May 2023 have caused increasing angst among US beverage bottlers and distributors. BD informally surveyed executives across the Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Keurig Dr Pepper, and independent beverage distribution systems during the past week to find out what cost and profit margin pressures they face now, and what additional pressure they expect. The bottlers also discussed concerns about the revenue side of their P&Ls as consumers look for ways to better afford high grocery and gas prices. During the first-quarter earnings cycle in recent weeks, Coke, PepsiCo, Keurig Dr Pepper, Celsius Holdings, and Monster Beverage all addressed current and anticipated commodity inflation pressure this year, while adding that the costs are mostly manageable so far. “We expect beverage companies will feel margin pressure in 2026, with likely pricing actions in 2027,” RBC Capital Markets Beverage Analyst Nik Modi wrote in a May 7 research note, citing higher costs for aluminum and fuel. Much of the pressure is falling on distributors who own and fuel the trucks that move beverages and buy the aluminum cans that drinks are packaged in. One bottler called it a “perfect storm” of cost pressures. The following is a summary of responses and key themes that emerged from more than a dozen discussions:
Strategy Embraces Sector’s High-Octane Genesis and Rockstar’s ‘In-Your-Face’ Past
May 15, 2026
Celsius Energy went from being an underdog to the No. 3 energy drink in the US with a simple formula: broaden the base. Rather than competing for the traditional male energy drink consumer through testosterone-fueled marketing, Celsius Energy built its brand around flavor and a wellness-oriented identity that gave women and professionals who had never bought an energy drink permission to enter the category. Now, with the acquisition of Rockstar Energy from PepsiCo last year, parent company Celsius Holdings is tapping back into the category's roots to access the adrenaline and attitude that built the energy drink sector. “We’ve always been an in-your-face brand,” Celsius Holdings CMO Rishi Daing said of Rockstar, for which he is spearheading a marketing reset. “But we became a little too polished in recent years, maybe a little too sophisticated. Our consumers probably weren't finding that as relevant anymore.” Last month, Celsius Holdings launched a new “Live Loud” brand identity and marketing campaign, playing off Celsius Energy’s “Live. Fit. Go” brand positioning. The new Rockstar positioning comes with an aggressive push into music, action sports, and motorsports. Daing said...
Korean food companies Paldo and Hy have launched Arih, a Western-Korean fusion food and beverage brand developed with the Korean pop (K-pop) boy band BTS. The brand was launched exclusively at Walmart stores nationwide and on walmart.com, the companies announced on April 24. The beverage lineup includes Arih Postbiotic Energy Drink in seven fruit-based flavors packed in 12-oz slim cans. The drink is made with natural caffeine, four fermented traditional ingredients, and no artificial colors, flavors, or sweeteners, the companies said. A second drink is called Arih Dual Biotic Soda in seven flavors combining prebiotics and postbiotics with 3,000mg of dietary fiber. Both beverages are zero or low sugar. The brand also includes single-serve noodles. Members of BTS had input on the brand name, flavors, and packaging throughout product development, the companies said. US distribution is handled by HYH, a joint venture created to support Paldo and Hy's global expansion. In 2018, BTS became the first K-pop group to...
Coca-Cola has unveiled a limited-edition America250 packaging collection tied to the US 250th anniversary, including custom bottles and the brand's first-ever America250 collectible mini-cans. Each mini-can features a design unique to one of the 50 states, plus Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C., with artwork taken from local symbols and culture. Additional Coca-Cola brands including BodyArmor, Gold Peak, Vitaminwater, and Smartwater will also release commemorative packaging as part of a broader yearlong initiative.
PepsiCo's Mountain Dew has launched American Dew, a limited-edition summer redesign on 12-oz cans and 20-oz bottles nationwide. The packages honor the brand's 1948 Tennessee origins and the US 250th anniversary. A companion digital ad spot, "Hoedown | Mountain Dew: An American Original," traces the brand's Tennessee roots...
Launch Plan Announced for 'Gatorlyte Longer Lasting' Brand Variant
April 23, 2026
The last time PepsiCo overhauled its Gatorade strategy, Indra Nooyi was chairman and CEO. Back in 2009, amid the Great Recession, Nooyi attributed a slump in Gatorade sales to the fact that couch potato consumers, who “didn’t really have a right to exist in the Gatorade world,” had turned to other beverages, including tap water. The brand’s solution at the time was...