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We've covered some truly standout product launches this year, and we want to share our top five favourites with you. It was hard to narrow it down, but these NPDs have captured our readers' attention. From groundbreaking flavours to cutting-edge packaging, these products are setting the trend for 2024. Let's take a look!
Red Bull releases caruba and elderflower-flavoured energy drink
Red Bull expanded its presence in the sports and energy drink category with its 2024 summer edition, Curuba Elderflower. The new energy drink blends the flavour of curuba – a fruit also known as banana passionfruit that is native to South America, – with notes of elderflower, melon and pineapple.
Market research platform Appinio reported that flavours play a significant role in the energy drink category's growth. It found that 85% of shoppers expressed an interest in experimenting with "new and unconventional flavours in energy drinks".
Read more here.
Pepsi unveils limited-edition blue cola drink
Britvic-owned brand Pepsi grew its portfolio with the launch of a new, limited-edition blue cola, Electric Blue. The new product was created to challenge what consumers expect from a cola, with the new launch providing a zesty taste encapsulated in a striking blue liquid.
Ben Parker, Britvic’s retail commercial director in Great Britain, said: “Pepsi Electric embodies shopper preferences for fresh, special edition flavours while incorporating the unmissable vibrant blue cola liquid, which will grab shopper attention at shelf and capture the next generation".
Read more here.
Ben & Jerry's launches limited-edition Marshmallow Sky ice cream
Ben & Jerry’s expanded its ice cream portfolio with a new limited-edition flavour, Marshmallow Sky. Marshmallow Sky consists of blue-hued marshmallow-flavoured ice cream, marshmallow swirls and chocolate chip cookie dough.
The ice cream gets its blue colour from blue spirulina, which contains a vibrant natural blue-green pigment called phycocyanin. Ben & Jerry’s claims that it has added spirulina not only for aesthetic purposes but also for its potential health benefits.
Read more here.
Lucozade debuts three new flavours in triple blue launch
Blue is back on the menu! Soft drinks giant Suntory made waves in the beverage market with the launch of three new drinks under its Lucozade brand. Scheduled for release at the end of February, Lucozade Sport Blue Force, Lucozade Energy Blue Burst and Lucozade Alert Blue Rush are positioned to expand the brand's existing range in a strategic shift in its marketing approach.
The introduction of 'Blucozade' marks the first occasion where all three Lucozade sub-brands will debut together, offering a diverse range of new drinks spanning function, flavour and format.
Read more here.
Hershey debuts new pink lemonade-flavoured KitKat
The KitKat brand launched a new limited-edition flavour to its US line-up, Pink Lemonade. The new addition wraps KitKat’s classic wafer in a pink lemonade-flavoured creme, delivering a refreshing taste with hints of strawberry.
The bar was designed to cater to the tastes of Gen Z and Millennials, as the brand says that more than 93% of these consumers express a preference for pink lemonade-flavoured treats.
Read more here.
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