Set to be released shortly, a new drink by PepsiCo
The announcement of the beverage, Driftwell, comes during a time when heightened stress levels have become an unfortunate norm for many in light of the coronavirus pandemic, subsequent economic distress, and overall uncertainty leading into the weeks and months ahead.
Despite PepsiCo being known for soda pop, the new beverage will not be a new flavor of soda. Rather, Driftwell will be an enhanced water drink, helping PepsiCo tap into a water beverage industry that's worth $2.97 billion annually in the U.S. alone. This year, sales could grow roughly 5% from last year due to increased popularity.
Indeed, consumers have become more interested in relaxation and sleep aid drinks recently, which doesn't come as a complete surprise considering that many doctors and dentists have been reporting a surge in cases of insomnia and cracked teeth (due to nightly teeth biting) as nationwide stress levels have clearly been on the rise.
"I think we're launching this at a time when there's more consumer interest than there previously was, given everything that's going on from a macro perspective," said Emily Silver, vice president of innovation and capabilities at the North American beverages unit of PepsiCo.
According to research by PepsiCo, 45% of Americans have trouble sleeping due to stress, with 21% feeling more stress when they're not able to sleep well. Overall, up to 55% of Americans experience high levels of stress on a daily basis.
The non-carbonated enhanced water beverage will contain 10% daily value of magnesium and 200mg of L-theanine, an amino acid, in each 7.5oz mini can. Both ingredients are involved in popular holistic approaches to improve health by promoting relaxation and better sleep quality. In general, the effects are largely substantiated on scientific research rather than anecdotal hearsay.
"From a scientific and regulatory perspective, we feel really good about making that claim around L-theanine," said Silver. "Specifically, we have safety in clinical data to prove that it works."
Driftwell will become available to consumers nationwide on e-commerce sites beginning in December 2020, then later in stores starting in the first quarter of 2021.
- https://www.cnbc.com/2020/09/14/pepsico-to-launch-drink-to-aid-sleep-as-consumers-struggle-with-stress.html
- https://www.beveragedaily.com/Article/2020/09/17/PepsiCo-speeds-new-functional-drink-Driftwell-to-market
- https://www.thrillist.com/news/nation/pepsico-driftwell-drink-sleep-aid
- https://www.marketwatch.com/story/pepsi-to-launch-sleep-aid-drink-driftwell-as-beverage-companies-expand-into-new-health-and-wellness-categories-2020-09-14