Coke, Nestle Unveil Calorie-Burning Beverage

[voivod]

Claim Enviga Can Boost a Drinker's Metabolism
By Kate Macarthur
Published: October 11, 2006

CHICAGO (AdAge.com) -- After years of being blamed for consumers' expanding waistlines, Coca-Cola and Nestle are preparing to launch a carbonated beverage that burns calories.

Enviga is being marketed as a 'negative-calorie' product that boosts the metabolism.

'Calorie deficient'
Through their joint venture, Beverage Partners Worldwide, the companies will next month launch Enviga, a sparkling green-tea drink under the Nestea name that they claim is "calorie deficient" rather than calorie-packed, executives told reporters during a briefing this afternoon.

The brand uses a blend of green-tea extracts known for boosting metabolism called Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). The marketers boasted Enviga has twice the EGCG as leading competitors, no more caffeine than an average cup of coffee and 20% of the daily value of calcium for men and women ages 19 to 50.

"There's calorie, low-calorie, zero-calorie, and now we offer consumers negative-calorie products," said Jason Warner, group marketing director for Beverage Partners Worldwide Americas, which has worked on the brand for the past three-and-a-half years.

Enviga will launch in New York's five boroughs, along with New Jersey and Philadelphia on Nov. 6, backed by a multimedia campaign from agency Anomaly, New York. Sold in the tea aisle for about $1.29, the drink will be packaged in slim 12-ounce cans and will be available in berry, peach and green-tea flavors (a citrus flavor is also slated for some regional markets). It will be available in single-serve, six packs and 12-packs for the club channel.

Eventual global rollout
The national launch is set for Feb. 5. Tests are also running in Australia, Canada, Mexico and eight markets in Europe for an eventual global rollout. Office, San Francisco, developed the packaging.

Rhona Applebaum, chief scientist for Coca-Cola Co., said that extensive scientific studies showed that three cans a day of the drink will burn a net average of 60 to 100 calories. The company conducted a double-blind, placebo study with Switzerland's University of Lausanne and referred to four other existing studies supporting the green-tea and caffeine claims. The companies didn't test the benefits of a single can, which, based on the three-can result would seem to have a negligible net calorie burn.

To set itself apart from the onslaught of silver-bullet diet products that Mr. Warner said are often "fat-based, overhyped and underdeliver," the marketers see Enviga as a way to "set the standard" on weight-management products. "When you look on the internet or made-for-TV statements that are out there, it is concerning to us that we make sure ... there isn't any magic bullet out there," said Ms. Applebaum.

Multifaceted effort
Executives wouldn't divulge the campaign's tagline or positioning, but said elements will include sampling, couponing, out of home, print and interactive. Creative will reflect Enviga's significance as a totally new category. Its logo incorporates a flame as the dot over the "i" in Enviga, which it calls the "calorie burner." The copyline is "invigorate your metabolism." Other package copy rounds out the health message, stating, "By giving your body a little extra boost, Enviga is a simple and positive step you can take toward a healthy and balanced lifestyle."

While admitting that there are other products on the market from smaller players, Coke and Nestle executives emphasized the time and energy they put toward getting Enviga right. They conducted four rounds of research across 45 consumer groups and seven quantitative studies to ensure the product scored well and that the product's claims were properly communicated.

Elite FX, the makers of Celsius, which claims to be first to market with a calorie-burning soda, says it has research backing its science while competitors Fuze and Skinny Water have reportedly not done so.


The new Enviga competes against the recently launched Celsius, a calorie-burning drink marketed by Elite FX.

Like Enviga, Celsius uses the green-tea extract EGCG, as well as ginger, vitamins, chromium and calcium, and claims that research supports that it raises metabolism enough to burn as much as 77 calories. The marketer said it presented results of a double-blind, placebo-controlled study at the International Society of Sports Nutrition in June 2005, before the product launched.

'Functional benefits'
"Our original objective was to bring health and nutrition to the soft-drink category, which we believe is long overdue," Steve Haley, president of Elite FX, said in a statement released today. "Consumers continue to want a refreshing beverage, but they are also demanding functional benefits and a healthier product and Celsius delivers on both fronts."

Paramount to Coke and Nestle's communications plan is balancing its "aggressive" functional claims for Enviga with "responsible" messaging to manage consumer expectations about the product. For example, executives said that the product could burn more calories if more than three cans are consumed, but that would not be cited in packaging claims.

"This is not a plan or a diet pill. No magic or exercise replacement," said Deborah Roberts, senior brand manager for Coca-Cola North America. "This is about the little steps you take every day in order to have a more balanced lifestyle. [It's for] consumers who think of health and wellness as a lifelong habit as opposed to instant results."

[fast98dodge]

I don't know about you guys, but something about this whole deal just doesn't sound quite right...

[mistere]

Well, my thinking is if they're taking calories away, shouldn't they be
paying me?

[muffdiver]

Yeah, don't let these bastards get our precious calories....!

[FORD]

I don't know about you guys, but something about this whole deal just doesn't sound quite right...

Green tea and ECGC are for real in and of themselves.As is the chromium contained in the celsius product.

What bothers me is that for this to be a "zero" calorie, or "calorie deficient" beverage, it would have to contain an artificial sweetener. And though Coca Cola did finally introduce Diet Coke with Splenda, they still use the Rumsfeld approved, wood alcohol based nerve toxin Aspartame ("Nutra Sweet") in the majority of their "Diet" products.

You can get the green tea and ECGC in regular old tea bags, One a Day vitamins, or in herbal supplement capsules, as well as some bottled brewed teas either unsweetened or naturally sweetened with honey.

So I think I'll pass on the latest Coke product.

[nitefly5150]

Green tea and ECGC are for real in and of themselves.As is the chromium contained in the celsius product.

What bothers me is that for this to be a "zero" calorie, or "calorie deficient" beverage, it would have to contain an artificial sweetener. And though Coca Cola did finally introduce Diet Coke with Splenda, they still use the Rumsfeld approved, wood alcohol based nerve toxin Aspartame ("Nutra Sweet") in the majority of their "Diet" products.

You can get the green tea and ECGC in regular old tea bags, One a Day vitamins, or in herbal supplement capsules, as well as some bottled brewed teas either unsweetened or naturally sweetened with honey.

So I think I'll pass on the latest Coke product.

Not saying who is wrong or right, but thought I'd look this up and found this:

http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/aspartame.asp

[Red]

If they come out with a sausage and cheese flavor, I'm in.

[twonabomber]

buffalo wing and blue cheese flavor...mmmmmmm...

[FORD]

Not saying who is wrong or right, but thought I'd look this up and found this:

http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/aspartame.asp

What I know of aspartame I know from experience, and just the common sense of knowing that drinking wood alcohol can't possibly be good for you. Not to mention that anything with Donald Rumsfeld's signature on the patent is obviously not to be trusted.

I don't know what happenned to Snopes, but they aren't nearly as objective as they used to be. Murdoch must have bought the site or something. In any event, quoting the corporate corrupted FDA and other industry fronts isn't exactly factual information.

[FORD]

If they come out with a sausage and cheese flavor, I'm in.

You probably want to talk to the Jones Soda Company. They put out a "Turkey & Gravy" soda around Thanksgiving.


Just in case you thought I was kidding. Don't know about the ECGC content though. Fortunately, they also sell organic tea drinks.

[chefcraig]

What I know of aspartame I know from experience, and just the common sense of knowing that drinking wood alcohol can't possibly be good for you. Not to mention that anything with Donald Rumsfeld's signature on the patent is obviously not to be trusted.

I don't know what happenned to Snopes, but they aren't nearly as objective as they used to be. Murdoch must have bought the site or something. In any event, quoting the corporate corrupted FDA and other industry fronts isn't exactly factual information.

When I was a kid, there was a clear liquid sugar substitute that quickly was pulled from the shelves, it's worst ingrediant was something called "cyclomate". (It had a little red symbol that is disturbingly close to the one currently in use for "nutri-sweet". )

Isn't aspartame a watered down version of basically the same toxic dogshit?

[FORD]

When I was a kid, there was a clear liquid sugar substitute that quickly was pulled from the shelves, it's worst ingrediant was something called "cyclomate". (It had a little red symbol that is disturbingly close to the one currently in use for "nutri-sweet". )

Isn't aspartame a watered down version of basically the same toxic dogshit?

Nope. It's a different chemical composition altogether. Also, cyclamates were a DuPont product originally, while aspartame came from Searle (which later merged into Monsanto)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyclamic_acid

[chefcraig]

Nope. It's a different chemical composition altogether. Also, cyclamates were a DuPont product originally, while aspartame came from Searle (which later merged into Monsanto)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyclamic_acid

Thanks for the info.

[nitefly5150]

Weird that is is banned in the US but legal in Canada, but saccharin is banned in Canada.

[onefootoutthedoor]

What I know of aspartame I know from experience, and just the common sense of knowing that drinking wood alcohol can't possibly be good for you. Not to mention that anything with Donald Rumsfeld's signature on the patent is obviously not to be trusted.

I don't know what happenned to Snopes, but they aren't nearly as objective as they used to be. Murdoch must have bought the site or something. In any event, quoting the corporate corrupted FDA and other industry fronts isn't exactly factual information.

LOL, FORD. I guess that I'm the only one who finds the humor in you questioning the objectivity of snopes but then a few posts later, you link wikipedia.