Looking for that extra buck in a can

By: Anna Lightcap

Posted: 11/3/06

Ever since the introduction of Red Bull, energy drinks have become the popular way to energize oneself. Since its American debut many companies have tried to replicate its success and although few have accumulated marginal success one company believes that they have what it takes to be the next big thing for students trying to squeeze some more time into the day.
"The Legal Alternative" is the marketing slogan for the world's newest and most controversial energy drink, Cocaine. The opening lines of their website www.drinkcocaine.com dictate;
"Warning! You are about to experience the highest energy content of ANY energy drink on the market today! 350% greater than The Bull!
Cocaine is not just a re-hash of existing drinks: It is a completely unique new formula - it tastes like a fireball, a carbonated atomic fireball!
The question you have to ask yourself is: "Can I handle the rush?""
Unsurprisingly enough, the drink has created lots of controversy, obviously anything named after an addicting, illegal, and crippling substance would. Reactions have ranged from amusement to outrage.
City Councilman James Sanders of Queens New York is quoted in the online news source, Gothamist.com, as saying;
"There are only two reasons that you would seek to use this infamous and insidious name to market your so-called energy drink. Either you are woefully ignorant of the horrors of the cocaine addiction, or your god is the dollar bill, and not even human life is more sacred."
While this reaction is obviously one outrage it is not without merit. The Creator of the drink, James Kirby, chose the name of the drink because he believed that his company was just being honest about what the sole purpose of an energy drink is; to be a liquid rush and also that they have full confidence in people's ability to distinguish their product from the controlled substance that inspired the name.
But is that really all? In response to the outpouring of accusations of promoting the controlled substance the company posted this response on their website;
"[Unlike many in the nation] we think that kids today are neither ignorant, nor uninformed. As a matter of fact, we think that you are the brightest and most informed generation in the history of the world. How else would you be able to navigate your way to our MySpace?"
In addition to their patronizing appeal to the youth of this nation they incorporate sound bites from widely known Looney Toons characters and a lot more witty sarcasm.
Now if that is not the most insulting reaction to a low attempt to generate money from the generation this company deems the 'brightest and most informed generation in the history of the world.' Who does he think he is fooling? Well, obviously the youths that are na've enough to believe that the Cocaine Energy drink manufactures are not trying to take advantage of them. It does not take much brain power to log onto myspace.com and stumble across some odd named page so that obviously is not a factor to judge the intelligence of a generation.
Redux Berverage is trying to pass their cleaver attempt to generate a profit as 'just being honest.' If they were just being honest they would say, "Hey, we wanted to make money so we made a drink of all the stuff that you guys like and gave it a name we knew you would love." That would be telling the truth and there is no law saying they can not do that. By patronizing the youth of today and telling them that 'Redux knows your smart and informed' they believe that their drink will fly off the shelves. The name of the drink may shock one into a giggle or two, but when it comes down to it one has to decide whether they want to fund yet another manipulative attempt at marketing or whether or not they want to ignore the 'shock jock' of the food industry and hope they will just go away.