SoBe
 | |
| Subsidiary | |
| Industry | Beverages |
| Founded | Norwalk, Connecticut (1996) |
| Founder | John Bello, Tom Schwalm |
| Headquarters | Purchase, New York, U.S. |
| Products |
Enhanced water Fruit juice drinks Tea |
| Parent | PepsiCo |
| Website | SoBe.com |
SoBe (stylized as SoBE) is an American brand of teas, fruit-juice blends and enhanced water beverages owned by PepsiCo. The name SoBe is an abbreviation of South Beach, named after the upscale area located in Miami Beach, Florida. In the past, the SoBe name has also been licensed for gum and chocolate products. SoBe switched from glass bottles to plastic bottles for all of its beverages in 2010.
Company history
SoBe began as the South Beach Beverage Company, a drink manufacturer based in Norwalk, Connecticut from 1996-2001. Their first product was SoBe Black Tea 3G which contained ginseng, guarana, and ginkgo. It proved popular and led to the introduction of other flavors. The company was bought by PepsiCo in October 2000.[1] It was co-founded by John Bello and Tom Schwalm in 1995.
Products
- SoBe Lifewater / SoBe Water - A vitamin-infused beverage that competes with Vitamin Water. Most of the flavors are non-caloric and use steviol glycosides for natural sweetening.
- SoBe Elixirs - A line of fully sweetened (with sucrose) beverages with herbal extracts and some vitamins.
- SoBe Tea - A line of iced tea beverages with herbal extracts.
- SoBe Pure Rush - A line of energy drinks, no longer available in the United States.
Discontinued products
- SoBe Qi
- SoBe Adrenaline Rush
- SoBe No Fear
- SoBe Elixirs 3C
- SoBe Eros
- Power Line
- SoBe Synergy
- SoBe Special Recipes
- SoBe Essential Energy
- SoBe Ice
- SoBe Zen Blend
- Sobe Wisdom
- SoBe SuperMan
- SoBe Good
- SoBe Dragon
- SoBe Love Bus
SoBe Mr. Green
 A 20 oz bottle of SoBe Mr. Green | |
| Type | Soft drink |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | SoBe (division of PepsiCo) |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Introduced | 2002 |
| Discontinued | 2003 |
| Color | Green-tinted [2] |
| Flavor | Pepper-style carbonated energy soft drink |
| Related products |
Moxie Dr Pepper Pibb Xtra Dr. Wells |
Mr. Green was a short-lived carbonated soda offered by SoBe, widely released in the United States. Shipping in April 2002 and first available to consumers in May, it was produced in 12 oz cans, 20 oz bottles, and 1- and 2-liter bottles.[3] It was a rare carbonated beverage offered by SoBe.[4]
The soda's mascot of the same name was described as a "cyber lizard" in SoBe's press release. This character was a modernized version of the lizard found on other SoBe products.[5]
Mr. Green was tinted green, and included ginseng for flavor and added energy.[2]
Marketing campaigns
- Lizard Tales is a monthly digital newsletter published by SoBe for their fans. The newsletter provides consumers with product updates, promotions and cultural trends.
- SoBe recently partnered with Jessica Szohr and previously Twilight star Ashley Greene for their SoBe Lifewater Skinsuit campaign.
- Heads or Tails was the name of the SoBe under-the-cap promotion where consumers could instantly win prizes, including SoBe apparel, Apple iPods, Apple MacBook Pros, or product coupons for future purchases.
- In 2010, SoBe Lifewater partnered with AOL FanHouse to bring college basketball fans a bracket challenge where they could play their bracket against the brackets of celebrities, including Kendra Wilkinson, Brooklyn Decker, Jerry Rice and Kenny "The Jet" Smith. Those fans whose bracket beat a celebrity bracket had a chance to meet them. If a fan had a perfect bracket, they could win up to $10,000,000.
- Starting in 2007, SoBe sponsored the Chicago Rush cheerleaders of the Arena Football League. The Rush dance team was called the SoBe Adrenalin Rush Dancers.
- In 2008 & 2009, SoBe had Super Bowl ads in support of SoBe Lifewater.
- In 2011, Ellie Goulding was announced as the UK face of SoBe. As part of the campaign she spent time in South Beach, Miami interviewing locals and traveling to South Beach hot-spots.
- In July 2001 SoBe partnered with Mike Tyson: Main Event in launching a mobile gaming campaign for the brand's teas, fruit juice blends, and enhanced waters.[6]
- Yvonne Strahovski is the current SoBe Skinsuit model for 2012, promoting their Coconut Water LifeWater.
References
- ↑ "South Beach Beverage Company Fact Sheet". Hoover's, Inc. Retrieved 2008-01-02.
- 1 2 "2002 Milestones". PepsiCo. Archived from the original on August 13, 2013. Retrieved 2 October 2013.
- ↑ Lewis Lazare (4 April 2002). "First carbonated drink from SoBe". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved 2 October 2013.
- ↑ Kim Bhasin (5 June 2012). "16 Failed Soda Brands You'll Never See Again". Business Insider. Retrieved 2 October 2013.
- ↑ "Cyber Lizard Invades Soft Drink Market". SoBe (press release). 27 March 2002. Retrieved 2 October 2013.
- ↑ "SoBe Launches Mike Tyson Gaming Pitch".
External links
- SoBe Official Website
- SoBe Facebook Page
- Pepsi Product Facts
- Ingredient list and explanation for SoBe Strawberry daiquiri
- Ingredient list and explanation for SoBe Orange Cream
- Ingredient list and explanation for SoBe Citrus Energy
- Ingredient list and explanation for SoBe White Peach Oolong Tea
- Press release from SoBe announcing the product
- BevNet overview