July 2008
What’s wrong with plain water?
Call it Cola Wars redux: A recent TV spot for Propel Fit, a vitamin-infused water from the maker of Pepsi, slams a product
resembling VitaminWater, by Coca-Cola, for having 125 calories per bottle. (Propel has 25.) The competition's customer would
have to do 492 sit-ups to burn those babies off, the ad warns.
Never mind that you really don't do sit-ups to burn calories, or that Sobe Life Water, also owned by Pepsico, has nearly as many as VitaminWater. The ad is a sign of the times: More and more ingredients are being added to what used to be the plainest drink on earth, and they're not just vitamins and flavors. Water can contain calcium, electrolytes, herbs, and weight-loss ingredients, among other strange and wondrous things. There's a fortified water for dogs (FortiFido) and one enhanced with "positive thoughts" to "raise consciousness in humanity" (Aquamantra). And priced as high as almost $1.70 per bottle (usually for 16.8 or 20 ounces), these vitamin waters and other fancy waters aren't cheap.
Curious about the thinking behind the enhanced-water boom, we contacted the makers of 10 products and asked the question in our headline. None of their representatives dissed regular water, but they tended to say that the extras made water taste better and led people to drink more (a good thing) or made it more nutritious and therefore boosted health and happiness (ditto). We heard that VitaminWater "can help people live healthier, more active, and fulfilling lifestyles by hydrating more responsibly." Fruit2O's Relax water combines fruit with chamomile and hibiscus "to soothe the senses." And Metromint Chocolatemint Water is "a great way to enjoy chocolate and stay hydrated." (How often are the words "chocolate" and "hydrated" used in the same sentence?) All of this implied that the clear, pure stuff was, to put it simply, a little too simple. "Consumers are now asking for water that multitasks," said Kristine Hinck, senior public relations manager for Pepsi-Cola North America, referring to Aquafina Alive (another Pepsico brand) vitamin water.
Kellogg's Special K2O Protein Water really stumped us. Water as a source of protein? "We know from our research that many consumers who are dieting are interested in easy, portable ways to add more protein and fiber to their diets," says Jennifer Garrett, director of nutrition marketing for Kellogg. The water helps "take the edge off hunger."
If all this fancy-water talk is making your head swim, here's a ray of hope: Mintel, a leading market-research firm, predicted late last year that tap water might make a comeback as the H2O of choice for consumers who are just interested in quenching their thirst. Free water? Less plastic? What a concept.
CR's take. As a rule, foods, not fancy vitamin waters, remain the best source of nutrients.
Never mind that you really don't do sit-ups to burn calories, or that Sobe Life Water, also owned by Pepsico, has nearly as many as VitaminWater. The ad is a sign of the times: More and more ingredients are being added to what used to be the plainest drink on earth, and they're not just vitamins and flavors. Water can contain calcium, electrolytes, herbs, and weight-loss ingredients, among other strange and wondrous things. There's a fortified water for dogs (FortiFido) and one enhanced with "positive thoughts" to "raise consciousness in humanity" (Aquamantra). And priced as high as almost $1.70 per bottle (usually for 16.8 or 20 ounces), these vitamin waters and other fancy waters aren't cheap.
Curious about the thinking behind the enhanced-water boom, we contacted the makers of 10 products and asked the question in our headline. None of their representatives dissed regular water, but they tended to say that the extras made water taste better and led people to drink more (a good thing) or made it more nutritious and therefore boosted health and happiness (ditto). We heard that VitaminWater "can help people live healthier, more active, and fulfilling lifestyles by hydrating more responsibly." Fruit2O's Relax water combines fruit with chamomile and hibiscus "to soothe the senses." And Metromint Chocolatemint Water is "a great way to enjoy chocolate and stay hydrated." (How often are the words "chocolate" and "hydrated" used in the same sentence?) All of this implied that the clear, pure stuff was, to put it simply, a little too simple. "Consumers are now asking for water that multitasks," said Kristine Hinck, senior public relations manager for Pepsi-Cola North America, referring to Aquafina Alive (another Pepsico brand) vitamin water.
Kellogg's Special K2O Protein Water really stumped us. Water as a source of protein? "We know from our research that many consumers who are dieting are interested in easy, portable ways to add more protein and fiber to their diets," says Jennifer Garrett, director of nutrition marketing for Kellogg. The water helps "take the edge off hunger."
If all this fancy-water talk is making your head swim, here's a ray of hope: Mintel, a leading market-research firm, predicted late last year that tap water might make a comeback as the H2O of choice for consumers who are just interested in quenching their thirst. Free water? Less plastic? What a concept.
CR's take. As a rule, foods, not fancy vitamin waters, remain the best source of nutrients.
