Packaging Digest

Emilio Frattaruolo

Different strokes for different folks
December 3, 2007

Energy drinks have become very popular here in the U.S. over the last couple of years. If you go into any convenience store, you’d be hard pressed to find a non-super-caffeinated drink in the beverage aisle. The most popular or at least most well-known drink these days is Red Bull.

It’s hard to miss that slender can and the very familiar logo and company colors. The funny thing is that when I first saw that slender can I was very confused. This is because before the drink was popular here in the U.S., it was very popular in Thailand. It’s actually a little-known fact that the drink was originally formulated and produced in Thailand until it was reformulated and marketed to the rest of the world.

The original Thai version is a bit sweeter and is uncarbonated. The most glaring difference is, of course, the packaging which is an amber tinted glass bottle with a paper label. This drink still is very popular in Thailand and although the newer carbonated version and new packaging can be found in Thailand the original noncarbonated version is still far more popular there.

If you ever get a chance, I recommend giving the Thai version of Red Bull a try. It’s sweeter, uncarbonated, and has quite a bit more “kick” to it.

Posted by Emilio Frattaruolo on December 3, 2007 | Comments (1)