Surge (soft drink)
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| Type | Citrus soda |
| Manufacturer | The Coca-Cola Company |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Introduced | 1997 |
| Discontinued | 2003 |
| Related products | Mello Yello Mountain Dew Sprite Sun Drop Vault |
Surge was a variation of a Norwegian citrus soft drink called Urge. Surge, like Urge, was produced by the Coca-Cola Company to compete with Pepsi's Mountain Dew.
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[edit] History
In 1996, Coca-Cola started production on a variation of the Norwegian soft drink called Urge. In the United States. The original whitepaper name for this recipe was "MDK," or "Mountain Dew Killer."[1] Surge's release was accompanied by a vast nationwide marketing campaign that lead to initially high sales and popularity. A few years after the release, sales began to slip, and as a result the Coca-Cola company ceased production of Surge in can and bottle form in 2001. They proceeded to discontinue Surge fountain syrup in 2002 [citation needed].
Norway is the only country where one can still buy a similar soft drink in any form, as the original Urge recipe is still quite popular there.[2]
[edit] Marketing
Surge was widely associated with the extreme sports lifestyle, with television commercials similar to those used by Mountain Dew at the time.[3] Coca-Cola also used provocative catchphrases to market Surge to extreme sports enthusiasts and teenagers alike. Some of these catchphrases included "Feed the Rush," and the references to Surge as "A Fully Loaded Citrus Soda." Further touted was the fact that Surge had a considerable number of carbohydrates, hence the "with carbos" tagline that was occasionally used in the marketing campaigns to emphasize the fact that Surge was supposed to be more than a soda, but an energy drink as well.[4]
Some time after it's inception, Surge's logo was updated and redesigned to a sharper and more modern look by a graphic designer/marketer named Collin Nekritz.[1]
[edit] Formulation
Comparisons of Surge have been made to a more recent Coca-Cola product, Vault, which was first released in 2005—around four years after the discontinuation of Surge. Since then, Vault has also been discontinued as of December 2011.
The two drinks are noted to have had similar ingredients and taste, although Vault contained higher levels of caffeine at 70.5mg per 12 fl. oz serving and added artificial flavors to the recipe. The caffeine content of Surge was comparable to that of other citrus soft drinks in the American market during it's time at 51mg per 12 fl. oz serving.[5]
Below is a listing of the ingredients of Surge, per the label on the can:
| Surge Ingredients[6] |
|---|
| Carbonated Water |
| High Fructose Corn Syrup and/or Sucrose |
| Maltodextrin |
| Citric Acid |
| Natural Flavors |
| Concentrated Orange Juice |
| Potassium Benzoate |
| EDTA and Erythorbic Acid |
| Potassium Citrate |
| Caffeine |
| Yellow #5 |
| Yellow #6 |
| Carob Bean Gum |
| Blue #1 |
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b Nekritz,Collin. "A Logo is More than a Logo - Surge Soda". http://colinnekritz.com/2009/02/27/a-logo-is-more-than-a-logo-%E2%80%93-surge-soda/. Retrieved 2012-01-27.
- ^ "Coca Cola Norway website". Coca Cola. http://cocacola.no/contentstore/no_NO/pages/products/Urge.html. Retrieved 2010-03-22.
- ^ "YouTube - Surge Barrels of Fun Commercial". http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2_VZ2Guwc4. Retrieved 2012-01-25.
- ^ "SaveSURGE.org". http://www.savesurge.org. Retrieved 2012-01-25.
- ^ "How Much Caffeine is in Vault?". VaultKicks.org. http://www.vaultkicks.org/about_vault.php. Retrieved 2012-01-26.
- ^ Parnell,Matt. "Matt Parnell's Brain: Plugged In! - Surge and Vault". http://www.mattparnell.com/surge.html. Retrieved 2012-01-25.
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