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Vell, vhat did you expect? Avocado-seed-based Avsome brand has swapped its V for a W in rebranding as Awesome Iced Tea, along the way changing out just about every part except the liquid itself as it uncomplicates its selling proposition in order to "put the 'fun' back in 'functional.'" This is brand, recall, that was launched by Harney Tea vet Alex Harney, NY chef Coby Farrow and longtime Red Buller Bill Connors (BBI, Jul 14). It was 12-oz- sleek-can entry with austere graphics that used tea base and employed Harney's captive distribution arm to get off ground in NY. But a few mos in founders did a rethink, just emerging with 16-oz glass widemouth with whimsical graphics and new positioning as Awesome Iced Tea Co, as visitors to Fancy Food Show in NY will be able to see at Naturally NY pavilion in Javits Center.In update call this wk, Connors walked us thru the pivot. As an avocado seed tea, Version 1.0 targeted a very small consumer base, generally people who were making avocado tea on their stovetops. It quickly became clear that "to build an entirely new beverage category on that is difficult," he reflected. So why not try to do in stagnant tea segment what so-called modern sodas have been doing to inject new excitement into CSDs? In founders' view, natural teas brands offer too little joy and too much virtue signaling in a way that makes them ripe for disruption, he reasons. Repositioning line as an iced tea is no stretch: after all, it's been using Harney tea as a base all along. It seems more effective to "backdoor the functional benefit."Enter Awesome, not Avsome. While Avsome brand name was clever way to merge avocado identity with "awesome," it was hard to pronounce and the trademark for Awesome fortunately proved to be available. Packaging has gotten a shakeup too. While cans have become go-to format for most new bev launches, Awesome founders figured glass bottle would help better differentiate line on shelf, offering better tactile experience including ritual of hitting bottom to dislodge tea grounds. The larger 16-oz size also is more in synch with chuggable nature of iced tea. Co only took price up proportionately to great liquid, putting it in general range of elevated yet popular brands like Yerba Madre. As brand grows, Bill expects cans to reenter the mix.Packaging now will be hard to miss, with cartoon-like graphics of avocados and other fruit and "no stevia" shoutout on front panel. (By contrast, "avocado extract" is placed modestly at bottom of barrel.) To insure a fresh look, Awesome team recruited indie graphic designer now based in France named Anne LaBorde, whom they still haven't met face to face. (She's posted slide show of brand's transformation on LinkedIn.)Then there were flavor names. Gone are LMN1, Paradiso, Hibiscus Berry and Ginger5 in favor of trio of straightforward monikers: OG Lemon Tea (with 45-60 mg caffeine), Guavalicious Tropical Tea (also 45-60 mg) and Berry Loud Hibiscus Tea (caffeine-free).Those elements all are enlisted in effort to "bring joy and fun in a great package," Connors said. With restage, "it really looks like an iced tea." As noted, overriding notion is to "put the fun back in 'functional.' We're healthy with a wink, which has been missing in iced tea." New look "has got challenger written all over it."The one thing that didn't get a complete rethink was the actual liquid. There was one key fix, tho: OG Lemon is an entirely new product, switching from myrtle & Meyer lemon to just OG Lemon Tea, now lightly sweetened with honey. The other 2 flavors continue to use agave nectar for that chore.The brand has relaunched in NY, this time not via captive DSD arm of Harney Tea but rather via incubation specialist Gotham Brands, which can move quickly to open new accts, 130 accts in first few wks. DTC platform is back up too under new brand name. With early signs of improved velocity, Connors will seek to fortify NY base, then expand selectively into Northeast, just as Snapple did years back, he noted. Brand's presence at Fancy Food Show is intended to start opening some of those doors.

RESTAGES: Avsome Avocado Seed Tea Finds the Awesome Self Lurking Within, Styling Itself a Modern Iced Tea While Swapping Cans for Glass Bottles

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