Purity Organic is thinking outside the box for its coconut waters, moving beyond carton format to launch plastic-bottle single-serves. Booth staffers at NRA Show said new entries would debut next month in half-liter bottles in Chocolate, Pineapple and Espresso flavors, augmenting subline only available so far as uncut coconut water in 17-oz and 1-liter resealable boxes. Launch market will be NY, where brand’s coconut waters recently entered Big Geyser after Coca-Cola pulled its Zico coconut water from Geyser in favor of local bottler Liberty. Geyser had long carried the core juice lines of Purity Organic but had been unable to pick up the coconut waters as long as it carried Zico. BG, which is believed to have lobbied for extensions, confirmed pending launch. Meanwhile, as NRA booth reflected, new owner/ceo Doug Abrams continues to migrate brand away from earlier look featuring grid of fruit images across various lines, including classic juices, iced teas, superjuices and canned sparklers.

Spindrift has re-enlisted actress Kristen Bell for summer ad campaign that upholds the joy of authentic things in life – like the real fruit employed by Spindrift in its canned sparkling waters. What’s described by co as multi-million-$ effort via agency The Many employs range of media including print, video and digital audio on Spotify and Pandora to bang home brand’s truly natural recipes, in contrast to flavor systems used by many rivals. In video called “Scientist,” which can be viewed here “Scientist, Bell takes a poke at rival sparkling waters by pointing out that “You know it’s real because real fruit has color. When’s the last time you saw a clear raspberry?” Other videos featuring likes of bodybuilder and telekinesis artist haplessly trying to make for themselves what in theory is essence of simplicity, as in this one. Ads build on prior effort featuring Bell that employed tagline “Yup, that’s it” to herald mere 2 ingredients that Spindrift employs in its sparklers. Also in media mix this summer are 15-second audio ads along with fruit-themed mixtape put together by Bell featuring songs or artists with fruit in their names. Media buyer is AMP agency.

Story last Mon describing Living Apothecary’s product development and expansion efforts erroneously listed Walmart among retailers that brand has recently entered; tho co has pitched Walmart, brand hasn’t been accepted there yet. Brand has entered HEB, Costco and Pavilions chains as reported.

S Cap, a NY-based impact investment fund, has invested undisclosed amount in blenderless smoothie maker Bright Greens, pouched item created by entrepreneur Brian Mitchell in Rockville, Md. Co offers flash-frozen “smoothie cubes” that are tossed into shaker bottle with hot water, in Bright Blueberry, Mintergreen, Peaches & Green and Pineapolos flavors. S Cap also invested in Canadian maker of granola and granola bars called Libre Naturals. They comprise first investments of fund created by Kunal Sethi . . . Red Bull North America is launching summer-themed flavor dubbed Beach Breeze that hits palate with tropical fruit notes but finishes on coconut note. It’s packed in turquoise-colored cans in 8.4-oz and 12-oz sizes . . . Amid clutter of new brands that have entered the market, Vitaminwater doesn’t seem to have quite the ordering clout it used to have with retailers. So word is Coca-Cola has downsized brand’s case size from 24 units to 12 units, move that should make it easier for retailers, particularly inventory-constrained smaller indies, to order range of flavors . . . It looks like Coca-Cola’s African bottling operations will linger in the hospital ward a bit longer. After refranchising discussions with potential partners who’re believed to have included Coca-Cola European Partners and Coca-Cola HBC (Hellenic Bottling), KO said it’s decided to stand pat “for the foreseeable future,” continuing to operate Coca-Cola Beverages Africa as part of a Bottling Investment Group that it’s sometimes described as hospital ward for bottling operations, like those in Philippines too, that need attention before they’re ready to thrive again in outside hands. “While we remain committed to the refranchising process, we believe it’s in the best interests of all involved for Coca-Cola to continue to hold and operate CCBA,” KO explained. Given prior multiple delays, Wells Fargo’s Bonnie Herzog didn’t see development as great surprise, chalking up inability to reach deal to lingering political unrest and foreign exchange volatility.

Under Nestle ownership Blue Bottle may be going on spree of café openings in major metros, but it’s retaining tight focus with RTD coffee biz, taking its time expanding range or tackling conventional grocers. At NRA show, tho, it finally offered 2d sku in its line of unsweetened black RTD cold-brews packed in squat but elegant 8-oz cans, repackaging Original as Bright and adding new Bold flavor, said Jen Nelson, sales mgr for CPG foodservice. Bright is described as offering “radiant and fruited” flavor notes, while Bold delivers “deep and chocolatey” notes. Both are cold-brewed for 12-16 hrs and filtered for “luminous clarity.” They go out at $3.99 as does brand’s only creamed RTD entry, 10.7-oz gabletop of New Orleans Style Iced Coffee. In the works for early 2020 is canned single-origin entry that would take line to new level of sophistication. Given elevated price point, Jen said co is still holding off on making push into mass channels like conventional grocery.

Yogurt giant Chobani, which in recent months has made its first foray into plant-based items, teased a barista-oriented oatmilk at Natl Restaurant Assn show, displaying mockups of gable-topped 32-oz cartons that staffer said are headed to market in fall timeframe, tho details still are very much up in air. She said new entry likely will debut in Original, Chocolate and Vanilla flavors. Co was demonstrating oatmilk’s latte-friendly characteristics by dispensing lattes and the like from allied coffee roaster La Colombe, which Chobani founder Hamdi Ulukaya controls. Elsewhere in booth, Chobani staffers were highlighting first plant-based entries, including on bev side coconut-based drinkable yogurts, in 7-oz PET bottles in flavors like Vanilla Chai (being sampled) and Mango, Strawberry and lightly sweetened plain version. Front panel simply describes them as Non-Dairy Chobani, with lead ingredient listed as cultured coconut blend. They launched in Dec and are trickling out to market now as retailers start to reset shelves.

Organic Valley’s Organic Fuel milk-based protein shakes launched around 5 years back with campaign dubbed “Save the Bros” that went explosively viral by co-opting cause-marketing tropes to urge do-gooders to do their share to shift iron-pumping gym rats away from their addiction to protein shakes that seemed a lot like Muscle Milk. Looking to energize line and broaden its opportunities, the La Farge, Wis-based dairy co-op has made radical pivot, dropping protein content from 26 g to 20 g, cutting sugar by half to 9-10 g per 11-oz pack and switching from PET bottle to resealable Tetra Pak employing so-called Dream Cap, vp sales for emerging channels Wayne Shaker said. The drop in protein in turn has enabled co to lower to $2.99 price point that’s been associated with more female-skewing sibling brand Organic Balance, also in 20 g range. And it’s augmented Chocolate and Vanilla flavors with Coffee flavor containing 86 mg of caffeine. The shift aligns what’s now called simply Fuel in big block letters to similar position to Balance in protein content and price, tho Balance wasn’t on view at booth and Organic Valley execs were keeping their counsel on what future holds for that line.

At National Restaurant Assn show, PepsiCo is addressing consumers’ growing sugar concerns even with highly nutritional bevs like refrigerated juices by adding subline called Half Naked to its Naked Juice brand. Tho still 100% juice in keeping with core Naked premise, line substitutes less caloric juices like watermelon, coconut water and cucumber for mainstay juices like banana. New subline, which already has entered Target chain, initially is out in Peach with Ginger, Watermelon Passion Fruit and Lively Greens flavors, the latter containing 1 coconut, half a cucumber and apple, and one-third of a peach and orange, along with ingredients like spirulina, alfalfa, broccoli, spinach, barley grass, wheat grass and ginger root . . . Also noteworthy at booth, PEP is shifting its Stubborn Soda artisanal-soda lineup from glass bottles to cans, starting with its top 3 flavors, Agave Vanilla, Black Cherry Tarragon and Classic Root Beer. Staffer working area said the bottles are on the way out . . . Seeking more vibrant flavor similar to that enjoyed with not-from-concentrate offering at retail, PepsiCo has launched frozen-dispense option for its Tropicana OJ brand, starting with Orange and Apple flavors and soon adding Cranberry and Lemonade entries. No preservatives, no HFCS, exec working booth area noted, saying new entry already has entered the roughly half of IHOP chain that Pepsi services. Existing ambient option will remain in the mix. “We’re not the first to the party, but we’re going to be the best to the party,” he said . . . PepsiCo announced today the launch of PepsiCo Foodservice Digital Lab that harnesses proprietary and syndicated research to make it easier for its foodservice customers to manage digital activities like managing online reviews and search engine results to implementing customer rewards programs. PEP said it worked with partners like delivery service GrubHub and loyalty provider Mobivity. Scott Finlow, cmo for PepsiCo Foodservice, termed it a “one-stop service” for operators ranging from corner pizza parlor to global restaurant chains.