• AdAge, Tuesday, December 15, 2009 11 AM

Natalie Zmuda writes that Gatorade, granddaddy of the sports drink category, is going back to its roots with two new products and a redesign -- "G Series -- designed to be imbibed before, during and after exercise, spending $30 million on product and packaging in the process.

New products will include Prime, in 4-ounce pouches and three flavors. Prime is meant to be consumed just before exercise and includes carbohydrates, sodium and potassium. Recover, another new product, is meant to be used after exercise and will be sold in 16.9-ounce bottles, with three flavors and 16 grams of whey protein. Products to be consumed during exercise include the existing Thirst Quencher and G2 beverage lines.

"For too long [the category] has relied on flavor extensions," said Massimo d'Amore, CEO of PepsiCo's Americas Beverages group. "It's time to really reset the clock, and that's what we're trying to do in 2010." As part of the new product introduction, the core Thirst Quencher and G2 lines will also receive another facelift.

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