Dive Brief:
- Jolt Cola is making a comeback, according to Advertising Age. The sugar and caffeine packed beverage, available in original size 16-ounce cans, will return on September 21 to Dollar General stores, which has a one-year exclusive agreement to sell the cola.
- Jolt joins other retro beverages that have recently attempted a return, including Crystal Pepsi and Zima. What makes the cola stand out is its 50 grams of sugar and a whopping 160 milligrams of caffeine.
- Jolt’s Facebook page has been soliciting Jolt flashbacks from fans and will rely heavily on social media for marketing. Throwback products like Jolt can generate sizable buzz online.
Dive Insight:
Before Red Bull and Monster energy drinks, there was Jolt Cola. A cult favorite of hackers and programmers, the unabashedly unhealthy drink wore its sugar and caffeine content as a badge of honor. Originally launched in 1985, Jolt attempted a reboot in 2005, when parent company Wet Planet Beverages released the cola in sleek aluminum "battery bottles." However, the timing and delivery method were off, and the relaunch quickly fizzled.
New owner ECC Jolt sees another opportunity for a Jolt re-release as other 1980s and 1990s beverages are attempting second acts. Crystal Pepsi returned last summer, and made a brief appearance again last month. MillerCoors brought '90s malted beverage Zima back for a limited time this summer.
But unlike these drinks, Jolt Cola will be sold exclusively at Dollar General stores. With more than 14,000 locations nationwide, the dollar operator offers great exposure for Jolt, as well as considerable expertise in selling beverages and other consumables.
For this relaunch, Jolt Cola will sport its original label and be sold in 16-ounce cans. The familiar look, coupled with social media buzz that didn’t exist back in 2005, could be enough to make this return a success. Jolt will likely also be able to piggyback on high demand for energy drinks, which now rack up more than $11 billion annually, according to IRI data. But will Dollar General sell Jolt with its energy beverages, or will it sell the retro cola with other sodas? The former category is packed with high-performing competitors, while the latter has seen sagging recent sales and could impact Jolt's visibility.
Jolt’s advertising agency of record, NJI Media, is wasting no time trying to stir up interest in the soda’s upcoming relaunch. Its Facebook page is asking fans for flashback photos, while its Twitter account started pushing out promotions with a gamer-appropriate PacMan tie-in.
Consumer interest in posting pictures of food and drink on social media may have been a significant motivating factor behind Jolt's rerelease. Millennials, who are especially interested in buying products they can share online, play a huge role here. But will they have much enthusiasm for a soda that many of them never got to taste? And will Jolt's loyal fans from the '80s still be enthused about the sugar- and caffeine-spiked drink 30 years later? It will be seen if the slogan "all the sugar and twice the caffeine" continues to resonate with consumers today.