Yeo’s H-TWO-O lowers sugar in isotonic bottle redesign to attract sporty Gen Zers

07 Sep 2021 --- Singapore-based isotonic beverage brand H-TWO-O is launching new bottle and can designs to attract Gen-Z energy drink consumers. The Yeo’s brand features depictions of “non-mainstream sports” like rock climbing and skateboarding on-pack. 

“We are excited to give our H-TWO-O an exciting new look. Today, our younger generations are embracing and excelling in non-mainstream sports like rock climbing, skateboarding, e-sports, to name a few,” says Yeo’s Group CEO Samuel Koh. 

“At the core of our H-TWO-O brand is the ‘Dare To Dream’ ethos. As such, we felt that it is important for us to feature these sports and to encourage our younger generation who are pursuing such sports.”

Healthier than you’d think?
H-TWO-O’s two varieties – carbonated and non-carbonated – now contain 25 percent less sugar than regular isotonic drinks, according to the company, and are free of artificial sweeteners.

H-TWO-O’s two varieties arrive in new packaging and with 25% less sugar than regular isotonic drinks.Isotonic drinks are a common choice for athletes, as they replace fluids lost during sweating and provide carbohydrates for energy. 

However, the beverage category is also becoming more popular in e-sports, as video gamers also require high levels of focus, memory and cognitive agility during long gaming sessions.

Indeed, H-TWO-O is the official isotonic partner for the Singapore leg of Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Professional League Singapore 2021, a S$100,000 (US$74,500) tournament for the popular multiplayer online battle arena game.

Sugar reduction trends remain important in the e-gaming sector. Sugary foods and drinks may be appealing quick fixes for a burst of energy, but the resultant sugar spikes and crashes can negatively impact performance.

A study from Germany revealed earlier this year that the clichés of the junk-food-eating gamer are outdated – e-athletes tend to have better eating habits than the general population. 

Sustained blood glucose levels have also been highlighted by one of Beneo’s executive board members, Andreas Herber, in an exclusive interview with The World of Food Ingredients (p. 74). The company is positioning its Palatinose ingredient toward e-gamers as a carbohydrate that doesn’t result in peaks and crashes.

Evolving e-sports nutrition

As the e-sports community continues to grow, so do their demands for safe but effective cognition boosts. The nutrition industry has responded with various beverages, mixes and supplements, with natural ingredients ranging from sage to probiotics and jelly beans.

Meanwhile, packaging designs remain crucial to target specific consumer audiences. For example, last month, Nestlé Vietnam launched scannable QR tech to propel Gen Z appetite for its Milo Teen Protein drinks.

PackagingInsights has extensively covered the crucial role of brand design in F&B packaging, most recently in a special report on design trends, including modernization and minimalism.

Edited by Anni Schleicher