Brenda Khan
Surge is a citrus-flavored soft drink that was first produced in the 1990s by the Coca-Cola Company. It was originally launched in Norway as Urge in 1996 due to the Surge brand being already registered by another firm. It was then released in the United States as Surge in 1997. The drink was advertised as having a hardcore edge and was targeted towards extreme sports enthusiasts and teenagers. Despite its popularity, Surge was discontinued in 2003 due to lagging sales. However, it was re-released in 2014 due to popular demand from fan communities such as the SURGE Movement. While Surge is known for its high caffeine content, it is unclear if there is a diet version of the drink.
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What You'll Learn
Surge was a citrus-flavoured soft drink
The Surge Movement, a fan-powered community, advocated for the return of Surge after it was discontinued in 2003 due to lagging sales. As a result, Coca-Cola re-released the drink in 2014 for the US market via Amazon Prime. The re-release was short-lived, and Surge is currently absent from store shelves. However, it can still be found on eBay and other online platforms.
Surge was known for its distinctive bright green colour and bold yet smooth taste, combining citrus flavours with maltodextrin, a less sweet carbohydrate. The drink gained a significant following, with 97% of teens aware of the brand and 95% trying it at least once during its initial launch. Despite its popularity, Surge failed to deliver the sales revenue Coca-Cola anticipated, leading to its discontinuation.
Surge's caffeine content was slightly lower than that of Mountain Dew, with 51 milligrams per 12-ounce bottle compared to 55 milligrams in Mountain Dew. This slight difference, along with Coca-Cola's shift in marketing demographics, contributed to Surge's decline.
While Surge is no longer widely available, it remains a nostalgic beverage for many, evoking memories of the 1990s and the extreme sports lifestyle it was associated with.
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It was first produced in the 1990s by Coca-Cola
Surge is a citrus-flavoured soft drink that was first produced in the 1990s by Coca-Cola. It was initially launched in Norway in 1996 under the name Urge, due to the Surge brand already being registered by another firm. The drink was a competitor to the Norwegian orange soda Solo. Norway was chosen as a test market due to its high consumption of carbonated beverages and small population, making it easy to gather feedback. Local food regulations also prevented the drink from being its signature bright green colour, so it was launched with a pale, more natural juice drink look and a slight orange taste.
In 1997, Coca-Cola began production of Surge in the United States, with its original whitepaper name being "MDK", or "Mountain Dew Killer". The drink was designed to compete with Pepsi's Mountain Dew, which was wildly popular. Surge was advertised as having a more "hardcore" edge, similar to Mountain Dew's advertising at the time, in an attempt to lure customers away from Pepsi. The Surge Movement, a fan-powered community, was formed in 2011 to urge the cola company to bring back its bright-coloured beverage.
The Surge drink was heavily marketed upon its release, with television commercials featuring intense races to a single can or bottle. It was also advertised with Extreme Lifestyle marketing, with catchphrases such as "Feed the Rush" and "Life's a Scream". Surge was associated with the extreme sports lifestyle and was promoted as being more than a soda, but an energy drink as well. The drink was aimed at teenagers and extreme sports enthusiasts.
Surge was discontinued in 2003 due to lagging sales, with Coca-Cola shifting its marketing demographics to an older crowd. However, the drink has since been re-released twice due to popular fan demand. It was first re-released in 2014 for the US market via Amazon Prime, and then re-released again in 2015 in convenience stores in the Eastern United States and some Mountain states.
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Surge was discontinued in 2003 due to poor sales
Surge was a citrus-flavoured soft drink created by the Coca-Cola Company in the 1990s. It was originally launched in Norway in 1996 under the name Urge. The drink was then released in the United States as Surge in 1997. Surge was heavily marketed as a hardcore drink with an extreme lifestyle image, targeting teenagers and sports enthusiasts. Despite its initial popularity, Surge's sales began to decline, and in 2003, Coca-Cola decided to discontinue the drink due to poor sales.
The decline in sales can be attributed to various factors. Firstly, Surge faced competition from rival brands such as Pepsi's Mountain Dew, which had a similar extreme image and higher caffeine content. While Surge was marketed as a highly caffeinated drink, it actually contained slightly less caffeine than Mountain Dew, which may have contributed to consumers' shifting preferences.
Additionally, Coca-Cola's marketing strategy for Surge underwent changes that may have impacted its popularity. In 1998, Sergio Zyman, the head of Coca-Cola's marketing department, resigned, and his replacement, Charles S. Frenette, had a significantly different approach to marketing. This shift in marketing strategy coincided with a decline in Coca-Cola's stock value and a decrease in Surge's sales.
The Surge Movement, a fan-powered community, played a crucial role in advocating for the drink's return. The movement utilised various platforms, including Facebook and Instagram, to organise campaigns, erect billboards, and encourage Coca-Cola to bring back Surge. Due to the dedicated fan base and their persistent efforts, Coca-Cola eventually re-released Surge in 2014 via Amazon Prime in the US market.
Despite the re-release, the availability of Surge since then has been sporadic and limited. It is worth noting that Surge is still sold in Norway, where it was first introduced, although it is known by its original name, Urge. The drink's discontinuation in most markets and its limited availability in recent years have contributed to its status as a nostalgic beverage associated with the 1990s.
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The Surge Movement led to the drink's re-release in 2014
Surge is a citrus-flavoured soft drink that was first produced in the 1990s by the Coca-Cola Company. It was originally launched in Norway as Urge in 1996 and was later released in the United States as Surge in 1997. The drink was heavily marketed and positioned as a competitor to Pepsi's Mountain Dew. Surge was widely associated with the extreme sports lifestyle and was advertised with provocative catchphrases such as "Feed the Rush" and "Life's a Scream".
Despite its initial popularity, Surge's sales began to slip a few years after its release, and in 2003, Coca-Cola decided to discontinue the drink. However, the brand continued to have a dedicated fan base even after its discontinuation. The "SURGE Movement", a fan-powered community, played a crucial role in advocating for the drink's return. This movement was recognised as a driving force behind the re-release of Surge in 2014.
The SURGE Movement was formed on Facebook by Evan Carr, following the discontinuation of another citrus soda, Vault, in 2011. The group actively campaigned for the return of Surge, utilising social media platforms and encouraging its members to contact Coca-Cola's consumer affairs hotline to express their desire for the drink's comeback. The movement gained significant traction, with around 200,000 Facebook "likes" in the months after its inception.
The dedicated efforts of the SURGE Movement, coupled with the high demand for the drink, led Coca-Cola to re-release Surge on September 15, 2014, for the US market. The re-release was made available exclusively through Amazon Prime in 12-packs of 16-US-fluid-ounce cans. This marked a significant victory for the SURGE Movement and demonstrated the power of fan-driven communities in influencing corporate decisions.
Following the 2014 re-release, Surge continued to gain momentum, with test markets in the Southeastern United States in early 2015 and a wider release in convenience stores in the Eastern United States and some Mountain states in September 2015. The drink was also released internationally in Burger King restaurants in 2018, further expanding its reach. The SURGE Movement's activism and dedication to the brand's growth and success played a pivotal role in this journey, ensuring that Surge remained on shelves and in the hands of its passionate fans.
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Surge is no longer manufactured or sold in stores
Surge was a citrus-flavoured soft drink first produced in the 1990s by the Coca-Cola Company. It was originally launched in Norway as Urge in 1996 and was released in the United States as Surge in 1997. Surge was Coca-Cola's answer to Pepsi's Mountain Dew, which was the "`extreme'" drink of the time. Coca-Cola marketed Surge as an even more "extreme" and "hardcore" drink, with commercials featuring a bunch of dudes fighting over Surge and spraying it all over the camera.
Despite its initial popularity, Surge's sales began to slip a few years after its release. This decline in sales continued until 2003 when Coca-Cola decided to discontinue the drink in most markets. However, it was still available in Norway, where it was sold as Urge, and in the US, where it was sold in vending machines and promotional coolers.
Due to popular demand from fan communities such as the "SURGE Movement", Coca-Cola re-released Surge in the US market in 2014 via Amazon Prime. The re-release was successful, and Surge was slowly rolled out to stores in the Eastern United States and some Mountain states in 2015. It was also made available in Coca-Cola Freestyle machines exclusively at Burger King in 2018.
However, despite these re-releases, Surge is currently no longer manufactured or sold in stores. It was discontinued for the second time in 2020 or 2021, and it was removed from Burger King in 2023. While there may still be some leftover cans at certain stores, Surge is no longer widely available.
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Frequently asked questions
No, there is no diet version of Surge. Surge is a citrus-flavored soft drink first produced in the 1990s by the Coca-Cola Company. It was known for its high caffeine content and bold taste.
A 12-ounce bottle of Surge contained 51 milligrams of caffeine, which was slightly less than its rival, Mountain Dew, which had 55 milligrams.
Surge was discontinued due to insufficient sales. Coca-Cola also shifted its marketing demographics to an older crowd, which left Surge targeting a younger market.
Due to popular fan demand, Surge was re-released in the US market on September 15, 2014, via Amazon Prime in 12-packs of 16-ounce cans.
