SoBe facts for kids
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| Subsidiary | |
| Industry | Beverages |
| Founded | 1996 in Norwalk, Connecticut, United States |
| Founder |
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| Headquarters |
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United States
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Area served
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United States |
| Products | Enhanced water Fruit juice drinks Tea |
| Parent | PepsiCo |
SoBe (pronounced "SOH-bee") was a brand of popular drinks that includes teas, fruit juice mixes, and special waters. It is owned by a large company called PepsiCo. The name SoBe is a short way of saying South Beach, which is a famous and lively area in Miami Beach, Florida. In the past, you could even find SoBe-branded gum and chocolate products.
Contents
The Story of SoBe
SoBe began as the South Beach Beverage Company in 1996. It was founded by John Bello and Tom Schwalm in Norwalk, Connecticut. Their very first product was called SoBe Black Tea 3G. This tea contained special ingredients like ginseng, guarana, and ginkgo. People really enjoyed it, which led to the creation of many more exciting flavors.
A big company named PepsiCo bought SoBe in October 2000. This helped the brand grow even bigger. In 2007, SoBe changed all its bottles from glass to plastic. This made them lighter and less likely to break.
As of 2024, SoBe stopped offering direct online orders or deliveries of their products. Today, you might still find SoBe drinks in some stores, but they are not as widely available as they once were.
SoBe Drinks and Flavors
SoBe makes different kinds of drinks for people to enjoy. Here are some of their main types:
- SoBe Lifewater / SoBe Water: These are special waters that have added vitamins. Many of these drinks have no calories and use natural sweeteners like steviol glycosides.
- SoBe Elixirs: These drinks are fully sweetened, often with sucrose or a mix of sucrose and Stevia. They also contain herbal extracts and some vitamins.
A Look at Mr. Green
One interesting drink from SoBe's past was called Mr. Green. This was a fizzy soda that was widely released in the United States in 2002. It came in different sizes, including cans and bottles.
The mascot for Mr. Green was a "cyber lizard." This was a modern version of the lizard character often seen on other SoBe products. Mr. Green soda was tinted green and included ginseng for a unique flavor and an energy boost. It was discontinued in 2003.
 A 20 oz bottle of SoBe Mr. Green |
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| Type | Soft drink |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | SoBe (division of PepsiCo) |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Introduced | 2002 |
| Discontinued | 2003 |
| Color | Green-tinted |
| Flavor | Pepper-style carbonated energy soft drink |
| Related products | Moxie Dr Pepper Mr. Pibb Dr. Wells |
SoBe's Fun Marketing
SoBe has used many creative ways to tell people about their drinks and make them exciting.
- Video Game Appearances: SoBe drinks have even appeared in popular video games!
- In the 2001 game Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee, you could see SoBe vending machines.
- The 2004 game Driv3r also featured SoBe vending machines and even a SoBe-themed truck.
- The game Tony Hawk's Underground 2 had lots of SoBe ads, and a character named Mike Vallely even wore a SoBe shirt.
- Super Bowl Ads: In 2008 and 2009, SoBe showed commercials during the famous Super Bowl football game. These ads helped promote their SoBe Lifewater drinks to a huge audience.
- Celebrity Partnerships: SoBe has worked with famous people to promote their drinks.
- From 2010 to 2012, SoBe Lifewater had a "Skinsuits" campaign with actresses like Ashley Greene, Jessica Szohr, and Yvonne Strahovski.
- In 2011, the singer Ellie Goulding became the face of SoBe in the UK. She even visited South Beach, Miami, as part of the campaign.
- Contests and Promotions: SoBe often ran fun contests and promotions. One example was "Heads or Tails," where you could instantly win prizes. These prizes included SoBe clothes, Apple iPods, or coupons for future purchases, simply by looking under the bottle caps.
Images for kids
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Some of the original SoBe glass bottled drinks.
