Urge (drink)

Urge is a citrus-flavored soft drink produced by Coca-Cola Norway that was first introduced in the country in 1996, and later on was released in Denmark and Sweden.[2][3] It is the predecessor of the American soft drink Surge, which was introduced in the US in 1997. Urge was discontinued in Denmark and Sweden in 2001.[4] In Norway, Urge sales increased greatly over the years reaching a market share near 10%[5] despite receiving no marketing since its initial launch.

Launch

The product was first released on 22 April 1996 as a test product.[6] Originally bottled by Ringnes along with other Coca-Cola products, it was a competitor to Ringnes' orange soda, Solo.[7][8] The Norwegian market was chosen as a test market due to high consumption of carbonated beverages – then fifth worldwide – and its small population, making it easy to get feedback quickly.[6][9]

The label's color was described as "grungy green and orange", which were noted as being fashionable at the time.[6]

The product sold well, particularly among the 12–19 age group, leading to its worldwide release. By the end of January 1997, the product had reached 2.2% market share in Norway.[9]

Sizes

Urge was available in Norway in 0.5 L and 1.5 L bottles, and later also in 0.33 L cans, but in Q1 of 1999 the 1.5 L bottles were taken off the market due to unsatisfactory sales. The cans also vanished from the market a few years later, leaving only the 0.5 L bottles.

A massive campaign by the consumers on Facebook led to the relaunch of the 1.5 L bottle size on 1 September 2008.[10] It has a sugar content of 68 grams per 0.5 L bottle.[11]

In February 2017, due to fan demand, the 0.33 L cans were reintroduced in a multipack of four.[12]

Varieties

Nutritional information