ATLANTA -- The Coca-Cola Co. brought back Surge, a citrus-flavored sparkling beverage, in late 2014 after a 12-year hiatus, but only via Amazon.com, with the promise to expand to brick-and-mortar retailers. That promise is about to be fulfilled.
"The wait is over. #SURGEComeback explodes September 7th. Map coming next week," Surge tweeted on Monday, earning a retweet from Circle K Midwest.
"Coming to a shelf near you," the brand says on its website, www.surge.com, and asks, "What should be next?"
Surge debuted in 1996. The beverage company launched it to compete with Mountain Dew and pulled it when it didn't catch on at the time.
But the drink had an "enthusiastic fan base," according to the beverage maker. It said that over the years, Surge has achieved a cult follow via newspapers, magazines, websites and social media.
The company decided to reinstate Surge based in part on Coca-Cola's belief in listening to its fans.
"We appreciate the enthusiasm we've seen from tens of thousands of fans nationwide, and we're bringing Surge back, in part, because of them," Wendy Clark, president of sparkling and strategic marketing for Coca-Cola North America, said in September 2014. "Future plans for the brand will depend on the level of excitement exhibited by fans across the country. This will be a great learning experience for us and a refreshing opportunity for fans."
Atlanta-based Coca-Cola has more than 500 sparkling and still brands. Led by Coca-Cola, the company's portfolio features 17 billion-dollar brands including Diet Coke, Fanta, Sprite, Coca-Cola Zero, vitaminwater, POWERADE, Minute Maid, Simply, Georgia and Del Valle. Globally, it is a leading provider of sparkling beverages, ready-to-drink coffees and juices and juice drinks.
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