Bawls: Difference between revisions

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{{short description|Caffeinated soft drink}}
{{short description|Caffeinated soft drink}}
{{use mdy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{bots|deny=GreenC bot}}
{{use mdy dates|date=October 2025}}
{{Infobox drink
{{Infobox drink
| name        = Bawls
| name        = Bawls
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| flavor      = [[Citrus]] and [[cream soda]]
| flavor      = [[Citrus]] and [[cream soda]]
| ingredients  = [[Guarana]]
| ingredients  = [[Guarana]]
| variants    = {{hlist|Cherry|Cherry Cola|Ginger|Orange|Root Beer|Zero}}
| variants    = {{hlist|Cherry|Cherry Cola{{break}}|Ginger|Orange{{break}}|Root Beer|Zero}}
| website      = {{URL|www.bawls.com}}
| website      = {{URL|www.bawls.com}}
}}
}}


'''Bawls''' (marketed as '''BAWLS Guarana''')<ref name="2003-01-07 Baltimore Sun" /> is a non-alcoholic, highly-[[caffeinated drink|caffeinated]] [[soft drink]].
'''Bawls''' (marketed as '''BAWLS Guarana''')<ref name="2003-01-07 Baltimore Sun" /> is a non-alcoholic [[caffeinated drink|caffeinated soft drink]].


Created in 1996, the [[citrus]]-and-[[cream soda]]-flavored beverage leans heavily on the [[caffeine]] and natural flavor of the [[Amazon rainforest|Amazon]]ian [[guarana]] berry.  Packaged in unique [[cobalt blue|cobalt-blue]] bottles and cans, the drink was well received by [[gamer]]s, to whom the company quickly began extensively marketing (through both sponsorships and video games themselves).  The soda's name has an unclear provenance, and {{as of|2023|07|lc=yes}} is still sold alongside six other flavors.
Created in 1996, the [[citrus]]-and-[[cream soda]]-flavored beverage leans heavily on the [[caffeine]] and natural flavor of the [[Amazon rainforest|Amazon]]ian [[guarana]] berry.  Packaged in unique [[cobalt blue|cobalt-blue]] bottles and cans, the drink was well received by [[gamer]]s, to whom the company quickly began extensively marketing (through both sponsorships and video games themselves).  The soda's name has an unclear provenance, and {{as of|2023|07|lc=yes}} is still sold alongside six other flavors.


==History==
==History==
In 1994, Hobart C. Buppert III (born {{birth based on age as of date|24|1998|03|02|noage=yes|slash=yes}}) was a student at the [[Cornell University School of Hotel Administration]].  While traveling through [[Vienna]], he found club dancers were paying {{US$|10|1994}} for cans of non-alcoholic, highly-[[caffeine|caffeinated]], "sludgy brew" derived from [[guarana]] beans.<ref name="1998-03-02 Bloomberg" />  Himself unable to tolerate [[coffee]], Buppert saw potential in refining the drink he saw in Europe and received permission from Cornell to develop a [[business plan]] as an [[independent study]].<ref name="2004-02-03 Cornell Daily Sun" />
In 1994, Hobart C. Buppert III (born {{birth based on age as of date|24|1998|03|02|noage=yes|slash=yes}}) was a student at the [[Cornell University School of Hotel Administration]].  While traveling through [[Vienna]], he found club dancers were paying {{US$|10|1994}} for cans of non-alcoholic, [[caffeine|caffeinated]], "sludgy brew" derived from [[guarana]] beans.<ref name="1998-03-02 Bloomberg" />  Himself unable to tolerate [[coffee]], Buppert saw potential in refining the drink he saw in Europe and received permission from Cornell to develop a [[business plan]] as an [[independent study]].<ref name="2004-02-03 Cornell Daily Sun" />


Buppert graduated from Cornell in 1995 with a degree in finance.<ref name="2004-02-03 Cornell Daily Sun" />  In 1996, he took out a loan for {{US$|200000|1996|long=no}} to launch Hobarama in [[Miami Beach, Florida]].  That November in [[South Beach]],<ref name="2002-08-11 Mercury News" /> he launched his first product: Bawls Guarana, a [[soft drink]] with three times the caffeine of [[Coca-Cola Classic]].  Bawls capitalized upon trends of the mid-1990s by being highly caffeinated, derived from natural ingredients, and having a gimmicky premise.  By 1998, Bawls was not only popular in the [[nightclub]]s of [[New York City]], [[South Florida]], and [[Southern California]], but was spreading to [[grocery store]]s in the US and Europe.<ref name="1998-03-02 Bloomberg" />  In its first year, Bawls brought in revenue of {{US$|400000|1998|long=no}}.<ref name="1998-07-17 CNN" />  By 2000, Bawls was distributed by Arizona Distribution,<ref name="2000-03 Entrepreneur" /> and two years later, Hobarama moved into new Miami Beach offices at 311 Lincoln Road.<ref name="2014-11-01 Winsight Grocery Business" />
Buppert graduated from Cornell in 1995 with a degree in finance.<ref name="2004-02-03 Cornell Daily Sun" />  In 1996, he took out a loan for {{US$|200000|1996|long=no}} to launch Hobarama in [[Miami Beach, Florida]].  In [[South Beach]]<ref name="2002-08-11 Mercury News" /> on November 14, 1996,<ref name="2025-08-26 GrizzlyRed" /> he launched his first product: Bawls Guarana, a [[soft drink]] with three times the caffeine of [[Coca-Cola Classic]].  Bawls capitalized upon trends of the mid-1990s by being highly caffeinated, derived from natural ingredients, and having a gimmicky premise.  By 1998, Bawls was not only popular in the [[nightclub]]s of [[New York City]], [[South Florida]], and [[Southern California]], but was spreading to [[grocery store]]s in the US and Europe.<ref name="1998-03-02 Bloomberg" />  In its first year, Bawls brought in revenue of {{US$|400000|1998|long=no}}.<ref name="1998-07-17 CNN" />  In 2002, Hobarama moved into new Miami Beach offices at 311 Lincoln Road.<ref name="2014-11-01 Winsight Grocery Business" />


By November 2009, Hobarama was struggling, and creditors like [[Fifth Third Bank]] forced out [[chief executive officer]] (CEO) and founder, Buppert.  A [[restructuring]] plan was put into place, and the company was entertaining any [[buyout]] offers.<ref name="2010-01-12 BevNET" />  On stable footing by 2012, the company bought out competitors [[Crunk Energy Drink]] and [[Strut & Rut]].<ref name="2012-04-05 BevNET" />  Jon Gunnerson was the company's CEO in 2014, which had since moved its offices to [[Twinsburg, Ohio]].<ref name="2014-11-01 Winsight Grocery Business" />
By November 2009, Hobarama was struggling, and creditors like [[Fifth Third Bank]] forced out [[chief executive officer]] (CEO) and founder, Buppert.  A [[restructuring]] plan was put into place, and the company was entertaining any [[buyout]] offers.<ref name="2010-01-12 BevNET" />  On stable footing by 2012, the company bought out competitors [[Crunk Energy Drink]] and [[Strut & Rut]].<ref name="2012-04-05 BevNET" />  Jon Gunnerson was the company's CEO in 2014, which had since moved its offices to [[Twinsburg, Ohio]].<ref name="2014-11-01 Winsight Grocery Business" />
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==Production==
==Production==
===Composition===
===Composition===
''[[The Baltimore Sun]]'' described Bawls' taste as [[citrus]]-flavored [[cream soda]], and the [[soft drink]] gets its caffeine from the [[Amazon rainforest|Amazon]]ian [[guarana]] berry.<ref name="2003-01-07 Baltimore Sun" />
Buppert and an Indianapolis flavor lab engineered the flavor of Bawls in a single day.<ref name="2025-08-26 GrizzlyRed" />  ''[[The Baltimore Sun]]'' described Bawls' taste as [[citrus]]-flavored [[cream soda]], and the [[soft drink]] gets its caffeine from the [[Amazon rainforest|Amazon]]ian [[guarana]] berry.<ref name="2003-01-07 Baltimore Sun" />


In 2002, a {{convert|12|USfloz|spell=in|adj=on}} bottle had {{convert|80|mg}} of caffeine, and cost about {{US$|1.00|2002|long=no}}.<ref name="2002-08-11 Mercury News" />  In 2004, a {{convert|10|USfloz|spell=in|adj=on}} bottle had as much caffeine as 1.5 cups of coffee, and cost between {{US$|1&ndash;1.50|long=no}} (equivalent to ${{inflation|US|1.00|2004|r=2}}&ndash;{{inflation|US|1.50|2004|r=2}} in {{inflation/year|US}}).<ref name="2004-02-03 Cornell Daily Sun" />
In 2002, a {{convert|12|USfloz|spell=in|adj=on}} bottle had {{convert|80|mg}} of caffeine, and cost about {{US$|1.00|2002|long=no}}.<ref name="2002-08-11 Mercury News" />  In 2004, a {{convert|10|USfloz|spell=in|adj=on}} bottle had as much caffeine as 1.5 cups of coffee, and cost between {{US$|1&ndash;1.50|long=no}} (equivalent to ${{inflation|US|1.00|2004|r=2}}&ndash;{{inflation|US|1.50|2004|r=2}} in {{inflation/year|US}}).<ref name="2004-02-03 Cornell Daily Sun" />
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In 2003, Bawls sourced its [[cobalt blue|cobalt-blue]] bottles from Germany, and the [[bottle cap]]s from Ecuador.  They came together in [[Hillside, New Jersey]] where Bawls was bottled with guarana from Brazil.<ref name="2003-12-25 CNN" />  Circa 2005, Buppert described the drink's [[brand identity]] as based on the unique bottles, where the raised bumps "convey the idea of 'bouncing balls inside the bottle punching their way out.{{'"}}<ref name="2015-03-11 Packaging Digest" />
In 2003, Bawls sourced its [[cobalt blue|cobalt-blue]] bottles from Germany, and the [[bottle cap]]s from Ecuador.  They came together in [[Hillside, New Jersey]] where Bawls was bottled with guarana from Brazil.<ref name="2003-12-25 CNN" />  Circa 2005, Buppert described the drink's [[brand identity]] as based on the unique bottles, where the raised bumps "convey the idea of 'bouncing balls inside the bottle punching their way out.{{'"}}<ref name="2015-03-11 Packaging Digest" />


In 2006,<ref name="2006-11-01 Beverage Industry" /> Hobarama developed a canned variant of Bawls both for shipping to overseas fans serving with the [[United States Armed Forces]],<ref name="2006-02-19 Denver Post" /> and distribution at events prohibiting glass containers (e.g. [[paintball]] tournaments).  The company partnered with [[Crown Holdings|Crown Beverage Packaging]] to develop a can that would evoke the uniqueness of the textured bottles: the {{convert|16|USfloz|adj=on}} aluminum cans are the first to feature [[foaming ink]], a new and then-unused technology that applies a low-gloss print that swells when heated, giving the cans a surface akin to the bottles.  In [[Montreal]], Crown's manufacturing of these new cans took 18.6&ndash;30 percent longer than traditional can-printing processes.<ref name="2015-03-11 Packaging Digest" />  The can was one of ''Brand Packaging''{{'s}} selections for "best new consumer package goods packages of 2006."<ref name="2006-11-01 Beverage Industry" />
In 2006,<ref name="2006-11-01 Beverage Industry" /> Hobarama developed a canned variant of Bawls both for shipping to overseas fans serving with the [[United States Armed Forces]],<ref name="2006-02-19 Denver Post" /> and distribution at events prohibiting glass containers (e.g. [[paintball]] tournaments).  The company partnered with [[Crown Holdings|Crown Beverage Packaging]] to develop a can that would evoke the uniqueness of the textured bottles: the {{convert|16|USfloz|adj=on}} aluminum cans are the first to feature [[foaming ink]], a new and then-unused technology that applies a low-gloss print that swells when heated, giving the cans a surface akin to the bottles.  In [[Montreal]], Crown's manufacturing of these new cans took 18.6&ndash;30 percent longer than traditional can-printing processes.<ref name="2015-03-11 Packaging Digest" />  Early versions of the can also featured color-changing ink that reflected whether or not it was chilled.<ref name="2025-08-26 GrizzlyRed" />  The can was one of ''Brand Packaging''{{'s}} selections for "best new consumer package goods packages of 2006."<ref name="2006-11-01 Beverage Industry" />


==Marketing==
==Marketing==
By 2002, Bawls was focusing its marketing on [[gamer]]s, who amounted to 50 percent of the drink's consumers, and were "typically males between 18 and 34."  Eschewing the health-benefits claims of other [[energy drink]]s of the time, Bawls instead focused on just being a soft drink with lots of caffeine, earning "an almost cult-like following among computer addicts looking for a source of energy to keep them awake for gaming binges lasting 15 to 24 hours straight."  That year, the company sponsored 2500 [[LAN party|LAN parties]].<ref name="2002-08-11 Mercury News" />
By 2002, Bawls was focusing its marketing on [[gamer]]s, who amounted to 50 percent of the drink's consumers, and were "typically males between 18 and 34."  Eschewing the health-benefits claims of other [[energy drink]]s of the time, Bawls instead focused on just being a soft drink with lots of caffeine, earning "an almost cult-like following among computer addicts looking for a source of energy to keep them awake for gaming binges lasting 15 to 24 hours straight."  That year, the company sponsored 2500 [[LAN party|LAN parties]].<ref name="2002-08-11 Mercury News" />


To capitalize on the connection, the national chain [[CompUSA]] began selling the soda in its stores<ref name="2003-01-07 Baltimore Sun" /> "to court the hard-core gamer market" (those who played [[PC game]]s for more than 40 hours per week).<ref name="2002-09-24 WAPO" />  From 2004 through at least 2008, Bawls was featured at the [[Penny Arcade Expo]], which brought the drink "a huge amount of attention".  Bawls partnered with [[GameFly]] in 2008 to [[cross-promotion|cross-promote]] each other through mutual discounts.<ref name="2008-07-08 Ars" />  In 2014, the Bawls was still marketed to gamers, including sponsoring [[QuakeCon 2014]] where {{convert|4799.9|USgal}} were drunk.<ref name="2014-11-01 Winsight Grocery Business" />
To capitalize on the connection, the national chain [[CompUSA]] began selling the soda in its stores<ref name="2003-01-07 Baltimore Sun" /> "to court the hard-core gamer market" (those who played [[PC game]]s for more than 40 hours per week).<ref name="2002-09-24 WAPO" />  From 2004 through at least 2008, Bawls was featured at the [[Penny Arcade Expo]], which brought the drink "a huge amount of attention".  Bawls partnered with [[GameFly]] in 2008 to [[cross-promotion|cross-promote]] each other through mutual discounts.<ref name="2008-07-08 Ars" />  In 2014, Bawls was still marketed to gamers, including sponsoring [[QuakeCon 2014]] where {{convert|4799.9|USgal}} were drunk.<ref name="2014-11-01 Winsight Grocery Business" />
 
In the mid-2000s, while Bawls had difficulty securing distribution in regular grocery stores (like [[Meijer]]) due to its name, the unique packaging worked in its favor.<ref name="2025-08-26 GrizzlyRed" />


===Name===
===Name===
In a 1998 interview with [[CNNfn]], Buppert said of the name, "[it] represents a state of mind. Bawls is a very common slang term—to be bold and daring—and that's how we see the product.  [...]  I think it's very difficult for a consumer to forget a product called Bawls Guarana."<ref name="1998-07-17 CNN" /> In 2002, ''[[The Mercury News]]'' reported that BAWLS was an abbreviation for Brazilian American Wildlife Society, "intended to promote sustainable uses for the rain forest";<ref name="2002-08-11 Mercury News" /> Buppert repeated that story to [[CNN]] in 2003.<ref name="2003-12-25 CNN" /> A 2004 article by ''[[The Cornell Daily Sun]]'' said Buppert was brainstorming to emulate the strong names of existing brands (Flying Tiger, [[Red Bull]]), when "Bawls" instead came from a friend's joke of "Why don’t you just call it Balls?"<ref name="2004-02-03 Cornell Daily Sun" />  When Gunnerson was asked about the name in 2015, he said, "Bounce like a ball. It gives you enough energy and fuel. That was really the inspiration of it from my understanding. […] Bounce with BAWLS was really our one key tagline for quite some time."<ref name="2015-04 Specialty Sodas" />
In a 1998 interview with [[CNNfn]], Buppert said of the name, "[it] represents a state of mind. Bawls is a very common slang term—to be bold and daring—and that's how we see the product.  […]  I think it's very difficult for a consumer to forget a product called Bawls Guarana."<ref name="1998-07-17 CNN" />
 
In 2002, ''[[The Mercury News]]'' reported that BAWLS was an abbreviation for Brazilian American Wildlife Society, "intended to promote sustainable uses for the rain forest".<ref name="2002-08-11 Mercury News" /> Buppert repeated that story to [[CNN]] in 2003.<ref name="2003-12-25 CNN" />
 
A 2004 article by ''[[The Cornell Daily Sun]]'' said Buppert was brainstorming to emulate the strong names of existing brands (Flying Tiger, [[Red Bull]]), when "Bawls" instead came from a friend's joke of "Why don’t you just call it Balls?"<ref name="2004-02-03 Cornell Daily Sun" />  Buppert affirmed this origin in a 2020s interview.<ref name="2025-08-26 GrizzlyRed" />
 
When Gunnerson was asked about the name in 2015, he said, "Bounce like a ball. It gives you enough energy and fuel. That was really the inspiration of it from my understanding. […] Bounce with BAWLS was really our one key tagline for quite some time."<ref name="2015-04 Specialty Sodas" />


===Product placement===
===Product placement===
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In the 2004 video game, ''[[Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel]]'', a shakeup in the management of [[Interplay Entertainment]] led to the replacement of the [[Fallout (franchise)|''Fallout'' franchise]]'s iconic [[Nuka-Cola]] with the real-world Bawls for the franchise's first outing on [[video game console|consoles]].  The swap was not well-received by fans.<ref name="2018-11-11 Eurogamer" />
In the 2004 video game, ''[[Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel]]'', a shakeup in the management of [[Interplay Entertainment]] led to the replacement of the [[Fallout (franchise)|''Fallout'' franchise]]'s iconic [[Nuka-Cola]] with the real-world Bawls for the franchise's first outing on [[video game console|consoles]].  The swap was not well-received by fans.<ref name="2018-11-11 Eurogamer" />


Bawls has also been featured in TV shows and films, including ''[[The Big Bang Theory]]'', ''[[The Hangover]]'', and [[Silicon Valley (TV series)|''Silicon Valley'']].<ref name="2015-04 Specialty Sodas" />
Bawls has also been featured in TV shows and films, including ''[[The Big Bang Theory]]'', ''[[The Hangover]]'', [[Silicon Valley (TV series)|''Silicon Valley'']],<ref name="2015-04 Specialty Sodas" /> and ''[[Reno 911!]]''.<ref name="2025-08-26 GrizzlyRed" />


===Sponsorships===
===Sponsorships===
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The [[diet drink|sugar-free]] Bawls Guaranexx was the first variant of Bawls, released in 2003.<ref name="2006-11-01 Beverage Industry" />  In 2006, Hobarama partnered with [[7-Eleven]] to produce a Bawls-based [[Slurpee]] (Sno Bawls) in the [[Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex]].<ref name="2006-02-19 Denver Post" />  By 2008, additional Bawls variants were available, including Bawls Cherry and Bawls Exxtra.<ref name="2008-09-16 Convenience Store News" />  Bawls' [[root beer]] variant&mdash;G33k Beer&mdash;premiered at a 2008 [[Halo (franchise)|''Halo'']] tournament in [[South Miami, Florida]];<ref name="2008-05-22 Miami New Times" /> that year it was named [[BevNET]]'s Energy Drink of the Year.<ref name="2009-06-08 Ad Age" />
The [[diet drink|sugar-free]] Bawls Guaranexx was the first variant of Bawls, released in 2003.<ref name="2006-11-01 Beverage Industry" />  In 2006, Hobarama partnered with [[7-Eleven]] to produce a Bawls-based [[Slurpee]] (Sno Bawls) in the [[Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex]].<ref name="2006-02-19 Denver Post" />  By 2008, additional Bawls variants were available, including Bawls Cherry and Bawls Exxtra.<ref name="2008-09-16 Convenience Store News" />  Bawls' [[root beer]] variant&mdash;G33k Beer&mdash;premiered at a 2008 [[Halo (franchise)|''Halo'']] tournament in [[South Miami, Florida]];<ref name="2008-05-22 Miami New Times" /> that year it was named [[BevNET]]'s Energy Drink of the Year.<ref name="2009-06-08 Ad Age" />


{{as of|2022|07}}, there were eleven combinations of Bawls flavors and packaging listed on the official website.  In {{convert|10|USfloz|spell=in|adj=on}} bottles were Original Soda, Zero, Orange, Ginger, [[cherry cola|Cherry Cola]], Cherry, and Root Beer.  The {{convert|16|USfloz|adj=on}} cans were sold with Original, Zero, Cherry, and Root Beer.<ref name="Bawls flavors" />
{{as of|2025|08}}, there were eleven combinations of Bawls flavors and packaging listed on the official website.  In {{convert|10|USfloz|spell=in|adj=on}} bottles were Original Soda, Zero, Orange, Ginger, [[cherry cola|Cherry Cola]], Cherry, and Root Beer.  The {{convert|16|USfloz|adj=on}} cans were sold with Original, Zero, Cherry, and Root Beer.<ref name="Bawls flavors" />


==References==
==References==
{{reflist |refs=
<references>
 
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<ref name="1998-07-17 CNN">{{cite news |last1=Schuch |first1=Beverly |date=1998-07-17 |title=It takes Bawls to compete |url=https://money.cnn.com/1998/07/17/busunu/bawls_intv/ |url-status=live |language=en |location=New York |publisher=[[CNNfn]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070821151759/https://money.cnn.com/1998/07/17/busunu/bawls_intv/ |archive-date=2007-08-21 |access-date=2022-08-05 |quote=25-year-old soda entrepreneur faces the bottling giants with guts and moxie}}</ref><!-- exhausted -->
<ref name="1998-07-17 CNN">{{cite news |last1=Schuch |first1=Beverly |date=1998-07-17 |title=It takes Bawls to compete |url=https://money.cnn.com/1998/07/17/busunu/bawls_intv/ |url-status=live |language=en |location=New York |publisher=[[CNNfn]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070821151759/https://money.cnn.com/1998/07/17/busunu/bawls_intv/ |archive-date=2007-08-21 |access-date=2022-08-05 |quote=25-year-old soda entrepreneur faces the bottling giants with guts and moxie}}</ref><!-- exhausted -->
<ref name="2000-03 Entrepreneur">{{cite magazine |last1=Tiffany |first1=Laura |date=March 2000 |title=Prime Timers |url=https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/19220 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |magazine=[[Entrepreneur (magazine)|Entrepreneur]] |language=en |issn=0163-3341 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120825012646/https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/19220 |archive-date=2012-08-25 |access-date=2022-08-05 |quote=Entrepreneurs on TV}}</ref><!-- exhausted -->


<ref name="2002-08-11 Mercury News">{{cite news |last1=Walker |first1=Elaine |date=2002-08-11 |title=Drink gives gamers jolt of energy |url=http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/business/3842507.htm |url-status=dead |work=[[The Mercury News]] |language=en |issn=0747-2099 |oclc=145122249 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20031208195330/http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/business/3842507.htm |archive-date=2003-12-08 |access-date=2022-08-04 |quote=Bawls Has More Caffeine than Coke}}</ref><!-- exhausted -->
<ref name="2002-08-11 Mercury News">{{cite news |last1=Walker |first1=Elaine |date=2002-08-11 |title=Drink gives gamers jolt of energy |url=http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/business/3842507.htm |url-status=dead |work=[[The Mercury News]] |language=en |issn=0747-2099 |oclc=145122249 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20031208195330/http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/business/3842507.htm |archive-date=2003-12-08 |access-date=2022-08-04 |quote=Bawls Has More Caffeine than Coke}}</ref><!-- exhausted -->
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<ref name="2022-04-20 Bon Appétit">{{cite magazine |last1=Erol |first1=Esra |date=2022-04-20 |title=Before Monster and Rockstar, There Was Bawls |url=https://www.bonappetit.com/story/history-of-bawls |url-status=live |magazine=[[Bon Appétit]] |language=en |issn=0006-6990 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220807000956/https://www.bonappetit.com/story/history-of-bawls |archive-date=2022-08-07 |access-date=2022-08-15 |quote=The soft drink with a kick was all the rage at LAN parties in the early 2000s—and then it fizzled out.}}</ref><!-- exhausted -->
<ref name="2022-04-20 Bon Appétit">{{cite magazine |last1=Erol |first1=Esra |date=2022-04-20 |title=Before Monster and Rockstar, There Was Bawls |url=https://www.bonappetit.com/story/history-of-bawls |url-status=live |magazine=[[Bon Appétit]] |language=en |issn=0006-6990 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220807000956/https://www.bonappetit.com/story/history-of-bawls |archive-date=2022-08-07 |access-date=2022-08-15 |quote=The soft drink with a kick was all the rage at LAN parties in the early 2000s—and then it fizzled out.}}</ref><!-- exhausted -->
<ref name="2025-08-26 GrizzlyRed">{{citation |mode=cs1 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ofyyQOW_jc |url-status=live |language=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250828183421/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ofyyQOW_jc |archive-date=2025-08-28 |access-date=2025-08-28 |title=Staying Up: The BAWLS Guarana Story {{pipe}} Documentary |author=GrizzlyRed |date=2025-08-26 |via=[[YouTube]]}}</ref><!-- reliable portions are exhausted -->


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<ref name="Bawls flavors">{{cite web |url=https://www.bawls.com/flavors |title=Flavors {{!}} BAWLS Guarana |publisher=Bawls |language=en |access-date=2023-07-11 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230514071642/https://www.bawls.com/flavors |archive-date=2023-05-14}}</ref><!-- exhausted -->
<ref name="Bawls flavors">{{cite web |url=https://www.bawls.com/flavors |title=Flavors {{!}} BAWLS Guarana |publisher=Bawls |language=en |access-date=2025-08-28 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250828165756/https://www.bawls.com/flavors |archive-date=2025-08-28}}</ref><!-- exhausted -->
 
</references>
}}


==External links==
==External links==

Latest revision as of 22:00, 18 December 2025

Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Script error: No such module "Infobox".Template:Template otherScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".

Bawls (marketed as BAWLS Guarana)[1] is a non-alcoholic caffeinated soft drink.

Created in 1996, the citrus-and-cream soda-flavored beverage leans heavily on the caffeine and natural flavor of the Amazonian guarana berry. Packaged in unique cobalt-blue bottles and cans, the drink was well received by gamers, to whom the company quickly began extensively marketing (through both sponsorships and video games themselves). The soda's name has an unclear provenance, and since July 2023Template:Dated maintenance category (articles)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". is still sold alongside six other flavors.

History

In 1994, Hobart C. Buppert III (born Template:Birth based on age as of date) was a student at the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration. While traveling through Vienna, he found club dancers were paying Template:US$ for cans of non-alcoholic, caffeinated, "sludgy brew" derived from guarana beans.[2] Himself unable to tolerate coffee, Buppert saw potential in refining the drink he saw in Europe and received permission from Cornell to develop a business plan as an independent study.[3]

Buppert graduated from Cornell in 1995 with a degree in finance.[3] In 1996, he took out a loan for Template:US$ to launch Hobarama in Miami Beach, Florida. In South Beach[4] on November 14, 1996,[5] he launched his first product: Bawls Guarana, a soft drink with three times the caffeine of Coca-Cola Classic. Bawls capitalized upon trends of the mid-1990s by being highly caffeinated, derived from natural ingredients, and having a gimmicky premise. By 1998, Bawls was not only popular in the nightclubs of New York City, South Florida, and Southern California, but was spreading to grocery stores in the US and Europe.[2] In its first year, Bawls brought in revenue of Template:US$.[6] In 2002, Hobarama moved into new Miami Beach offices at 311 Lincoln Road.[7]

By November 2009, Hobarama was struggling, and creditors like Fifth Third Bank forced out chief executive officer (CEO) and founder, Buppert. A restructuring plan was put into place, and the company was entertaining any buyout offers.[8] On stable footing by 2012, the company bought out competitors Crunk Energy Drink and Strut & Rut.[9] Jon Gunnerson was the company's CEO in 2014, which had since moved its offices to Twinsburg, Ohio.[7]

The marketing and higher caffeine content of Monster Energy delivered the first damage to Bawls' market share in 2002 by being more-widely appealing. The company later lost even its gamer niche to brands including Mtn Dew Game Fuel, Rockstar, and G Fuel—a brand with over 111 times more social-media followers. In 2022, the drink was being produced by Solvi Acquisition, and Bon Appétit reported on both Buppert's prediction that Bawls was in its twilight, and that the drink was "nearly impossible to find in stores".[10]

Production

Composition

Buppert and an Indianapolis flavor lab engineered the flavor of Bawls in a single day.[5] The Baltimore Sun described Bawls' taste as citrus-flavored cream soda, and the soft drink gets its caffeine from the Amazonian guarana berry.[1]

In 2002, a Script error: No such module "convert". bottle had Script error: No such module "convert". of caffeine, and cost about Template:US$.[4] In 2004, a Script error: No such module "convert". bottle had as much caffeine as 1.5 cups of coffee, and cost between Template:US$ (equivalent to $Expression error: Unrecognized punctuation character "[".–Expression error: Unrecognized punctuation character "[". in Template:Inflation/year).[3]

In 2015, the Script error: No such module "convert". can of original Bawls had Script error: No such module "convert"., and both the composition and guarana suppliers were yet unchanged from 1996.[7]

Packaging

Script error: No such module "Multiple image". In 2003, Bawls sourced its cobalt-blue bottles from Germany, and the bottle caps from Ecuador. They came together in Hillside, New Jersey where Bawls was bottled with guarana from Brazil.[11] Circa 2005, Buppert described the drink's brand identity as based on the unique bottles, where the raised bumps "convey the idea of 'bouncing balls inside the bottle punching their way out.'"[12]

In 2006,[13] Hobarama developed a canned variant of Bawls both for shipping to overseas fans serving with the United States Armed Forces,[14] and distribution at events prohibiting glass containers (e.g. paintball tournaments). The company partnered with Crown Beverage Packaging to develop a can that would evoke the uniqueness of the textured bottles: the Script error: No such module "convert". aluminum cans are the first to feature foaming ink, a new and then-unused technology that applies a low-gloss print that swells when heated, giving the cans a surface akin to the bottles. In Montreal, Crown's manufacturing of these new cans took 18.6–30 percent longer than traditional can-printing processes.[12] Early versions of the can also featured color-changing ink that reflected whether or not it was chilled.[5] The can was one of Brand Packaging's selections for "best new consumer package goods packages of 2006."[13]

Marketing

By 2002, Bawls was focusing its marketing on gamers, who amounted to 50 percent of the drink's consumers, and were "typically males between 18 and 34." Eschewing the health-benefits claims of other energy drinks of the time, Bawls instead focused on just being a soft drink with lots of caffeine, earning "an almost cult-like following among computer addicts looking for a source of energy to keep them awake for gaming binges lasting 15 to 24 hours straight." That year, the company sponsored 2500 LAN parties.[4]

To capitalize on the connection, the national chain CompUSA began selling the soda in its stores[1] "to court the hard-core gamer market" (those who played PC games for more than 40 hours per week).[15] From 2004 through at least 2008, Bawls was featured at the Penny Arcade Expo, which brought the drink "a huge amount of attention". Bawls partnered with GameFly in 2008 to cross-promote each other through mutual discounts.[16] In 2014, Bawls was still marketed to gamers, including sponsoring QuakeCon 2014 where Script error: No such module "convert". were drunk.[7]

In the mid-2000s, while Bawls had difficulty securing distribution in regular grocery stores (like Meijer) due to its name, the unique packaging worked in its favor.[5]

Name

In a 1998 interview with CNNfn, Buppert said of the name, "[it] represents a state of mind. Bawls is a very common slang term—to be bold and daring—and that's how we see the product. […] I think it's very difficult for a consumer to forget a product called Bawls Guarana."[6]

In 2002, The Mercury News reported that BAWLS was an abbreviation for Brazilian American Wildlife Society, "intended to promote sustainable uses for the rain forest".[4] Buppert repeated that story to CNN in 2003.[11]

A 2004 article by The Cornell Daily Sun said Buppert was brainstorming to emulate the strong names of existing brands (Flying Tiger, Red Bull), when "Bawls" instead came from a friend's joke of "Why don’t you just call it Balls?"[3] Buppert affirmed this origin in a 2020s interview.[5]

When Gunnerson was asked about the name in 2015, he said, "Bounce like a ball. It gives you enough energy and fuel. That was really the inspiration of it from my understanding. […] Bounce with BAWLS was really our one key tagline for quite some time."[17]

Product placement

Hobarama and Vivendi Universal Games made a deal in 2002 for cross-promotion.[18] Bawls received product placement as a game mechanic in the 2002 video game, Run Like Hell: protagonist Nick Conner drinks Bawls from vending machines to boost his health.[19] In exchange, cases of Bawls bore advertisements for the game.[18]

In the 2004 video game, Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel, a shakeup in the management of Interplay Entertainment led to the replacement of the Fallout franchise's iconic Nuka-Cola with the real-world Bawls for the franchise's first outing on consoles. The swap was not well-received by fans.[20]

Bawls has also been featured in TV shows and films, including The Big Bang Theory, The Hangover, Silicon Valley,[17] and Reno 911!.[5]

Sponsorships

In 2002, the soda was the official soft drink of the Cyberathlete Professional League.[21] Bawls has also been the official energy drink for the National Professional Paintball League (in 2004 & 2006),[22] Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week (2008),[23] and Olympus Fashion Week.[13]

Reception

In 1998, after Bawls was positively reviewed by Stephen Heaslip of Blue's News, the company's own site traffic increased by 2700–11320 percent.[15] In 2003, The Baltimore Sun called the drink "a smooth and tasty sip."[1] In 2005, Hobarama shipped 20 million bottles of Bawls.[14] Ars Technica wrote of Bawls in 2008, "the huge amounts of caffeine within each bottle—along with the fact that it tastes far better than Red Bull—have made it a favorite beverage at many a LAN party and game tournament since [2004]."[16]

Variants

The sugar-free Bawls Guaranexx was the first variant of Bawls, released in 2003.[13] In 2006, Hobarama partnered with 7-Eleven to produce a Bawls-based Slurpee (Sno Bawls) in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex.[14] By 2008, additional Bawls variants were available, including Bawls Cherry and Bawls Exxtra.[23] Bawls' root beer variant—G33k Beer—premiered at a 2008 Halo tournament in South Miami, Florida;[24] that year it was named BevNET's Energy Drink of the Year.[25]

since August 2025Template:Dated maintenance category (articles)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters"., there were eleven combinations of Bawls flavors and packaging listed on the official website. In Script error: No such module "convert". bottles were Original Soda, Zero, Orange, Ginger, Cherry Cola, Cherry, and Root Beer. The Script error: No such module "convert". cans were sold with Original, Zero, Cherry, and Root Beer.[26]

References

  1. ↑ a b c d Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  2. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  3. ↑ a b c d Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  4. ↑ a b c d Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  5. ↑ a b c d e f Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  6. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  7. ↑ a b c d Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
  8. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  9. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  10. ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
  11. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  12. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  13. ↑ a b c d Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  14. ↑ a b c Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  15. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  16. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  17. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  18. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  19. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  20. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  21. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  22. ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
  23. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
  24. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  25. ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
  26. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".

External links

  • Script error: No such module "Official website".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  • Template:Sister-inline

Template:Energy drinks

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