There was a time, not so long ago, when protein was something you encountered in a gym locker room, mixed grimly from powder in a shaker bottle that would never quite come clean. The beverage aisle, meanwhile, concerned itself with more straightforward questions: sweet or not sweet, caffeinated or not, perhaps a vitamin or two for the health-conscious.
Those days, it seems, are behind us.
C4, the energy drink brand owned by Nutrabolt, is introducing C4 Sparkling Protein, a caffeine-free concoction that delivers 20 grams of protein with carbonation and no sugar. A Cherry Vanilla version is being sold exclusively at Walmart, with Lemon Lime Fizz and Strawberry Watermelon available elsewhere.
Not to be outdone, Beyond last month introduced Beyond Immerse, which also contains 20 grams of protein in fruity flavors and is now expanding an advertising campaign featuring Josh Hart, the Knicks forward. The campaign, created in-house, plays on sports-media commentary suggesting that Mr. Hart's friendship with teammate Jalen Brunson — the two played together at Villanova — might be somewhat lopsided. (One imagines Mr. Brunson's representatives have thoughts about this positioning.)
The brand is inviting consumers to nominate friends worthy of "passing the second can test," with winning pairs receiving product samples.
Both efforts reflect the continued expansion of what the industry calls functional beverages, a category that has grown broad enough to resist easy definition. Starbucks, which began offering protein additions last September, now makes them available in 90 percent of its drinks. A recent Circana analysis pegged total beverage sales at $490 billion in 2025.
"More people than ever are prioritizing protein as part of their wellness routines, but they don't want to sacrifice taste to get it," said Emily Hoyle, Nutrabolt's senior vice president of marketing.
The shaker bottle, presumably, sits in the back of the cabinet now, awaiting its moment of nostalgia.
Original story published in MediaPost: "Beyond, C4 Pushing Proteins That Sparkle"