Bang Energy Explained

Bang Energy
Producttype:Energy drink
Country:United States
Tagline:Fuel Your Destiny!

Bang Energy is an American brand of energy drinks made by Vital Pharmaceuticals, a corporation located in Florida. As of 2023, Bang was the fourth-highest-selling energy drink in the United States, behind Monster, Red Bull and Celsius.[1]

On July 31, 2023, Monster Beverage acquired Vital Pharmaceuticals for $362 million. Including the Bang Energy brand and a beverage facility in Phoenix, Arizona, the deal came months after the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.[2]

History

Founded in 1993 by Jack Owoc, Bang's parent company manufactured and distributed sports supplements and performance beverages under the brand name VPX. Other products distributed by Vital included Redline, Noo Fuzion, and Meltdown.[3]

In 2012, Vital created Bang, marketed as a low sugar carbonated energy drink[4] and with the mission to make high-quality nutritional supplements backed by scientific research.[5] In 2017, it was announced that Bang would offer a caffeine-free variant of the beverage, using beta-alanine in place of caffeine.[6]

In 2019, the company opened a manufacturing and distribution facility in Phoenix, Arizona, which operates alongside their facility in Pembroke Pines, Florida.[7]

In April 2020, PepsiCo entered an exclusive distribution agreement with VPX to distribute Bang in the United States.[8] On November 17, 2020, it gave PepsiCo a notice of termination;[9] an emergency arbitrator ruled in December 2020 that Pepsi remained the exclusive distributor of Bang drinks until 2023.[10] VPX resolved their disputes with PepsiCo and transitioned away from their distribution in June 2022.[11]

In August 2022, it was reported that Keurig Dr Pepper was in talks to purchase VPX;[12] these talks fell apart shortly after the reports surfaced.[13]

On October 10, 2022, Bang's parent company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.[14] Three months after Owoc was removed and John DiDonato was named interim CEO of VPX,[15] Monster Beverage reached an agreement for its purchase on June 28, 2023,[16] this was completed one month later.[17]

Products

As of November 2023, Bang Energy has eleven flavors available:[18]

Several other flavors were part of the brand's lineup, but were discontinued after the brand's acquisition by Monster Beverage. Alongside its mainline energy drink, Vital Pharmaceuticals produced several products under the Bang brand; after the company was purchased by Monster Beverage, all other products, including other VPX brands such as Redline, were phased out.[19]

Former Bang Energy product lines included:

Legal actions and controversy

Vital Pharmaceuticals was sued by competing energy drink manufacturer Monster Beverage, who alleged that Vital engaged in consumer deception and anti-competitive business practices. Vital countersued, alleging that Monster infringed their copyright by use of similar trade dress.[28] [29]

In a separate lawsuit, Monster Beverage and Orange Bang sued Vital Pharmaceuticals for trademark infringement. Orange Bang previously sued Vital Pharmaceuticals in 2009, and the two companies settled the next year, with restrictions placed on Vital Pharmaceuticals' use of the Bang trademark, limited to "creatine-based" drinks and products sold exclusively at fitness venues such as gyms. The introduction of the "Bang Energy RTD" drink infringed on this settlement, as it contained "Super Creatine". The suit found that "Super Creatine" was not actually creatine, and did not raise the body's creatine levels. The trademark case was ruled in favor of Monster and Orange Bang by an arbitrator, with Vital Pharmaceuticals owing $175 million in damages.[30] [31] Monster later won a false-advertising case regarding Bang's 'Super Creatine' supplement, and was awarded $293 million.[32]

The company was sued by Sony Music in October 2021, claiming that Bang Energy's social media platforms were infringing their copyright by using their music without licensing it.[33]

In August 2022, the estate of musician Prince won a lawsuit against Bang Energy for their usage of the "Purple Rain" trademark.[34]

Vital Pharmaceuticals engaged in legal action with PepsiCo for alleged misconduct and foul play. After terminating their exclusive distribution agreement with PepsiCo, Bang alleged that PepsiCo was misrepresenting itself as the exclusive distributor of their products, and threatened lawsuits against suppliers and distributors who did not purchase Bang products directly from them.[35] An emergency arbitrator ruled in December 2020 that Pepsi remains the exclusive distributor of Bang.[10] Bang and PepsiCo mutually transitioned from their exclusive distribution agreement in June 2022, with then-CEO Jack Owoc claiming that "all disputes with PepsiCo have been fully settled and resolved".

The brand's founder is a supporter of former president Donald Trump,[36] [37] [38] and has donated $250,000 to America First Action, a super PAC endorsed by Trump.[39] Bang has been the subject of controversy for its attendance at Turning Point USA conferences, including a stunt in which the brand's marketers fired cash out of a "money cannon" towards the audience.[40] [41] The company also drew criticism for its response to the COVID-19 pandemic, ordering employees to attend a mandatory in-person meeting, a "dance party" promoting their Redline Noo-Fusion product, without proper social distancing or security protocols.[42]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Ridder . M . March 7, 2024 . Leading energy drink brands in the United States in 2023, based on sales (in million U.S. dollars)* . July 1, 2024 . Statista.
  2. Web site: Monster Beverage Completes Acquisition of Bang Energy. Bakersfield.com. July 31, 2023. 2023-08-05. en. August 5, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230805042838/https://www.bakersfield.com/ap/news/monster-beverage-completes-acquisition-of-bang-energy/article_e5b053af-5828-5826-adf1-d1af65d69a99.html. dead.
  3. Web site: Staff . C. S. D. . 2020-11-17 . Bang Energy Ends Exclusive Distribution Partnership With PepsiCo . 2023-07-13 . CStore Decisions . en-US.
  4. Web site: The Bang Revolution. May 10, 2017. November 17, 2020. November 25, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201125205157/https://www.bevnet.com/news/2017/the-bang-revolution/. live.
  5. Web site: About. Bang Energy. en-US. 2019-12-27. 2019-12-27. https://web.archive.org/web/20191227232741/https://bang-energy.com/about/. live.
  6. Web site: Caffeine free Bang gets beta-alanine in place of caffeine. November 28, 2017. Stack3d. January 23, 2020. May 16, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220516114834/https://www.stack3d.com/2017/11/caffeine-free-bang.html. live.
  7. News: Energy . Bang . 2019-11-05 . Bang® Energy New State-of-the-Art Manufacturing Facility to Bring 300+ New Jobs to Phoenix, AZ . en . Globe Newswire . 2023-06-22.
  8. Web site: April 28, 2020. Hannah. Prokop. PepsiCo, Bang Energy Maker Enter Into Exclusive Distribution Agreement. 2020-07-19. CSP Daily News. en. 2020-07-20. https://web.archive.org/web/20200720051323/https://www.cspdailynews.com/beverages/pepsico-bang-energy-maker-enter-exclusive-distribution-agreement. live.
  9. UPDATE - Bang Energy Terminates Distributor Partnership With PepsiCo. November 17, 2020. GlobeNewswire News Room. November 17, 2020. November 17, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201117221718/http://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2020/11/17/2128517/0/en/UPDATE-Bang-Energy-Terminates-Distributor-Partnership-With-PepsiCo.html. live.
  10. Web site: PepsiCo remains 'exclusive distributor' of Bang Energy drinks, arbitrator rules. 2021-06-23. 2021-06-24. https://web.archive.org/web/20210624204922/https://www.fooddive.com/news/pepsico-remains-exclusive-distributor-of-bang-energy-drinks-arbitrator-r/591849/. live.
  11. Web site: Bang to transition from PepsiCo distribution deal in favor of new DSD partners . 2022-07-10 . Food Dive . en-US . 2022-07-05 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220705160214/https://www.fooddive.com/news/bang-to-transition-from-pepsico-distribution-deal-in-favor-of-new-dsd-partn/625947/ . live .
  12. News: 2022-08-18 . Keurig Dr Pepper Is in Talks to Buy Bang Energy Owner VPX . en . Bloomberg.com . 2022-08-18 . 2022-08-18 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220818201722/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-08-18/keurig-dr-pepper-is-said-in-talks-to-buy-bang-energy-owner-vpx . live .
  13. News: 2022-08-19 . Keurig Dr Pepper's Talks With Bang Energy Fall Apart . en . Bloomberg.com . 2022-09-02 . 2022-08-19 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220819165325/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-08-19/keurig-dr-pepper-s-talks-with-bang-energy-fall-apart . live .
  14. Web site: Bang Energy files for bankruptcy, eyes revamped distribution. . October 10, 2022.
  15. Web site: Bang Energy's parent company ousts controversial founder and names interim CEO . 2023-03-11 . Food Dive . en-US.
  16. News: 2023-06-29 . Monster Close to Acquiring Rival Bang Energy For $362 Million . en . Bloomberg.com . 2023-07-01.
  17. Web site: 2023-07-31 . Monster Beverage Completes Acquisition of Bang Energy . 2023-08-12 . Yahoo Finance . en-US.
  18. Web site: Bang Energy . Bang Energy.
  19. Web site: 2023-08-07 . Monster to cut some products from Bang Energy portfolio . 2023-08-10 . FoodBev Media . en-GB.
  20. Web site: Natural Bang® Energy Drinks 12 Pack | 16oz Cans | Bang-Energy.com.
  21. Web site: Bang Keto Coffee 12 Pack. 2020-11-17. 2020-11-25. https://web.archive.org/web/20201125172759/https://bangenergy.com/shop/bang-keto-coffee-12-pack/. live.
  22. Web site: Bang® Shots 12 Pack * 3 oz Creatine BCAA Aminos, B-Vitamins & CoQ10 | Bang-Energy.com. 2020-11-17. 2020-11-25. https://web.archive.org/web/20201125180759/https://bangenergy.com/shop/bang-shots-12-pack/. live.
  23. Web site: Bang® Pre-Workout Master Blaster® 20 Servings | Supplements | Bang-Energy.com. 2020-11-17. 2020-10-24. https://web.archive.org/web/20201024205445/https://bangenergy.com/shop/bang-pre-workout-master-blaster-20-servings/. live.
  24. Web site: Bang® Sweet Tea 12-Pack - Super Creatine® - No Sugar 16 oz - 300 mg Caffeine | Bang-Energy.com. 2020-11-17. 2020-12-04. https://web.archive.org/web/20201204142348/https://bangenergy.com/shop/bang-sweet-tea-12-pack/. live.
  25. Web site: Bang ThermIQ® - Rapid Body Redesign™ Matrix | Bang-Energy.com. 2020-11-17. 2020-11-24. https://web.archive.org/web/20201124093913/https://bangenergy.com/shop/bang-thermiq/. live.
  26. Web site: First Look: Bang Energy's MIXX Hard Seltzer. 12 December 2020. 24 July 2021. 31 July 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210731094452/https://hardseltzernews.com/2020/12/12/first-look-bang-energys-mixx-hard-seltzer/. live.
  27. Web site: VOOZ™ Hydration Sensation™ - 12-pack. 2022-02-07. 2022-02-07. https://web.archive.org/web/20220207213534/https://bangenergy.com/shop/vooz-hydration-sensation-12-pack/. live.
  28. News: Peltz . James F. . Monster energy drink maker expands lawsuit against rival Bang . LA Times . 3 April 2019 . 28 December 2019 . 2 . 15 February 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200215030650/https://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-monster-energy-bang-lawsuit-20190403-story.html . live .
  29. Web site: Cohen . Howard . Monster Energy sues FL drink company over Bang's health claims . Miami Herald . 28 December 2019 . 3 . 25 January 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200125233004/https://www.miamiherald.com/news/business/article217866160.html . live .
  30. News: Brittain . Blake . 2022-07-01 . Monster's blockbuster $175 mln trademark win against Bang Energy upheld . en . Reuters . 2022-07-10 . 2022-07-10 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220710025512/https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/monsters-blockbuster-175-mln-trademark-win-against-bang-energy-upheld-2022-07-01/ . live .
  31. Web site: Wasel & Wasel Arbitrator Services Inc. - Abdulla Abuwasel . 2022-07-04 . BANG for your Buck: Largest U.S. Trademark Verdict Upheld in USD 175 Million Arbitration . 2022-07-10 . Lexology . en . 2022-10-01 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221001002200/https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=cbb61e31-ba6e-4ba6-bfe7-cb62e3c2bf7b . live .
  32. News: Brittain . Blake . 2022-09-30 . Monster Energy wins $293 mln false-advertising verdict against rival Bang . en . Reuters . 2022-09-30 . 2022-10-01 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221001002200/https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/monster-energy-wins-293-mln-false-advertising-verdict-against-rival-bang-2022-09-30/ . live .
  33. Web site: Sony Music Hits Bang Energy Drink With Copyright Suit Over Influencers' Use of 132 Songs . 2022-09-02 . Daily Business Review . en . 2022-09-02 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220902215256/https://www.law.com/dailybusinessreview/2021/08/03/sony-music-hits-bang-energy-drink-with-copyright-suit-over-influencers-use-of-132-songs/ . live .
  34. Web site: 2022-09-01 . Purple Rain, you will NEVER be an energy drink, says Prince's estate . 2022-09-02 . The A.V. Club . en-us . 2022-09-01 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220901202505/https://www.avclub.com/prince-estate-wins-suit-versus-purple-rain-energy-drink-1849485749 . live .
  35. News: November 25, 2020. Bang® Energy Sues Pepsi, Claiming Vindictive Misconduct. Bloomberg. 2020-12-09.
  36. Web site: How Bang Energy's flashy, neon world of influencers conquered TikTok . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20220516114835/https://www.morningbrew.com/daily/stories/bang-energy-conquered-tik-tok . 2022-05-16 . 2022-04-28 . Morning Brew . en-us.
  37. Web site: Does a Portion of Each Bang Energy Sale Go Toward Trump's Campaign? . 2022-07-10 . Snopes.com . August 6, 2019 . en-US . 2022-07-10 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220710060420/https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/bang-energy-trump-campaign/ . live .
  38. Web site: Eisen . Aryeh Mellman and Norman . 2020-07-22 . Addressing the other COVID crisis: Corruption . 2022-07-10 . Brookings . en-US . 2022-07-10 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220710025513/https://www.brookings.edu/research/addressing-the-other-covid-crisis-corruption/ . live .
  39. Web site: Karl . Evers-Hillstrom . 2020-07-07 . Company that gave six figures to pro-Trump super PAC got PPP loan worth at least $5 million . 2022-07-10 . OpenSecrets News . en . 2022-07-10 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220710025520/https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2020/07/company-that-gave-six-figures-to-pro-trump-super-pac-got-ppp-loan-over-5-million/ . live .
  40. 2020-12-21 . Cash Cannons, Election Conspiracies, and Thousands of Mask-less Teens: A Conservative Youth Orgy Takes Florida . 2022-07-10 . Vanity Fair . en-US . 2022-07-21 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220721135827/https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2020/12/conservative-turning-point-usa-summit-takes-florida . live .
  41. Web site: Petrizzo . Zachary . 2020-12-21 . Conservatives fume after Charlie Kirk has 'Bang Girls' blast cash into TPUSA crowd . 2022-07-10 . The Daily Dot . en-US . 2022-07-10 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220710025512/https://www.dailydot.com/debug/tpusa-bang-girls-conference/ . live .
  42. Web site: BANG Energy Threw a Dance Party During the Coronavirus Outbreak to Launch a Drink Called 'Noo-Fusion' . 2022-07-10 . www.vice.com . March 20, 2020 . en . 2022-07-10 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220710025512/https://www.vice.com/en/article/n7j5xm/bang-energy-threw-a-dance-party-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak-to-launch-a-drink-called-noo-fusion . live .

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