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.[4] Urge was discontinued in Denmark and Sweden in 2001.[5] In Norway, Urge sales increased greatly over the years reaching a market share near 10%[6] despite receiving no marketing since its initial launch.[citation needed]
The product was first released on 22 April 1996 as a test product.[7] Originally bottled by Ringnes along with other Coca-Cola products, it was a competitor to Ringnes' orange soda, Solo.[8][9] 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.[7][10]
The label's color was described as "grungy green and orange", which were noted as being fashionable at the time.[7]
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.[10]
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.[11] 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.[11] It has a sugar content of 68 grams per 0.5 L bottle.[12]
In February 2017, due to fan demand, the 0.33 L cans were reintroduced in a multipack of four.[13]
Urge Intense: Energy drink variant
Varieties
Urge Intense
Urge Intense was an energy drink variant of Urge. It was launched in 2009 in association with the Facebook group that pressured Coca-Cola to relaunch the 1.5L bottles. Much like with many other energy drinks like Burn and Monster Energy, Urge Intense Triple Rush came in 0.5L cans and has a high caffeine content of 32mg per 100mL.
In September 2017, a zero-sugar version was launched known as Urge Uten Sukker ('Urge Without Sugar'), which, like its regular counterpart, was made especially for Norway.[17] This sugar-free variant came in orange-tinted bottles, before switching to the clear ones regular Urge uses.
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