Gatorade Drains Tiger Drink

Call it unfortunate timing.

Gatorade, a Chicago-based unit of PepsiCo inc., is pulling its Tiger Woods drink called Tiger Focus because of flagging sales.

It’s just a coincidence that they’re dumping the sports drink in the wake of the PGA pros sex-scandal-of-incredible-proportions.

The company announced their decision to drop the line last month, and the trade publication Beverage Digest ran an item on Nov. 25, days before Tiger was found asleep on the ground near his crashed SUV.

The drink debuted in March 2008.

Beverage Digest estimates it represents less than 5 percent of Gatorade's volume. Sales volume of Tiger Focus was down 34 percent this year through October.

The editor of Beverage Digest suspects the drink was drained because Gatorade is making room in its stable for a new product line, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Meanwhile, there have been no advertisements in prime-time featuring Woods since Nov. 29, according to data from Nielsen Co.

The research firm said the last prime-time ad to appear featuring the golfer was a 30-second ad that day for the Gillette Co. That commercial aired eight times during November, spokesman Aaron Lewis said.

There have been no other commercials since then on all broadcast networks and 19 cable networks during the evening news, prime-time, late-night and during weekend sports, he said.

 

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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