Howdy SURGE and Vault Fans and welcome to the 15th edition of The Kick and Rush Gazette! Keeping you informed with the latest happenings with the finest citrus beverages.

It’s Official: Vault Launches Nationally in February 2006!
VaultKicks.org became the first outlet authorized by Coca-Cola North America this week to report that Vault and Vault Zero will be making their national debuts in February 2006. This means that if you don’t currently have Vault in your area of the US, you won’t have to wait very long for it to start showing up in a store near you!

The announcement was made on the morning of Wednesday, November 16, 2005 on the VaultKicks.org homepage. We are just thrilled that Coca-Cola North America allowed us to report the news to Vault’s most dedicated fans before anyone else!

A national launch for Vault means that our community has reached one of its major goals. Now, the mission is simple: Celebrate, spread the word and make sure that Vault sticks around for the long haul! Our community is a big reason for Vault’s existence and we now have the power to make sure that our favorite hybrid beverage will be available for many years to come.

To say that we’re proud of you is an understatement. Thank you all for making this dream into a reality!

Vault Zero – What is it?
Among the great news that came out this week was word that Vault Zero would be launching nationally along with Vault in February 2006. So, many of you may ask, just what is Vault Zero?

Vault Zero is a sugar-free version of the original – much like Coca-Cola Zero is to Coca-Cola Classic. As far as we know, Vault Zero has not been made available in test-markets.

VaultKicks.org has proudly displayed the first known graphics of Vault Zero. The logo features a silver V serving as a background to black text containing the word Vault. It’s essentially a reverse to the original Vault logo.

Interview with SALT Branding – Masterminds of Vault
We were thrilled to discover that SALT Branding, the company responsible for naming Vault, has been linking to VaultKicks.org from their own website and even quoting some of our reviewers!

The folks at SALT were kind enough to take some time out of their busy days out in San Francisco to answer a few questions:

Q. Could you explain the process behind creating the name VAULT? Were there any other names being discussed?
A. Choosing the name VAULT was one of the longest and most involved elements of the brand's creation. After extensive name brainstorming, trademark searching and consumer testing the name VAULT was finally secured. There were over 800 names generated in addition to VAULT. The development team was very pleased with VAULT because the name and the label design directly conveys what the brand was built to communicate - that our new hybrid brand takes beverages energetically to a whole new level.

Q. Did you use VAULTKicks.org or SaveSURGE.org as a way to better understand what consumers were looking for in a citrus beverage?
A. We're always listening to what our consumers want when we are creating new brands. VAULT was certainly no exception and the two website communities created to discuss our citrus products have been frequently visited and much appreciated.

Q. Did Coke's previous citrus soda, SURGE, have any impact on the process of creating the VAULT brand?
A. The VAULT development team learned a lot from the history of Surge. VAULT, however, was engineered new from the ground up to ensure its uniqueness.

Q. How would you judge the consumer reaction to VAULT so far?
A. Awesome! VAULT event sampling teams, consumer research, 1-800-GET-COKE calls and store interviews have all indicated that VAULT has strong potential for success because it delivers on the promise that VAULT "Drinks like a soda, Kicks like an energy drink."

Thanks to our friends at SALT Branding for chatting with us!

Scanning the Sites
Here’s a look at some of the latest additions to our sister sites:

What’s New at VaultKicks.org:
Aaron Sees a Vault Billboard in his Town – Aaron sent in an awesome pic of the Vault billboard in his hometown of Columbus, GA. Check it out here.

New Sightings! – As usual, there are a whole bunch of new Vault Sightings to report. Of course, once Vault goes national in February, it should be spotted all over the place! For now, check out a list of locations here.

What’s New at SaveSURGE.org:
Dan Finds SURGE! – One of the few SURGE Sightings we’ve had in a long time! Find out where it is here.

Andy's SURGE Recipe – Andy sent in a recipe to help feed your citrus rush. Check it out here.

Jonquil has Fond Memories of SURGE – Jonquil wrote in to share some memories about SURGE and her happiness to have found our community. Read her story here.

Zac was Addicted to SURGE – Zac loved SURGE so much that back in the day, he dressed up as a giant SURGE can for Halloween! See the costume here.

Weekly Interview: surge&drslice
Our good friend from the Bulletin Board, surge&drslice, took some time out to chat with us about some of his favorite things:

1. What do you enjoy most about our community?
I just love being able to discuss a passion of mine with others who share it. I love SURGE and many others sodas, so being able to talk with others who do is awesome.

In addition I am grateful for what we have done to contribute with the release of Vault.

2. What are some of your favorite websites (besides ours of course!)?
Soda wise it is BevBoard on the Bevnet, otherwise it is the official St. Louis Blues hockey site. I love my NHL and my SURGE!

3. What's your favorite song at the moment?
I'm an '80's guy all the way. I am addicted to "Stairway to Heaven" right now, but that will change in a week.

4. What's your favorite feature of either SaveSURGE.org or VaultKicks.org?
The forums. You gotta love talking with others who love SURGE.

Thanks to surge&drslice for speaking with us!

Sincerely,

Eric Karkovack
Co-Webmaster
www.SaveSURGE.org
www.VaultKicks.org

Home