After losing a trademark infringement case in court, PepsiCo is dropping the word “Rise” from a new line of energy drinks.
Mtn Dew Rise Energy will be rebranded after a federal judge ruled in favor of Rise Brewing Co., which argued that consumers would be confused by the similarity in names. Rise Brewing makes ready-to-drink coffee-based beverages.
PepsiCo rolled out Mtn Dew Rise Energy in March, putting a great deal of marketing muscle behind it, including an endorsement from basketball star LeBron James and a planned Super Bowl ad. But the judge granted a preliminary injunction on Nov. 3, and PepsiCo subsequently confirmed to AdAge that it would drop “Rise” from the name. It will now be called just "Mtn Dew Energy."
This is the third time this year PepsiCo has faced trademark infringement complaints over new products. Others involved Gatorlyte, an extension of its Gatorade sports drink brand, and Soulboost, a line of flavored sparkling water.
