When it’s hot and we are thirsty, we feel like picking up something cold, fizzy, or brightly packaged. Even when there’s water within reach. Not because we need it, but because we want it. That small, almost irrational choice says a lot about where India’s beverage market is headed. From Red Bull and Sting to ORS and Glucon-D Recharge, a new generation of drinks is reshaping the shelf. They promise energy, hydration and recovery, but what they really offer is something intangible—a feeling.
More than just a drink
“Hydration is the base, but what brands really sell is an excuse,” says KV Sridhar Pops, Global Chief Creative Officer, Nihilent. That excuse could be anything—a burst of energy, a hit of vitamins, or simply the satisfaction of something chilled on a hot day. But when noticed closesly, it points at a subtle shift. It is no longer just about quenching thirst, it is about how that choice makes you feel, and how it makes you appear. Energy, in this context, is less about physical need and more about perception. It is about feeling active, youthful and 'socially in sync'.
From searching to scrolling
The way people discover these drinks has changed just as much. According to Ahmed Aftab Naqvi, Global CEO & Co-founder, Gozoop Group, consumers are no longer actively looking for functional beverages. Instead, they are stumbling upon them. “Today, functional beverages are entering carts through content, creators and quick commerce nudges,” he explains. A Reel, a fitness influencer, or even a late-night delivery app suggestion can plant the idea in our minds. Over time, repetition turns curiosity into habit. The science behind the product fades into the background, replaced by simple, relatable outcomes like feeling less tired or staying active for longer.
The feeling matters more than the function
The biggest shift, however, is in how these drinks are being sold. “The old energy drink ad was simple: someone tired, drinks it, becomes superhuman. That formula had a good run,” says Abhijat Bharadwaj, Chief Creative Officer, Dentsu Creative Isobar. “But the category has moved past it.” Instead of showing what the product does, brands are focusing on the world it belongs to. Red Bull is a classic example. Its ads rarely talk about ingredients or benefits. They build a universe of extreme sports, humour and bold personalities. You are not just buying a drink, you are buying into that world. It is a subtle but important change. The feeling sells while the function is assumed.
This is something Akshay Kapnadak, Chief Creative Officer, Infectious Advertising echoes as well. While the category has long leaned on performance and utility, he points out that it has almost always been rooted in lifestyle. The narrative is not about what is inside the drink, but about a certain kind of high-adrenaline living, whether through sport, music, or emerging subcultures. As newer lifestyles take shape, so do new storytelling opportunities.
A quiet shift in identity
This matters even more when you look at younger consumers. “All these drinks serve the same core purpose,” Sridhar points out. “What changes is who the consumer wants to be seen as.” For many, traditional options feel dated. Newer formats, on the other hand, signal something else: modernity, individuality, and even a bit of edge. The choice of drink becomes a small but visible marker of identity.
The chaos of summer
If there is one time when all of this intensifies, it is summer. The demand is real, but the decisions are often impulsive. A cold bottle can feel irresistible even when you are not particularly thirsty. That fleeting moment—the heat, the craving, the convenience, is where brands compete hardest.
Naqvi points out that marketing has become far more immediate. Campaigns are no longer planned months in advance and left unchanged. They respond to real-time triggers: rising temperatures, time of day, and location. The goal is simple—to appear exactly when the need is felt.
But visibility alone is not enough. “Every summer, every beverage brand pulls out the same playbook. Sweaty forehead. First sip. Relief face,” says Bharadwaj. Over time, that repetition fades into the background. What cuts through instead is relevance. A joke that people are already sharing; a cultural moment everyone is talking about; a brand that feels like it understands the mood of the moment, not just the season.
Kapnadak believes there is no single formula to break through. Some brands lean into humour, others into experiences or technology, but the core remains unchanged: relevance, differentiation and creativity. Whether it is tapping into micro-communities or finding new ways to engage, the brands that stand out are the ones that feel current.
What we are really drinking
At its core, this shift is less about beverages and more about behaviour. We are no longer just drinking to hydrate. We are drinking to feel energised, to fit in, to stand out, or simply to match the moment we are in. The bottle, the can, the sachet—they all still serve the same basic purpose. But the meaning attached to them has changed. And as the heat rises, so does this quiet transformation, turning everyday drinks into small, telling expressions of who we are, or who we want to be.
