Energy drink brands in the US are putting biblical quotes on their cans to "spread Christianity". It is not completely clear whether we are talking about sincere Christian missionaries or clever marketing
Is it a sin to drink an energy drink to get you through the day after a sleepless night? Is it a little less of a sin if Jesus is drawn on the can?
U United States of America maybe it is. New brands offer drinks that promise both energy and a spiritual message.
The brand "Yahwe" (Yahwe), for example, is promoted on Instagram with the slogan "Share the drink. Share the Gospel." The can shows Jesus with a crown of thorns, with the inscription "Take him everywhere with you", says the German "Spiegel".
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The brands "Prejz" (Slava) and "Agape" have a similar one marketing strategy. The former is "created with a purpose, rooted in faith and made for every day" and the latter "makes Jesus impossible to ignore in the beverage industry."
New energy drinks appear at a time when others do Christian brands are seeing success in the US.
The fast food chain Chick-fil-A has been around for years and is growing in popularity. Its founder, Truit Cathy, is a big believer and has transferred his values to his business. So these restaurants, for example, are closed on Sundays. The "Fear of God" brand from Los Angeles is also breaking through, combining religious iconography with high fashion.
However, energy drinks occupy a special place because they lull to reconcile the "bro culture" of the gym with the Christian culture of well-being. Flavors like "preacher peach" really hit the shelves. How the preaching peach is different from any other, no one really knows.
A large part of the marketing of these companies takes place on social networks, where their owners have hundreds of thousands of followers. In unison, they promote the idea that people carry their energy drinks with them everywhere, so that others can ask questions and start conversations about the Christian god, writes "Spiegel".
In the "Prejz" company, they additionally point out that the pillar of their business is prayer.
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If Americans have found a way to combine caffeine with the Gospel, it is possible that a similar idea could dawn on the domestic market.
In that case, instead of "preacher's peach" we suggest "penitent pear". The idea of fasting Gurana or an energy drink for all those who got up early for the liturgy is not out of the question either. On the can, instead of today's "No Sleep", it could say "No Temptation".
"It is difficult to assess what is really the motive of the founder of this business policy," Jared Watson, assistant professor of marketing at the Stern School of Business at New York University, told SPIEGEL. "They all claim to want to spread Christianity," he says. In his opinion, the truth is probably somewhere in between.
One of the co-founders of "Yahweh", Corinne Kurin, rejects accusations that she founded the company solely for profit.
"That couldn't be further from the truth," she says in an Instagram video, wearing a baseball cap with a cross on it. "God put it on our hearts to spread the Gospel precisely through energy drinks," he explains. For her, the mission of the company is clearly connected with the evangelization of society. However, there is no information available on whether they donate part of the income to churches or humanitarian organizations.
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She claims that they can reach as many as 150 million Americans every day through gas stations alone. That, he says, is 150 million people who, thanks to their "Jesus drinks", can be "saved".
Watson believes that Christian energy drinks have potential as a business idea. Energy drink consumers and committed Christians tend to belong to a similar age group, and "extremely focused identity-based marketing is a trend that is here to stay," Watson explains to SPIEGEL.
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