PepsiCo Inc sued Coca-Cola claiming that its rival made false attacks against Gatorade in its advertisements for Powerade ION 4.
By Ellie Duncan
The ads misrepresent the effectiveness of Gatorade, the top selling sports drink in the U.S., and claim that Powerade is a superior product.
The lawsuit was filed yesterday, April 13, in federal court in Manhattan.
Coke’s adverts state that Gatorade is “missing” two key electrolytes, calcium and magnesium. In the lawsuit, Pepsi claims that the levels of electrolytes found in Powerade ION 4 represent less than 0.5 percent of the recommended dietary intake for adults.
A spokesman for Pepsi said: “The truth is scientists say there is no evidence that Powerade ION 4 is a more complete sports drink than Gatorade.”
The company has also said that the adverts, which are running on billboards, in print, in store displays and on a website, harm the drink’s brand, claiming that Gatorade is “incomplete”. It has asked that they be removed immediately.
Coke said it is “prepared to defend the role that Powerade plays in hydrating consumers”.