US hydration brand Liquid I.V.® is expanding into Australia this week with the launch of its Hydration Multiplier. The scientifically formulated electrolyte drink mix is the #1 powdered hydration brand[a] in the US and will be produced locally to meet Australia’s growing demand for hydration products.
Since its launch in 2015, the science-backed, lifestyle-led functional hydration brand has disrupted the powdered hydration market in the US. Liquid I.V.® continues to capitalise on its success in America, expanding into Canada in 2023 and now the United Kingdom and Australia this week.
“After taking the US by storm, and successfully expanding into Canada, we saw a huge opportunity to bring Liquid I.V.® to Australia, making it among the first five markets to launch worldwide,” said Anusha Babbar, Unilever Global Vice President of Health & Wellbeing. “Australia is one of the world’s top sports drink markets and prioritising wellness is deeply embedded in the Australian lifestyle, so this market was a very natural fit for a brand and product like Liquid I.V.®. We’re excited to see how Australians respond.”
New research commissioned by Liquid I.V.® has unveiled that Australians are struggling to stay hydrated. The majority of Aussies (97%) agree that maintaining hydration is important to their overall wellness. However, almost two-in-three (63%) admit to feeling dehydrated at least once a week, while a staggering one-in-four (25%) experience dehydration daily. Most Aussies (60%) say while they are aware of the recommended daily intake of 8–10 glasses of water, only 35% are meeting the minimum requirement per day.
Clare Standing, Unilever Australia & New Zealand Health & Wellbeing Lead, said “Australians love getting outdoors, exercising, and adopting the latest wellness trends. Yet our research[b] found that Australians are struggling to feel properly hydrated, citing barriers including forgetting to drink water throughout the day (37%), thinking more about staying hydrated in warm weather than cold (28%), and doing physical activity that results in significant perspiration (15%).”
One stick of Liquid I.V.® helps address these barriers by delivering faster hydration than water alone and rapidly replenishing electrolytes. With science-backed ingredients including essential vitamins B3, B5, B6, B12, and Vitamin C, Liquid I.V.® helps support immune health, exercise performance and post-exercise recovery through hydration. The single-serve vegan drink mix is convenient, travel-friendly, has no artificial colours or sweeteners, and comes in three flavours – Lemon Lime, Passionfruit and Strawberry.
“To support the launch, Unilever has established local manufacturing, making Australia the first market producing Liquid I.V.® outside of North America. By harnessing Australia’s manufacturing excellence, combined with Unilever’s global R&D expertise, we’re really proud to be bringing this product to market in partnership with Chemist Warehouse, the leaders in Vitamins, Minerals and Supplements,” said Standing.
Unilever acquired Liquid I.V.® in 2020 with the company joining the Health & Wellbeing Collective, a global business operating in the fast-growing vitamins, minerals and supplements market, and the brand has now quadrupled in size since the period near acquisition.
The launch of Liquid I.V.® brings Unilever’s Health & Wellbeing Collective into the Australian market for the first time. Health & Wellbeing is a key growth driver for Unilever, generating €1.9bn+ in global turnover and delivering double-digit, volume-led growth quarter after quarter.
Liquid I.V.® Hydration Multiplier is now available at Chemist Warehouse for $19.99 for a 10-pack and $39.99 for a 24-pack.