Despite this low-carb promise, several non-carb-oriented products launched in 2003 achieved great success. Pepsi (Purchase, N.Y.) Vanilla and Sprite Tropical Remix (Coca-Cola, Atlanta) both placed among the top-selling launches, even though neither has been around for 52 weeks.
For that matter, among the “Pacesetter Candidates to Watch in 2004,” IRI does not list any products that tout their lack of carbohydrates. To be fair, though, Michelob Ultra from Anheuser-Busch (St. Louis), the first nationally marketed brand of beer to tout its low-carb aspect, managed $156.1 million in sales for its first 52 weeks, placing fourth on the Pacesetters list. What was the next-largest low-carb launch? Endulge nutritional bars from Atkins Nutritionals (Hauppauge, N.Y.) enjoyed $29.2 million in sales and served as the impetus for the company to team with CoolBrands (Toronto) and introduce super-premium ice creams and ice cream bars later in the year.