We recently interviewed Victor Guimil, Co-Founder and COO at One More – Balance Drink. What started as an anti-hangover drink evolved into a multifunctional drink that can help with concentration and recovery from physical activities. This healthy and low in calories drink option received a modern and fresh rebranding reflecting the company’s personality.

1.   Where did the idea of creating an anti-hangover drink come from?

 The idea of making One More came from the Las Vegas market, in the United States. In 2013, my two partners Arthur and Felipe, and I got to know a very innovative anti-hangover drink, which was meant to be mixed with alcoholic beverages so that the consumer would wake up in a better state the next day.

The big difference was that instead of being positioned as a medication for the “after drinking”, it was positioned as a lifestyle drink that could be mixed with alcoholic beverages to hydrate and ease hangover symptoms, besides having a light taste that would not compromise the drink.

We were very interested in developing a similar project in Brazil, our country of origin and residence. So, we started to study the Brazilian market to understand what the potential of this segment would be. In the study, we could observe two very relevant factors: The first is the habit of Brazilians using mixers with alcoholic drinks, starting with a caipirinha, which is made from a mixture between fruit and cachaça. And the second was the growing desire for healthier products. In nightlife, there was a lack of mixer options that were not harmful to the health. Energy drinks are not indicated for consumption with alcoholic beverages because they speed up the body a lot, and juices and sodas have a lot of sugar, an ingredient that is increasingly being rejected. With this information, we had the idea of making a tasty drink, without contraindications and with high hydration power to be taken on a daily basis, especially, with alcoholic beverages, such as gin and vodka. All are sugar-free and with less than 10 kcal. Thus, we united flavor, convenience, and effectiveness in a single product.

2. What is a balance drink?

Initially, One More would be an anti-hangover drink, but we, partners, have created a much more complete formula and, therefore, developed a much broader and current brand concept: The Balance Drink.

What is a Balance Drink? It is a new category of ready-to-drink beverages, tasty, carbonated, and with a high power of hydration and recovery of the body, seeking to balance the body. Because it is tasty, without contraindication, and rich in vitamins and minerals, One More is intended for daily consumption, refreshing and replacing unhealthy alternatives.

Because it has many vitamins and minerals and hydrates the body a lot, it has many functionalities in 3 major consumption occasions: after physical activity to recover the body, during work and study to help with concentration, or mixed with alcoholic beverages to make a tasty drink that will ease the hangover symptoms. It is important to mention that it does not cure the hangover, but softens it, improving 10%, 50%, or even 100% of the symptoms that could appear the next day. The hangover is very subjective, and countless factors influence it, that is why we never talk about a cure, even because we do not encourage irresponsible alcohol consumption. What we want is a healthier alternative to what is available in the market today.  

It is also worth mentioning that One More is vegan, has zero sugar, low sodium, and has less than 10 kcal.  It is also rich in vitamins and minerals, and its main ingredient is Choline, a vitamin that aids in memory and concentration and that protects the liver, being present in some Brazilian medicines that combat hangovers.    

3. Congratulations on the rebranding, it looks great! What made you do it?

 The new packaging is much more cheerful, self-explanatory, and democratic. We brought diversity in the illustrations, from illustrations of ordinary people to high-performance athletes. We also created the people in blue to represent all consumers. Finally, we showed the consumption occasions: sports; study and work; and partying. The big goal is to differentiate ourselves from the drinks that exist today and explain what One More is in a more friendly and fun way.

4. What were your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them?

From the beginning, One More’s biggest challenge was without a doubt to build a new beverage category with a solid brand concept that people understand. Launching any new category is already very challenging. Now, launching a new beverage category, with little investment and competing directly with giant retail companies is much more challenging. Today, as much as One More is a unique product, it competes with several big brands in the consumption occasions in which it operates (sports, parties, and work). Therefore, since the launch of One More in 2017, our startup has gone through a few rounds of funding to direct resources mainly to marketing and distribution, always seeking to balance supply and demand.    

5. What are the future plans for One More? Will we find it internationally anytime soon?

Recently, One More received investment from Bauducco, a robust Brazilian company in the food business, which has a very diversified portfolio. With this strategic partnership, we have a very aggressive growth goal with a focus on expanding to all major retail chains in Brazil. In 2023, we envision expanding outside the country. 

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