I’ve become a guinea pig for caffeine-based products.

Experimenting daily:
Caffeine-infused chocolate is sitting on my desk right now
(Peak by my mate Raph, legit so good).

I’m constantly chewing various versions of caffeinated gum
(Zuum is the undisputed best, but I’m biased as they’re a client).

My bag is full of tubes of effervescent tablets promising that elusive hit.

I thought I was deep in this space with behaviour that catches remarks and questions from friends and family. But it turns out, I’m barely scratching the surface of odd ways to fuel my 300mg a day addiction.

This episode is a revisit to an article I wrote a year ago, exploring trends and formats in the energy boom we’re seeing around the world right now.

Buckle up, it gets a whole lot weirder.

This edition is brought to you by Mind Control (a supergoods sister co.)

Mind Control is growing and we need THE BEST people.

We’re a brand and packaging design agency that’s young and hungry. Not even a year in yet, and we’re building a portfolio of clients and projects that will hit hard when we unleash in 2026.

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If you read this newsletter, you’re already semi-qualified.

At the moment, we want to talk to people with 2 specific types of experience:

1. Designers with food and beverage packaging experience

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The chart that keeps on goin’

Are you all that surprised that the world’s most legal and accessible drug is growing in interest? A quick search on Google trends shows our worldwide obsession with caffeine.

Surging across the US, Canada, Australia, UK and NZ (coincidentally, the markets that most read this newsletter). Driven by topics and related queries like Starbucks, Poppi, Prime and Celsius - these brands are investing heavily in advertising, both creating and capitalising on the growing interest.

But what’s going on under the hood, the consumer shifts?

Who is actually consuming all this caffeine?

The stereotype’s dead.
Sure, there’s the 16-year-old gamer - but now there’s the 30-year-old gym-goer and the 50-year-old exec, too.

• Women 18–34 are driving category growth through “clean energy” brands like Celsius and Alani Nu — sleek cans, zero sugar, fitness cues.

• Gen Z are swapping alcohol for energy drinks at parties and clubs. Staying alert is the new staying out late.

• Middle-aged adults want sustained energy without guilt — “clean caffeine” instead of Coke (cola or otherwise).

Energy has gone democratic. What used to scream extreme now whispers everyday.

So while more people hop on the energy trend, needs begin to diverge

Caffeine has gone blue-collar, white-collar and every collar in between. It’s becoming as ubiquitous and socially accepted as coffee for nurses, tradies and desk workers. In Australia, we’ve seen mainstream soda and sports brands like Solo and Gatorade enter this market and it’s clear it’s not slowing down.

Here are a few big trends shaping the wave

From jolt to joy: a mindful buzz

The next big trend? Sleep guilt.
After a decade of “grind fuel,” consumers are waking up to what caffeine’s doing to their heads.
A third of energy-drink users in Europe now cut themselves off after lunch. Brands are responding with lower doses, calming add-ins like L-theanine and mood-boosting adaptogens.
The ritual’s changing. It’s not about staying wired - it’s about staying in control.
A quick 10 a.m. lift, not a 300 mg meltdown at midnight. Caffeine is becoming calibrated.

Perfect Ted is the perfect reference. The back-of-pack tells the founder’s story of dealing with ADHD and anxiety, positioning Perfect Ted as the solution with its matcha based product.

The flavour flex

Forget “Berry Blast” and “Tropical Thunder.”
Flavour is now an arms race - nostalgic sweets, floral notes and collabs.

Think hibiscus, elderberry or bubble gum.

If flavour used to be functional, it’s now emotional - a way to create memory structures, not just mask bitterness.
Energy drinks are learning from confectionery: the hit has to taste like a reward.

The “stack” - energy PLUS

Consumers don’t just want energy - they want energy plus.
Performance plus hydration. Focus plus mood.
Formulations are loaded with B-vitamins, taurine, L-tyrosine, electrolytes, ginseng - a multivitamin with a buzz.

It’s proof that “functional” isn’t a niche anymore. It’s table stakes.

The shape of caffeine is changing

It’s not just what’s inside - it’s how we get it.

• Drink it: energy sodas, zero-sugar, cold brews, caffeinated hydration.

• Eat it: snack bars, chocolate, gummies.

• Chew it: gum, mints, strips.

• Stick it: patches, pouches, even nasal sprays (yes, really).

Formats are fragmenting because consumers are dosing by occasion.
One hit for the gym. One for the inbox. One for the school run.
Caffeine is about utility - modular, measurable, everywhere.

Perhaps the most interesting iteration of caffeine formats is when it borrows from nicotine. Brands are now offering caffeinated vapes and pouches as alternatives to aid the cessation of nicotine based products. These items contain no nicotine but borrow the form and function of their more addictive counterparts.

I’m game to push my caffeine experimentation further - any US buddies wanna ship me a caffeine vape?

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