In our never ending quest to provide all of our readers with relatable, ‘slice of life’ style content, we here at the SoBros Network feel the time to weigh in on social commentary has officially come. It’s once again time for me, Big Natural, to open up the leather-bound parchment pages of the annals of history. Put on your plush robe, light your pipe, start a fire, and get ready for deep contemplation. This is the as-often-as-I-remember-to-write-it column: Forgotten Treasures of Americana. Today, we will be looking back at the soda of our youth: Surge.
Feed the rush. Life’s a scream.
The story of Surge soda is one of the greatest comeback stories in American history. It’s an example of the true power of remembering the relics of our past.
My memories of Surge involve mostly feeling my heart beat out of my chest as an 8th grader who had just drank like an entire six pack of it. I knew no bounds back then, and I don’t think we, as a society, understood the health risks of drinking “energy” drinks just yet. While it’s not an energy drink in the same way Red Bull or Monster is, it still boasted “an extra kick,” if you will. To this day, I’m not sure if modern science understands what exactly was in a Surge…nor do I think those of that consumed it back in its early form WANT to know what exactly was in that thing. My bet is cocaine (though they actually say there wasn’t all that much more caffeine in Surge than comparable sodas. Placebo effect, anyone?).
But, it was good. It was like Mello Yello on steroids. It was something designed to take down Mountain Dew. A bold aspiration….Mountain Dew has become one of the torchbearers in the sugary soda world. So, one has to admire the stones it took to say, “we’re gonna go toe to toe with the Dew.”
How’d they do that? Advertising to teenagers who skateboarded…probably THE preeminent marketing strategy of the late 90s/early 2000s. We have Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater to thank for that.
Ultimately, their efforts to take down the juggernaut Mountain Dew fell short. Our beloved Surge was pulled from shelves in 2003. But, it obviously struck a chord with a generation.
Over a decade after its demise (except in Norway, where it’s apparently super popular), social media movements ultimately led to the revival of the soft drink in limited release (for Amazon Prime customers lol) in 2014. Burger King (of course, Burger King) brought it back for a limited time in slushy form.
All of this because some of us decided to look upon our past and revisit items from our adolescence that just simply felt like home. That’s the very essence of why I write Forgotten Treasures of Americana. Who knows? Maybe one day we’ll be able to bring back 3D Doritos and Mama’s Family.
Feed the rush. Life’s a scream.
FORGOTTEN TREASURES OF AMERICANA ARCHIVES
3D Doritos
3OH!3
AIM
American Gladiators
The Basilisk
The Bermuda Triangle
Braided Belts
Citizen’s Arrest
Hasbro WWF Action Figures
Homework
Mama’s Family
Muppet Treasure Island
Playing Outside
Quicksand
That Marilyn Manson rumor…
The Super Soaker 50
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD and #BeBetter. “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
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