Beyond Sweat: How hydration has now become a lifestyle
In fridges across Australia, a new kind of hydration is taking over. Bottled water and sports drinks aren’t just about quenching thirst anymore, they’re about feeling good in every sense. Whether it’s Cool Ridge talking sustainability, Powerade Zero selling clean performance, or Más+ by Messi and Prime Hydration bringing celebrity flair, the drinks aisle is becoming a snapshot of how Australians think about health, humor, and the planet.
For many Australians, these drinks aren’t about sport or recovery at all, they’re simply the easiest way to feel like you’re making a good choice.
Let’s start with water, the foundation of the category. Cool Ridge has turned simplicity into strength. With 75% purchase intent and benchmark-beating desire, it proves that being self-aware can be a superpower.
Its “When you can / When you can’t” campaign is a rare example of commercial courage in bottled water marketing. By openly telling people to refill their reusable bottles “when you can”, and only choose Cool Ridge “when you can’t”, the brand takes aim at its own category. It’s humor with purpose: a self-deprecating nod to the reality of plastic consumption, backed by a serious sustainability story.
Every bottle (excluding cap and label) is made from 100% recycled plastic (rPET), and the brand is Carbon Neutral certified. Tangible proof that environmental responsibility doesn’t have to come wrapped in guilt. Instead, Cool Ridge has turned it into a badge of everyday virtue.
In an era of performative greenwashing, that candor cuts through. It positions Cool Ridge not as an aspirational lifestyle brand, but as a relatable ethical choice, hydration for people who want to do better without overcomplicating it.
Alongside bottles, new formats are quietly reshaping the space. Powdered electrolytes and “hydration blends” like Sodii and Hyro are introducing precision into everyday drinking, while natural alternatives like coconut water bring an effortless, ingredient-led approach to hydration. Together, they show how far people will go to fine-tune something as simple as water.
If Cool Ridge wins on conscience, Powerade Zero Sugar Berry Ice wins on control. Among 18–34-year-olds with an “active lifestyle”, desire rockets to 90%, with purchase intent at 96%.
This group is redefining what “performance” means. It’s no longer about sweating harder; it’s about optimising smarter. Zero sugar, electrolyte balance, and familiar brand trust signal a form of controlled wellness. Health that fits seamlessly into daily life.
While Powerade has staying power, a new wave of boutique electrolyte brands is emerging, built for precision recovery and ingredient transparency. It’s a reflection of how far consumers will go to optimise.
Powerade’s credibility still leans on athletic performance while its appeal is evolving. As Australians become more aware of electrolytes and what they actually do, Powerade’s ION4 system touting four key electrolytes, anchors it as the accessible entry point to functional hydration. Its growing lifestyle presence complements rather than replaces its performance roots, offering everyday balance for the average consumer. It’s hydration for the gym-goer, the commuter, or anyone who wants to stay sharp through a 3pm slump.
Function Meets Culture
The numbers tell the story. More than half of Australians drink sports or hydration beverages, but the reasons are shifting. Fewer for sport, more for taste, refreshment, and everyday balance. Among younger adults, hydration has become a lifestyle marker as much as a physical one. For older consumers, it still signals recovery and routine.
Hydration is no longer defined by intensity but by intent. People reach for these drinks when dehydrated (48%), in hot weather (43%), or after individual sport / exercise (36%), but just as many now drink them for taste, recovery, or routine.
Celebrity-backed brands have dominated headlines. Three names tested in performance hydration each win for different reasons.
Powerade Zero Sugar Berry Ice remains the category benchmark, 82% desire among sporty 18–34-year-olds. Its zero-sugar formula and familiar “ION4” electrolyte mix make it the trusted choice for everyday athletes and weekend warriors.
Más+ by Messi sits at 79% desire among the young and sporty crowd, with room to grow among a wider audience. Consumers might respect the Messi story, and this one's a newcomer.
Prime Hydration seems to play a different role in the category, with hype likely driving trial. It is over-indexing with purchase intent among young and sporty consumers, with a +38% desirability score in Melbourne vs Sydney.
Nature’s Performance Drink: Coconut Water
As consumers look for cleaner, natural ways to hydrate, coconut water is finding new relevance. Packed with natural electrolytes, it offers performance without the additives, hydration that feels pure? Is it the natural counterpart to Powerade’s engineered functionality and the conscious simplicity of Cool Ridge?
The Bounce-Back Culture
That crossover between health and hedonism captures something bigger about modern wellness. People aren’t chasing purity anymore; they’re chasing equilibrium.
One of the more unexpected insights is how hydration has become part of recovery. Not just after exercise, but after a night out. 16% of Australians say they drink hydration or sports drinks to feel better the next day, but that jumps to 37% among younger, sporty people.
It’s a small number with a big story behind it. Health for this group isn’t about purity; it’s about balance. They train hard, go out, and then use the same products to reset. Hydration has become part of the bounce-back routine.
Coconut water sits at an interesting crossroads here, positioned as the ‘natural’ way to bounce back, whether that’s from a workout or a hangover. It bridges performance and purity, and its quiet consistency among younger Australians hints at room to grow.
Looking ahead, Australians expect the next big trends in hydration to balance science, sustainability, and sensation.
- Enhanced nutrition and exotic flavours lead forecasted trends.
- Natural ingredients and electrolyte enrichment are top of mind.
- Health marketing is expected to dominate the next five years.
Among younger, active Australians, hydration has become something more personal than performative. It’s no longer about chasing endurance or elite results, but about finding and making choices that align with a more intentional lifestyle. For brands, that shift changes the rules: the win now lies not in new ingredients, but in new meaning, in how well a product reflects the mindset of the people drinking it.
From recycled plastic to zero sugar to natural electrolytes, every brand in the hydration space is really selling the same thing: reassurance. In a culture that’s always on, hydration has become the quiet act of feeling in control.
From Product to Philosophy
Cool Ridge’s success encapsulates this evolution perfectly. Its humor-driven sustainability campaign shows how even a low-involvement product can spark high emotional connection. It’s proof that brands can ask consumers to do the right thing, even at the expense of sales, and still come out stronger.
Hydration has evolved into a ritual, from a category to a culture. The future belongs to brands that can balance purity, purpose, and playfulness where every sip says something about who we are, and what we care about.
One question remains, has hydration become a convenience-shop reflex? The impulse choice that signals health without thought. The next wave of brands won’t just be selling a drink. They’ll be selling an ethos and an image that speaks to people.
