COCA-COLA LOOKS FOR SURGE TO RIVAL PEPSICO'S DEW.

Byline: Tara Meyer Associated Press 

Can it outdo the Dew?

Coca-Cola's new citrus drink is green, high in calories and loaded with caffeine, and the company is betting millions it can lure young consumers who have made Pepsi's Mountain Dew one of the hottest-selling soft drinks in America.

Analysts say Surge, the new soft drink announced Monday, is a gamble, but is worth a shot in a market where other citrus drinks have fizzled.

``Coke is turning its guns on Pepsi,'' said Tom Pirko, an analyst with the New York-based Bevmark consulting firm. ``It's looking for any conceivable weakness in Pepsi right now because Pepsi is going through a transition.''

Is Pepsi nervous? Nah.

``Mountain Dew has had a lot of people trying to compete with it, including Coke,'' said Brad Shaw, spokesman for Pepsico Inc. ``The wide array of wanna-bes have all failed to put a dent in Dew.''

Mountain Dew, fueled by a marketing campaign of teen-agers ski-boarding, in-line skating and rock-climbing, has outsold Coca-Cola's similar Mello Yello with sales of $3 billion last year.

Surge is made up of several citrus flavors, has an energy-boosting carbohydrate called maltodextrin and has roughly the same caffeine and calories as Mountain Dew. The 12-ounce cans also have wide mouths, a first for a Coca-Cola product.

``We think this will have great appeal,'' said Coca-Cola spokesman Rob Baskin. ``It tastes terrific, and it has a wide mouth so you can drink more of it more quickly.''

Coca-Cola will debut the lime-colored cans on TV during the Super Bowl next month.

CAPTION(S):

Photo

Photo: Coca-Cola's new soft drink called Surge will debut with commercials during Super Bowl XXXI.

Associated Press