Bang Energy

History

Founded in 1993 by Jack Owoc, Bang's parent company manufactured and distributed sports supplements and performance beverages under the brand name VPX. Other products distributed by Vital included Redline, Noo Fuzion, and Meltdown.

In 2012, Vital created Bang, marketed as a low sugar carbonated energy drink and with the mission to make high-quality nutritional supplements backed by scientific research. In 2017, it was announced that Bang would offer a caffeine-free variant of the beverage, using beta-alanine in place of caffeine.

In 2019, the company opened a manufacturing and distribution facility in Phoenix, Arizona, which operates alongside their facility in Pembroke Pines, Florida.

In April 2020, PepsiCo entered into an exclusive distribution agreement with VPX to distribute Bang in the United States. On November 17, 2020, it gave PepsiCo a notice of termination; an emergency arbitrator ruled in December 2020 that Pepsi remained the exclusive distributor of Bang drinks until 2023. VPX resolved their disputes with PepsiCo and transitioned away from their distribution in June 2022.

In August 2022, it was reported that Keurig Dr Pepper was in talks to purchase VPX; these talks fell apart shortly after the reports surfaced.

On October 10, 2022, Bang's parent company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Three months after Owoc was removed and John DiDonato was named interim CEO of VPX, Monster Beverage reached an agreement for its purchase on June 28, 2023, this was completed one month later. Due to Monster's partnership and partial ownership by The Coca-Cola Company, Bang is now distributed through Coca-Cola's distribution network.

The brand's founder is a supporter of president Donald Trump, and has donated $250,000 to America First Action, a super PAC endorsed by Trump. Bang has been the subject of controversy for its attendance at Turning Point USA conferences, including a stunt in which the brand's marketers fired cash out of a "money cannon" towards the audience. The company also drew criticism for its response to the COVID-19 pandemic, ordering employees to attend a mandatory in-person meeting, a "dance party" promoting their Redline Noo-Fusion product, without proper social distancing or security protocols.

Products

As of June 2025, Bang Energy has ten flavors available:

• Black Cherry Vanilla
• Cotton Candy
• Delish Strawberry Kiss
• Purple Haze
• Radical Skadattle
• Any Means Orange
• Sour Ropes
• Star Blast
• Blue Razz
• Peach Mango

Several other flavors were part of the brand's lineup, but were discontinued after the brand's acquisition by Monster Beverage. Alongside its mainline energy drink, Vital Pharmaceuticals produced several products under the Bang brand; after the company was purchased by Monster Beverage, all other products, including other VPX brands such as Redline, were phased out.

Former Bang Energy product lines included:

• Natural Bang, marketed as an all-natural alternative to mainline Bang.
• Bang Keto Coffee, a high protein coffee drink.
• Bang Shots, similar to that of 5 Hour Energy
• Bang Pre-workout
• Bang Sweet Tea
• Bang ThermIQ, a liquid capsule dietary supplement marketed as a fat burner.
• Bang MIXX Hard Seltzer, an alcoholic drink under the Bang brand. Contains no caffeine.
• Vooz Hydration Sensation, marketed as a sports hydration drink

Legal issues

Vital Pharmaceuticals was sued by competing energy drink manufacturer Monster Beverage, who alleged that Vital engaged in consumer deception and anti-competitive business practices. Vital countersued, alleging that Monster infringed their copyright by use of similar trade dress.

In a separate lawsuit, Monster Beverage and Orange Bang sued Vital Pharmaceuticals for trademark infringement. Orange Bang previously sued Vital Pharmaceuticals in 2009, and the two companies settled the next year, with restrictions placed on Vital Pharmaceuticals' use of the Bang trademark, limited to "creatine-based" drinks and products sold exclusively at fitness venues such as gyms. The introduction of the "Bang Energy RTD" drink infringed on this settlement, as it contained "Super Creatine". The suit found that "Super Creatine" was not actually creatine, and did not raise the body's creatine levels. The trademark case was ruled in favor of Monster and Orange Bang by an arbitrator, with Vital Pharmaceuticals owing $175 million in damages. Monster later won a false-advertising case regarding Bang's 'Super Creatine' supplement, and was awarded $293 million.

The company was sued by Sony Music in October 2021, claiming that Bang Energy's social media platforms were infringing their copyright by using their music without licensing it.

In August 2022, the estate of musician Prince won a lawsuit against Bang Energy for their usage of the "Purple Rain" trademark.

Vital Pharmaceuticals engaged in legal action with PepsiCo for alleged misconduct and foul play. After terminating their exclusive distribution agreement with PepsiCo, Bang alleged that PepsiCo was misrepresenting itself as the exclusive distributor of their products, and threatened lawsuits against suppliers and distributors who did not purchase Bang products directly from them. An emergency arbitrator ruled in December 2020 that Pepsi remains the exclusive distributor of Bang. Bang and PepsiCo mutually transitioned from their exclusive distribution agreement in June 2022, with then-CEO Jack Owoc claiming that "all disputes with PepsiCo have been fully settled and resolved".

References

References

1. Ridder, M. (March 7, 2024). "Leading energy drink brands in the United States in 2023, based on sales (in million U.S. dollars)*".
2. (July 31, 2023). "Monster Beverage Completes Acquisition of Bang Energy". Bakersfield.com.
3. Staff, C. S. D.. (2020-11-17). "Bang Energy Ends Exclusive Distribution Partnership With PepsiCo".
4. (May 10, 2017). "The Bang Revolution".
5. "About".
6. (November 28, 2017). "Caffeine free Bang gets beta-alanine in place of caffeine".
7. Energy, Bang. (2019-11-05). "Bang® Energy New State-of-the-Art Manufacturing Facility to Bring 300+ New Jobs to Phoenix, AZ". Globe Newswire.
8. (April 28, 2020). "PepsiCo, Bang Energy Maker Enter Into Exclusive Distribution Agreement".
9. (November 17, 2020). "UPDATE - Bang Energy Terminates Distributor Partnership With PepsiCo".
10. "PepsiCo remains 'exclusive distributor' of Bang Energy drinks, arbitrator rules".
11. "Bang to transition from PepsiCo distribution deal in favor of new DSD partners".
12. (2022-08-18). "Keurig Dr Pepper Is in Talks to Buy Bang Energy Owner VPX". Bloomberg.com.
13. (2022-08-19). "Keurig Dr Pepper's Talks With Bang Energy Fall Apart". Bloomberg.com.
14. (October 10, 2022). "Bang Energy files for bankruptcy, eyes revamped distribution".
15. "Bang Energy's parent company ousts controversial founder and names interim CEO".
16. (2023-06-29). "Monster Close to Acquiring Rival Bang Energy For $362 Million". Bloomberg.com.
17. (2023-07-31). "Monster Beverage Completes Acquisition of Bang Energy".
18. "How Bang Energy's flashy, neon world of influencers conquered TikTok".
19. (August 6, 2019). "Does a Portion of Each Bang Energy Sale Go Toward Trump's Campaign?".
20. Eisen, Aryeh Mellman and Norman. (2020-07-22). "Addressing the other COVID crisis: Corruption".
21. Evers-Hillstrom, Karl. (2020-07-07). "Company that gave six figures to pro-Trump super PAC got PPP loan worth at least $5 million".
22. (2020-12-21). "Cash Cannons, Election Conspiracies, and Thousands of Mask-less Teens: A Conservative Youth Orgy Takes Florida".
23. Petrizzo, Zachary. (2020-12-21). "Conservatives fume after Charlie Kirk has 'Bang Girls' blast cash into TPUSA crowd".
24. (March 20, 2020). "BANG Energy Threw a Dance Party During the Coronavirus Outbreak to Launch a Drink Called 'Noo-Fusion'".
25. "Bang Energy".
26. (2023-08-07). "Monster to cut some products from Bang Energy portfolio".
27. "Natural Bang® Energy Drinks 12 Pack | 16oz Cans | Bang-Energy.com".
28. "Bang Keto Coffee 12 Pack".
29. "Bang® Shots 12 Pack * 3 oz Creatine BCAA Aminos, B-Vitamins & CoQ10 | Bang-Energy.com".
30. "Bang® Pre-Workout Master Blaster® 20 Servings | Supplements | Bang-Energy.com".
31. "Bang® Sweet Tea 12-Pack - Super Creatine® - No Sugar 16 oz - 300 mg Caffeine | Bang-Energy.com".
32. "Bang ThermIQ® - Rapid Body Redesign™ Matrix | Bang-Energy.com".
33. (12 December 2020). "First Look: Bang Energy's MIXX Hard Seltzer".
34. "VOOZ™ Hydration Sensation™ - 12-pack".
35. (3 April 2019). "Monster energy drink maker expands lawsuit against rival Bang". LA Times.
36. "Monster Energy sues FL drink company over Bang's health claims". Miami Herald.
37. Brittain, Blake. (2022-07-01). "Monster's blockbuster $175 mln trademark win against Bang Energy upheld". Reuters.
38. Wasel & Wasel Arbitrator Services Inc. - Abdulla Abuwasel. (2022-07-04). "BANG for your Buck: Largest U.S. Trademark Verdict Upheld in USD 175 Million Arbitration".
39. (2022-09-30). "Monster Energy wins $293 mln false-advertising verdict against rival Bang". Reuters.
40. "Sony Music Hits Bang Energy Drink With Copyright Suit Over Influencers' Use of 132 Songs".
41. (2022-09-01). "Purple Rain, you will NEVER be an energy drink, says Prince's estate".
42. (November 25, 2020). "Bang® Energy Sues Pepsi, Claiming Vindictive Misconduct". Bloomberg.