Observed Signal · May 27, 2026 · Product Launch · Source: persoenlich.com News · Impact: 1/5 · Sentiment: Neutral
Ricola launches Drink Cubes for beverage market
Ricola launched a new product called "Drink Cubes" on 27 May 2026 at an event at Zurich main station. The effervescent cubes dissolve in tap water to add Alpine herbs and vitamins. The product is developed and manufactured in partnership with Austrian beverage-concept provider Waterdrop, which produces the cubes in its Ulm facility and pioneered the microdrink format in 2016. Ricola CEO Thomas P. Meier and Daniela Ruoss (General Manager, Ricola Switzerland) presented the launch in front of an Alpine fountain installation by Zurich atelier Monster&Drama (artists Andrea Kipfer and Cati Soldani). Ricola marketing lead Sandra Payer-Schmid framed the move as part of a brand strategy to be a year-round partner for consumers. Meier also announced a pledge to renovate 100 village and public drinking fountains across Switzerland by 2030, starting this year.
Brand product launch and experiential event with limited direct relevance to AdTech; relevant to marketing and experiential activation but not an industry‑shifting AdTech development.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Ricola launched "Drink Cubes" at an event at Zurich main station on 2026-05-27.
- Drink Cubes dissolve in tap water to enrich it with Alpine herbs and vitamins.
- Ricola partnered with Waterdrop for product development and production; Waterdrop manufactures the cubes in Ulm and pioneered the microdrink format in 2016.
- Ricola CEO Thomas P. Meier and Daniela Ruoss (General Manager, Ricola Switzerland) presented the product; Sandra Payer-Schmid (Head of Marketing, Ricola Switzerland) commented on the brand strategy.
- Ricola pledged to renovate 100 village and public drinking fountains across Switzerland by 2030, starting in 2026.
Ontology Mapping & Concepts
Related Market Signals & Shifts
Recent verified developments and strategic activity across this market segment.
Ricola launches Drink Cubes with Zurich fountain activation
Ricola launched its new Drink Cubes with a large experiential activation at Zurich Hauptbahnhof on 2026-05-27, featuring a ten‑metre alpine herb 'fountain' to demonstrate the product. Drink Cubes are sugar‑free, vitamin‑fortified flavor cubes made with real Swiss alpine herbs that are designed to aromatize tap water; flavours include raspberry‑melissa, pomegranate‑mint, lemon‑mint and verbena‑citrus. The cubes are manufactured by Austrian company Waterdrop. Ricola previously piloted the product last summer in Austria and France and plans a full Swiss roll‑out supported by a 360° campaign (TV, posters, retail activations), plus a Ricola pop‑up store in Zurich’s Europaallee in June.
Ricola launches Fresh Mint with creator campaign
Swiss brand Ricola and social-media agency WeCreate have launched a creator-led campaign to promote Ricola's new 'Fresh Mint' bonbon, shifting the product focus from throat/voice benefits to long-lasting fresh breath aimed at younger consumers. The digital launch includes a temporarily re-colored logo, a broad creator offensive featuring Maraam Tarraf, Tom Böttcher and Jul, TikTok Vibe Ads that recolored the brand channel, a puzzle-feed creative tactic, and an experiential after-work sampling event in Hamburg. WeCreate reports the campaign has so far generated more than 25 million views on TikTok and over 17 million on Instagram.
Waterdrop Hits Profit Milestone with Strategic Sponsorships
Waterdrop, a Vienna-based maker of water‑soluble beverage cubes from fruit and plant extracts, said 2025 was its first profitable year and entered 2026 with growth across multiple markets. The company did not publish precise figures but reported a broader and denser sales structure. In Germany Waterdrop operates fourteen own stores plus an outlet in Neumünster and expanded into major retail chains including Rewe, Edeka, Rossmann and Müller; dm drogerie markt became a partner in 2025. Marketing and B2B partnerships include sports sponsorships (Official Bottle Partner of the Australian Open; Hydration Partner of the ATP, including the Boss Open in Stuttgart and the Hamburg Open) and Lyreco as an office distribution partner.
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