Carabao Dang Energy Drink ( th, คาราบาวแดง; ; "red
water buffalo
The water buffalo (''Bubalus bubalis''), also called the domestic water buffalo or Asian water buffalo, is a large bovid originating in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. Today, it is also found in Europe, Australia, North America, So ...
") is a Thai
energy drink launched in 2002 by Carabao Tawandang Co Ltd. It is now Thailand's second most popular
energy drink. It is the key brand of Carabao Tawandang in Thailand, with an estimated 21 per cent market share in 2014.
The name "Carabao Dang" comes from the Carabao Group's association with the band
Carabao
The carabao ( es, Carabao; tgl, Kalabaw; ceb, Kabaw; ilo, Nuang) is a domestic swamp-type water buffalo (''Bubalus bubalis'') native to the Philippines. Carabaos were introduced to Guam from the Spanish Philippines in the 17th century. They ...
, combined with the German Tawandang Brewery Restaurant. It is marketed with the slogan "Carabao Dang: The Fighting Spirit".
The drink's launch was accompanied by a high-profile TV advertising campaign featuring the company founder (along with
Sathien Setthasit), rock star Yuenyong Opakul, also known as
Aed Carabao
Aed Carabao ( th, แอ๊ด คาราบาว, ) is the stage name of Yuenyong Opakul ( th, ยืนยง โอภากุล; ), born 9 November 1954. He is a singer/songwriter and leader of the Thai rock band Carabao, known for its so ...
. This campaign was investigated by the Office of the Consumer Protection Board for being too violent, but went on to win a gold and a silver medal at ''Media & Marketing'' magazine's Asian Brand Marketing Effectiveness Awards in 2003. A second ad, featuring clips of late actor
Denholm Elliott
Denholm Mitchell Elliott, (31 May 1922 – 6 October 1992) was an English actor, with more than 125 film and television credits. His well-known roles include the abortionist in '' Alfie'' (1966), Marcus Brody in ''Raiders of the Lost Ark'' (19 ...
, digitally altered so he was drinking Carabao from a trough, was less successful.
The drink was introduced to the United States and Europe under the brand name ''Carabao'' leading to an increase in sales of the Thai brand on the west coast of the US in 2004. Exports to China and India began in 2007. Carabao was introduced in Australia at the beginning of 2018.
Market and share
The market for
energy drinks in Thailand is estimated at 35 billion
baht
The baht (; th, บาท, ; sign: ฿; code: THB) is the official currency of Thailand. It is divided into 100 ''satang'' (, ). The issuance of currency is the responsibility of the Bank of Thailand. SWIFT ranked the Thai baht as the 10th-m ...
in 2018. Carabao research indicates that more than eight million Thais consume energy drinks. Nineteen per cent live in Bangkok, 32 per cent in other urban areas and 49 per cent in rural provinces. Carabao aims to increase its market share from 25 per cent in 2018 to 33 per cent in 2020, making it the leader in the domestic energy drinks market.
Carabao Group expects 2018 revenues to reach 15 billion baht, up from 13 billion baht in 2017.
Production
Carabao completed work on a new production site in the
Bang Pakong District of
Chachoengsao Province in mid-2018. The 8.7 billion baht, 180
rai
RAI – Radiotelevisione italiana (; commercially styled as Rai since 2000; known until 1954 as Radio Audizioni Italiane) is the national public broadcasting company of Italy, owned by the Ministry of Economy and Finance. RAI operates many ter ...
facility includes a glass bottle plant, an aluminium can plant, and a bottling plant. Bottle production will increase to 1.6 billion bottles per year, up from 1 billion, and can production will increase from 800 million per year to 1.5 billion. Future plans include a fourth factory on the site.
Sponsorship
Carabao signed a sponsorship deal with
Chelsea
Chelsea or Chelsey may refer to:
Places Australia
* Chelsea, Victoria
Canada
* Chelsea, Nova Scotia
* Chelsea, Quebec
United Kingdom
* Chelsea, London, an area of London, bounded to the south by the River Thames
** Chelsea (UK Parliament consti ...
as the official training wear partner in 2015. Carabao's logo will feature on Chelsea's training kits from the 2016-17 season onwards.
Carabao signed a sponsorship deal with
Reading
Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of letters, symbols, etc., especially by sight or touch.
For educators and researchers, reading is a multifaceted process involving such areas as word recognition, orthography (spelling ...
as the primary shirt sponsor in 2016.
Carabao became the
EFL Cup title sponsor (with the competition renamed as the Carabao Cup) from the 2017-18 season onwards.
In 2023, Carabao become sponsor of
V.League 1
The V.League 1 ( vi, Giải bóng đá vô địch quốc gia, lit=National Football League), also called Night Wolf V.League 1 due to sponsorship reasons, is the top professional football league in Vietnam, controlled by the Vietnam Professio ...
club
Hoàng Anh Gia Lai.
For season 2022/23, Carabao became an official partner to
Heart of Midlothian (in Scottish Premier League). Part of this partnership is to support charity by contributing £1 for every case purchased to Big Hearts Community Trust.
References
External links
Official website
{{Energy Drinks
Energy drinks
Products introduced in 2002
Food and drink introduced in 2002
Thai drink brands
Drink brands