My parents were health freaks long before that was even a thing. We didn’t eat red meat, drink soda, or even use butter. We “dressed” our baked potatoes with olive oil and fresh rosemary.
Fast food? Forget about it. Not sure how I even survived.
In hindsight, they were way ahead of their time in many ways, but I remember wishing I could eat a Skippy peanut butter and Smucker grape jelly sandwich on Wonder Bread and wash it down with a can of Coke or a glass of Tang, like everyone else did.
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Tang was a staple for Americans in the 1970s and 1980s, when I was a kid. If you’re not familiar, it was a sweet and citrusy “shelf-stable” powdered mix that you’d stir into a glass of water and drink to get a dose of vitamin C.
A “better living through chemicals” kind of thing.
And though General Mills launched Tang in 1957, it didn’t really take hold in the popular consciousness until years later, when NASA made Tang a star during the 1962 Mercury mission.
That was the year astronaut John Glenn took Tang into orbit on the Mercury mission, kicking off a long relationship between the bright orange drink mix and America’s space program.
By the time Apollo 8 launched in 1968 — the first manned mission to orbit the moon — Tang was being promoted as the “official drink of astronauts,” thanks to an aggressive advertising campaign and sponsorship of ABC’s TV coverage of the historic event.
John Glenn helped make Tang a household name.
Image source: Bettman/Getty Images
Tang is still popular around the world
Tang sort of faded from American menus in recent decades, though it’s still very popular in countries like the Philippines, Brazil, and the Middle East.
Now, more than half a century after it first blasted into the spotlight, Tang is aiming for a new orbit: the gym.
Tang is making a return to U.S. shelves as a pre-workout sports supplement. The brand has partnered with An Supps — a division of Applied Nutrition PLC, UK — to launch Tang pre-workout and hydration products.
The drinks are aimed at fitness enthusiasts looking for energy, hydration, and maybe even a hit of nostalgia before hitting the weights or the treadmill. Early product pages list caffeine, electrolytes, amino acids, and B vitamins as the main ingredients, all of which are standard in modern performance drinks.
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This pivot is part of a broader trend of legacy brands tapping into their heritage to reach new audiences. Tang’s revamped image plays heavily on its astronaut legacy while appealing to Millennial and Gen Z consumers who demand functionality but also love a connection to the past.
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The sports beverage and supplement market is booming, projected to reach over $30 billion globally in the next few years. Pre-workout powders alone are seeing annual growth of nearly 10%, driven by health-conscious consumers, the rise of home fitness, and an ever-expanding array of influencers and TikTok stars promoting their favorite blends.
Brands like C4, Ghost, and Celsius have already carved out strong positions, and legacy players like Gatorade are investing in their own expanded product lines to keep pace.
Tang joins a growing category of energy and pre-workout drinks
Applied Nutrition PLC, maker of ABE and Whey Iso, among other products, is partnering with Tang on the new drinks, which will be available at The Vitamin Shoppe stores at first.
The latest variation of Tang comes as a carbonated, ready-to-drink canned beverage or powder in three formulas: pre-workout, caffeine-free pre-workout, and hydration.
All are gluten-free and sugar-free, and they include citrulline, which is said to increase endurance, reduce muscle fatigue, and improve high-intensity exercise.
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“The brand is a wink to anyone taking care of themselves in the present, while wistful of the brands they have enjoyed in the past,” An Supps CEO Aaron Heidebreicht said in an announcement.
With Tang entering the arena, the battle for the shaker bottle is heating up. Whether this retro-futuristic drink can compete with the neon-hued competition remains to be seen.
As for astronauts, some of them were apparently still drinking Tang as recently as 2014, according to this interview with former astronaut Mike Massimino on Bill Nye the Science Guy.
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