Plant-based penetration didn't creep up in 2025 — it leapt. According to Ipsos data cited by WALOVI, the penetration rate for plant-based beverages jumped from 45% to 70% last year, with 96% of consumers prioritizing natural credentials and functional benefits. That's not a niche anymore. That's a mainstream buying mandate, and it's exactly the wave WALOVI is riding with its latest launches.
On August 10 in Guangzhou, China, WALOVI unveiled two new products — the LEGEND-KING natural energy electrolyte drink and the LEMULI natural berry composite juice — alongside fresh bottle designs for its classic lineup. The brand framed the moment as the start of "a new era for natural plant-based beverages," and for a company that says it has been the world's best-selling plant-based beverage brand for six consecutive years, the ambition is to build out a full ecosystem for next-generation drinks.
LEGEND-KING: A Clean-Label Answer to the Energy Category
The energy drink aisle has long been dominated by synthetic caffeine, taurine, and sugar. LEGEND-KING is WALOVI's counter-move. Billed as the first "clean label" A+++ electrolyte energy drink, it draws sustained natural energy from ginseng and coffee bean extracts — without taurine or synthetic caffeine. Low in sugar, hydrating, and refreshing, it's positioned for work, study, gaming, sports, and everyday life.
The launch leaned into youth and aspiration. Young actor and global brand ambassador Li Yunrui shared at the event that the drink had accompanied him through many everyday moments. Teenage motocross champions were named "King Hero Rider," a nod to positioning LEGEND-KING as a symbol of courage — encouraging young dreamers to "push beyond and become heroes" when facing a challenge.
LEMULI: Functional Nutrition Aimed at Kids' Eye Health
LEMULI takes the clean-label logic into a different, high-trust category: children's wellness. The juice combines blueberries and raspberries rich in anthocyanins, and is made with no added flavors, no colorants, and no preservatives — a targeted "clean label" option for parents focused on their children's health, specifically eye health.
That specificity matters. Parents are among the most label-scrutinizing shoppers in any market, and a functional benefit tied to a real ingredient story is precisely what today's caregivers reward.
Design as Brand Language: "Oriental Elegance"
WALOVI also debuted a new bottle design globally, inspired by the curves of bamboo nodes and traditional Chinese pavilions — an aesthetic the brand describes as "oriental elegance." The design is meant to embody plant vitality and a heroic spirit. Global brand ambassador Zhang Linghe praised its "upward vital force," calling it a new definition of a healthy lifestyle.
The Shift Operators Should Understand
Ye Jizeng, vice president of Guangzhou WALOVI Great Health Industry Co., Ltd., highlighted three fundamental changes reshaping the category:
- Consumers now read labels themselves.
- They demand precise, targeted solutions.
- They expect added value that goes beyond a simple "no additives" claim.
Consumers read the labels themselves, demand precise solutions, and expect added value beyond "additive-free."
Why It Matters
For beverage buyers, foodservice executives, and grocery category managers, WALOVI's playbook is a useful signal, not just a product announcement. The message is that "plant-based" and "clean label" are no longer enough on their own — the growth is in functional specificity. LEGEND-KING competes on ingredient provenance (ginseng and coffee bean extract instead of synthetic stimulants); LEMULI competes on a named benefit (eye health) for a trust-sensitive audience (parents).
Operators and procurement directors evaluating better-for-you beverage lines can act on three practical takeaways:
- Merchandise the "why," not just the "free-from." With 96% of consumers weighing natural and functional credentials, shelf tags and menus should spell out the functional benefit, not just the absence of additives.
- Watch the clean-label energy segment. A taurine-free, synthetic-caffeine-free energy drink targets the fastest-scrutinized part of the category — a potential white-space play for c-stores, gyms, gaming venues, and campus foodservice.
- Note the global ambition. With signings including footballer Erling Haaland and actor Zhang Linghe, plus intensified expansion across key Southeast Asian markets and local distribution networks, WALOVI is building youth-driven, international demand that could reach import and distribution channels near you.
The broader trend is unmistakable: functional, additive-free, plant-forward drinks are moving from experiment to expectation. Brands that treat clean label as a starting point — and layer a credible functional promise on top — are the ones capturing the shift.
For more on how zero-proof and better-for-you beverages are reshaping the aisle, see our coverage of MEDASE Cocktails' zero-proof rise at Erewhon and how the viral dirty soda trend is going mainstream.
Is clean-label, functional plant-based the next must-stock category for your beverage program? Tell us in the comments how your customers are responding — and explore more beverage industry coverage from Food & Beverage Magazine.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine’s “Top 40 Under 40” for founding American Wholesale Floral. Politz is also the founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
