Powerthirst is a 2007 mock energy drink commercial by Canadian comedy group Picnicface, known for its shouting narrator, lime-green graphics, and lines like 'menergy'.

Where did Powerthirst come from?

The original video was uploaded to YouTube on May 28, 2007 by Picnicface, and reposted by CollegeHumor three days later.

What does Powerthirst mean?

Powerthirst is a fictional brand name from a parody commercial, used online as slang for anything absurdly overhyped; Urban Dictionary equates it to 'crystal meth in a can'.

How do you use Powerthirst?

People quote the video's screaming catchphrases like 'menergy' and '400 babies' as reactions to overcaffeinated behavior, and mimic its visual style to spoof real ads.

Is Powerthirst still popular?

The original videos still pull views on YouTube more than a decade after upload, though active meme production peaked between 2007 and 2010 across the three commercials.

Powerthirst

2007viral videoclassic

Published September 23, 2026

Powerthirst is a fake energy drink commercial uploaded to YouTube on May 28, 2007 by Canadian comedy troupe Picnicface, narrated at scream volume by Mark Little. The parody promised 400 babies and the power to vomit weddings, spawning two sequels, an actual powdered drink in 2009, and catchphrases like 'menergy' that outlived the original clip.

advertising memes youtube viral absurdist humor memes late 2000s memes catchphrase memes

Overview

The joke works through absurd escalation. Mark Little's narrator shouts increasingly ridiculous benefits over strobing green text: 'MENERGY,' 'UNCOMFORTABLY ENERGETIC,' '400 percent more,' and disclaimers warning the drink may contain uranium or Anna Kournikova1. Fake statistics pile up on screen faster than a viewer can read them, parodying the frenetic style of mid-2000s Gatorade and Red Bull spots but pushing every trope into surreal territory.

Fans quote the video's lines back to each other, especially the bit where drinkers run so fast that Mother Nature says 'slow down' and get kicked in the face with 'ENERGY LEGS'5. Chopped-up audio remixes turned those lines into their own ecosystem4. The lime-green can and block-letter caps typography still show up in ad parodies more than fifteen years later.

Gallery

Origin & Background

Platform

YouTube

Creator

Picnicface

Date

2007

Halifax-based sketch group Picnicface uploaded the original Powerthirst commercial to YouTube on May 28, 20071. Comedian Mark Little narrates the clip, promising the drink will make viewers 'uncomfortably energetic' and capable of vomiting weddings, having 400 babies, and running so fast that Mother Nature begs them to slow down1. The video was shot on a low budget with basic computer graphics, which made the manic 'more! more! MORE!' pacing feel like a real cable ad gone wrong4.

How It Spread

CollegeHumor reposted the clip three days after upload, and Facebook users shared it over 3,500 times4. Within a month the video had jumped to I Am Bored, Break, and poeTV, with the first YTMND page dedicated to the ad appearing on June 16, 20074. Urban Dictionary added an entry on June 21, defining Powerthirst variously as 'crystal meth in a can' and 'the ultimate energy drink'5. A soundboard of chopped clips followed in July and pulled thousands of plays.

Picnicface produced two sequels for CollegeHumor. Powerthirst 2: Re-Domination went up on October 30, 2007 and pulled roughly 13 million YouTube views over the next five years2. The third and final installment, released May 4, 2010, drew about 2 million views3. Tosh.0 covered the series on its WTFriday blog that same month, and Google Trends showed a small resurgence in search interest4.

The joke crossed into a physical product. In 2009 an actual Powerthirst powdered drink mix went on sale online, with 190mg of caffeine per serving and a taste that reviewers compared to AMP4. The lime-green powder ran alongside a Facebook fan page that collected over 5,000 likes.

Timeline

2007-05-28

Picnicface uploads the original Powerthirst commercial to YouTube, narrated by Mark Little.

2007-05-31

CollegeHumor reposts the video, where it is shared over 3,500 times on Facebook.

2007-06-16

First YTMND page dedicated to Powerthirst goes live.

2007-06-21

Urban Dictionary adds an entry for Powerthirst.

2007-10-30

Powerthirst 2: Re-Domination is released on CollegeHumor.

2009

An actual Powerthirst powdered energy drink mix goes on sale.

2010-05-04

The third and final Powerthirst commercial is uploaded.

2010-05

Tosh.0 covers Powerthirst on its WTFriday blog feature.

How to Use This Meme

Quote the shouted catchphrases, 'menergy,' '400 babies,' 'uncomfortably energetic,' as reactions to overcaffeinated behavior or absurd marketing. Video edits typically ape the visual grammar: lime green backgrounds, misspelled portmanteau adjectives in all caps, cascading fake stats, and a narrator screaming ever more ridiculous claims1.