They've always been very popular in Australia where they are referred to a cordials. However aren't as concentrated as say MIO (you'd by them in a 2litre bottle) and they do tend to be fairly sugary. And the red (raspberry has the reputation for making kids hyper). It's definitely one thing I miss now that I'm living in Canada. Mio has the taste from the artificial sweetener and the powders just aren't the same. Planning on bringing some back on my next trip home.
I don't see why people are surprised that some people don't want to drink straight water all of the time. Many billions are made yearly on soda and juices, so obviously there's a desire for some variety. And if we could cut a couple hundred calories daily out of everyone's diet this country would be much better off. I don't think anyone's disputing that water without additives is the ideal, but compared to almost everything else? I think these things are fine.
The plain water people seem very disdainful of those who like flavour in their water. Having said that, I hate squash, cordial and such: way too sugary and sweet for my liking. Plain water is quenching at times, but gets a bit dull. I prefer teas, and fruit juices.
I drink plain water most of the time (tastes good to me!), but once in a while, I'll squirt some lime or lemon juice into the glass to zip it up a bit.
Where I live, the water tastes and smells like chlorine bleach. My doctors told me often that I was not hydrating nearly enough. When Mio came on the market, I tried it. Now, I am well hydrated and happier. Because Mio contains no sugar, it does not affect my diabetes. I like being able to adjust the amount of flavoring in my water versus Crystal Light packets. WalMart and the grocery stores are now carrying generic versions, but IMO they taste like cheap Kool-Aid... yuck. While I do understand that plain water is preferable, that is not always an option in some areas.
Mio is very good. My favorite flavor is the Lemonade flavor, though I've also tried Fruit Punch. Still, I much prefer True Citrus for any kind of water flavoring. They have lemon, lime, grapefruit, and orange, and it tastes wonderful. Nothing sweet, just a burst of fruity goodness.
We have True Lemon here, but not the other flavors. I still like Mio because I can adjust the level of flavoring. Lemonade is also my favorite. Second place belongs to Orange-Tangerine. I do not care for the Teas or Fruit Punch, however.
I haven't tried the Teas yet. I'm kind of curious, but with me, tea is something you can mess up really easily. I'm also very picjy about my "sweet" teas.