CLEARWATER,  Fla., May 16, 2000 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ --  With the help of an
unprecedented marketing alliance, AquaClara/FLA USA brand bottled water has
begun hitting the shelves of General Nutrition Centers (GNC) throughout the
Southeast and is now the exclusive oxygenated bottled water for GNC.
 
While some Tampa Bay GNC stores previously carried AquaClara water, this new
agreement places water in more than 900 GNC stores in the Southeastern United
States and Puerto Rico, making it AquaClara/FLA USA brand water's largest client
agreement thus far.
 
The branded water -- itself a major marketing milestone for Aqua Clara Bottling
& Distribution, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: AQCB), Visit Florida, and Florida
Media, Inc. -- has joined with Water to GO2, a water distributor in Florida, for
placement in these corporate GNC stores. The Water to GO2 agreement with GNC,
the international vitamin and nutritional supplement company based in
Pittsburgh, Pa., marks a milestone by establishing mass distribution for the new
AquaClara/FLA USA brand water. This distribution campaign is further supported
by more than $100,000 in advertising through marketing partner Florida Media,
Inc., the state's largest magazine publishing company and publisher of Florida
Living Magazine, Florida Fishing & Boating Magazine, Florida Motorsports
Magazine, Florida Sports & Fitness Magazine, the Florida Spring Training Guide,
and additional titles.
 
"GNC stores are a perfect fit with the AquaClara/FLA USA product because its
customers demand quality products that support a healthy lifestyle," said
AquaClara President Jack Plunkett. The water is one of the purest on the market
and is 800 percent oxygen-enriched, offering a "supplement" of this vital
element for life, health and energy.
 
"Water to GO2 saw great synergy between the oxygen-enriched Florida water and
GNC's health-conscientious mission," said Water to GO2 president Pat Nolen.
"We're proud to be able to bring these companies together to offer consumers the
highest-quality water around. And, having Florida Media and Visit Florida
promote this product, driving consumers to GNC stores to purchase the water, is
a fantastic asset to this marketing strategy."
 
The AquaClara/FLA USA branded water debuted in December 1999 as a first-
of-its-kind marketing partnership for AquaClara Bottling & Distribution, Inc.,
Visit Florida, and Florida Media, Inc. Visit Florida, the state's official
tourism marketing organization, endorsed this quality product with its FLA USA
logo, which is displayed on the front of every AquaClara/FLA USA water bottle.
Marketing of the AquaClara/FLA USA brand is already underway.
 
Florida Media, Inc. has begun an extensive promotional campaign with Visit
Florida and AquaClara. The branded water is featured monthly in Florida Media's
Florida Living Magazine, the only statewide lifestyle publication in the
Sunshine State, with nearly 200,000 subscribers in all 50 states and 34
countries. A selection of Florida Media's 14 other publications also features
the AquaClara/FLA USA bottled water and takes the product's message into more
than one million homes.
 
Visit Florida is coordinating a multi-faceted promotional campaign to support
the AquaClara/FLA USA water debut in GNC stores. Accompanied by in- store and
website exposure, the campaign features sweepstakes packages to various Florida
destinations.
 
This notable marketing relationship also includes the Florida Department of
Agriculture, whose "Fresh From Florida" logo graces the branded bottles. The
Department of Agriculture also assists in the product's showcasing at domestic
and international trade shows under the "Fresh From Florida" banner. The
AquaClara/FLA USA brand water is the only bottled water to achieve the "Fresh
From Florida" designation.
 
"Distributing the AquaClara/FLA USA brand water through GNC stores across the
Southeast and in Puerto Rico reaches a monumental milestone for the marketing
alliance. It's evident that this partnership's hefty goals have begun to
mature," said David Gardner, Visit Florida licensing and sponsorship manager.
 
 
     For more information, contact:
     * Jack Plunkett at AquaClara Bottling & Distribution, Inc., (727) 446-2999
     * Pat Nolen at Water To GO2, distribution agent, (727) 463-2034
     * David Gardner at Visit Florida, (850) 488-5607 ext 1350
     * Doug Cifers at Florida Media, Inc., (863) 858-7244, ext. 213
 
SOURCE AquaClara Bottling and Distribution, Inc.
 
 CONTACT:          Jack Plunkett, AquaClara Bottling & Distribution, Inc.,
                   727-446-2999; Pat Nolen, distribution agent, Water To GO2, 72
-463-2034; or
                   David Gardner, Visit Florida, 850-488-5607, ext. 1350; or Dou
 Cifers, Florida
                   Media, Inc., 863-858-7244, ext. 213
 
 URL:              aquaclara.com