Fanta is a global brand of fruit-flavored carbonated soft drinks from the Coca-Cola Company. There are over 100 flavors worldwide. The drink debuted in Germany in 1941 and originally sold only in Europe.

 

History

Fanta originated due to difficulties importing Coca-Cola syrup into Nazi Germany during World War II due to a trade embargo. To circumvent this, Max Keith, the man in charge of Coca-Cola Deutschland (Coca-Cola GmbH) during the Second World War, decided to create a new product for the German market, using only ingredients available in Germany at the time, including whey and pomace – the "leftovers of leftovers", as Keith later recalled. The name was the result of a brief brainstorming session, which started with Keith exhorting his team to "use their imagination" ("Fantasie" in German), to which one of his salesmen, Joe Knipp, immediately retorted "Fanta!"

 

While the plant was effectively cut off from Coca Cola headquarters during the war, plant management did not join the Nazi Party. After the war, the Coca Cola corporation regained control of the plant, formula and the trademarks to the new Fanta product - as well as the plant profits made during the war.

 

Marketing

USA

Fanta is known for its upbeat advertising; in the United States, it showcases The Fantanas, a casted group of young female models, each of whom promotes an individual Fanta flavor. For the re-introduction of Fanta in the United States, Coca-Cola worked with the ad agency Ogilvy (NYC) in 2001. After a brainstorming session, the Ogilvy creative team of Andrea Scaglione, Andrew Ladden and Bill Davaris, created the tagline "Wanta Fanta!" which became the jingle for the Fantanas in the broadcast campaign. The campaign lasted from summer 2001, in the form of a successful trial run, to October 1st 2006. Three years later, in June 2009, Fanta re-launched the campaign. They also held a talent search to find the pineapple Fantana, and, in September selected Shakira Barrera to become the fourth Fantana.[4] After Barrera won the search, she spent a year at her post, with the latter six months as an actual Fantana called Lily. Three months before her leave, another search was hosted, with the winner being Brittany Hampton. However, her name wasn't revealed as the campaign is now being put on hiatus for 2011. They are currently using the international campaign with the slogan of "More Fanta, Less Serious!".

 

India

In India, Fanta entered the market as a substitute for the then-popular Indian soft drink Gold Spot. When Coca-Cola re-entered the Indian market in 1993, it bought Gold Spot from Parle and withdrew it from the market in order to make space for Fanta.

 

International availability

There are over 90 different flavors worldwide. In Serbia, Albania, Macedonia, Bosnia, Croatia, India, and some other countries, there is "Fanta Shokata" (a wordplay between "soc" -elderberry in Romanian- and "shock") based on an elderflower blossom extract drink, traditional in Romania (where it is called Socată), Serbia, Macedonia, Bosnia and other Balkan countries. In Switzerland and the Netherlands, the local blackcurrant is used to produce Fanta as well. Some identical flavors have different names in different markets.

The original formula of Orange Fanta, available in Germany, Austria, and other countries, is completely different from the drink marketed in the United States as Fanta Orange. The brand name goes before the flavor. The original contains orange juice and has a color similar to orange juice, while the version made for the US market is artificially colored red-orange and does not taste like fruit juice. The US version also contains brominated vegetable oil similar to other orange/citrus drinks marketed in the US, such as Mountain Dew. This ingredient gives a beverage a candy-like flavor that seems to stick to the tongue; it is prohibited in India[6] and some countries in Europe due to health concerns.[citation needed] The other three flavours introduced to the US in 2002 are not available in Germany; although in Germany 'lemon' Fanta is available.

 

Primary competitors to Fanta have included Tango, Mirinda, Slice, Sumol, Crush, and Tropicana Twister. Fanta was the second drink to be produced by Coca-Cola, after the original Coca-Cola. Fanta was recently relaunched in Singapore after being absent for a period of time.

 

International popularity

• In Spanish culture, a "Pagafantas" (Fantapayer) is a man in love with a young woman, who does not love him back. The phrase suggests always being the one paying for another's soft drink.