Orangina (French pronunciation: [ɔʁɑ̃ʒina]) is a carbonated citrus beverage made from orange, lemon, mandarin, and grapefruit juices.[1] The concept of Orangina originated at a trade fair in France and was first marketed in Algeria by the French Algerian Léon Beton. It is a popular beverage in Europe and to a much lesser extent in North America.
Since November 2009, Orangina has been owned by Suntory in most of the world.[2] In North America, the brand has been owned by the Dr Pepper Snapple Group since 2006.
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Orangina started life as Naranjina, presented at the 1936 Marseille Trade Fair by its Spanish inventor, chemist Dr. Trigo,[3] from Valencia, who invented it in 1933. It was later called TriNaranjus (now, TriNa) for the Spanish market. Léon Beton bought the concept and produced it in colonial Algeria, moving production to France in 1962 after Algeria became independent. The company, created by Beton, joined the Pernod Ricard group in 1984.
In 2000 the Orangina brand was acquired by Cadbury Schweppes along with Pernod Ricard's other soda businesses, after an attempt to sell to Coca-Cola was blocked on anti-competitive grounds.[4] In 2006 Cadbury plc decided to concentrate on the chocolate business and sought buyers for its soda business. As the number three soda producer globally, neither of the bigger two (Coca-Cola or Pepsico) could buy it, so eventually the company was split up to sell.
In the U.S. and Canada, the brand is owned by Dr Pepper Snapple Group Inc, created as a spin-off of Cadbury Schweppes' former North American soft drinks business. The drink was introduced in the United States in 1978 under the name Orelia, but this name was abandoned in favor of the original in 1985.[5] Orangina was originally produced for the North American market in Canada, but the operation was moved to Hialeah, Florida, United States, to be produced under license by Mott's LLP of Rye Brook, New York. Production of Orangina has since moved back to Canada, as Mott's is now part of Dr Pepper Snapple.[6]
From 2006, private equity firms Blackstone Group and Lion Capital LLP owned the brand outside North America under the company name Orangina Schweppes.[7] In November 2009, its ownership changed once again when it was bought by Japanese brewer Suntory.[2]
In Great Britain, it is manufactured under license by A.G. Barr plc of Glasgow, most famous for Irn-Bru. Orangina is produced in Vietnam by Fosters Vietnam under licence and is sold in Carrefour branches in Taiwan. It is produced in Iran by Shemshad Noosh Co.
| Territory | Owner | Country | Distributor |
|---|---|---|---|
| North America | Dr Pepper Snapple | USA | Mott's LLP |
| Canada | Canada Dry Motts | ||
| Europe | Suntory Brewery | United Kingdom | A.G. Barr plc |
| France, Spain, Portugal, Luxembourg | Orangina Schweppes | ||
| Ireland | Unknown | ||
| Germany, Austria | Krombacher | ||
| elsewhere | Iran | Shemshad Noosh Co. | |
| Vietnam | Fosters Vietnam | ||
| Middle East | Israel, Palestine | F M Global MediChem Ltd |
The brand's popularity extends from its unique flavor to the iconic design of its 25 cl (8 oz) bottle made in the shape of a pear with a pebbly texture meant to recall the peel of an orange or other citrus fruit. Larger bottles also include the iconic pebbly texture but use a more regular bottle shape rather than maintaining the proportions of the smaller bottles.
New flavours have emerged in Mexico including Orangina Sanguine which is made from blood oranges and also contains caffeine and guarana. It is significantly more sour than regular Orangina. Other flavors such as the series called "les givrés" (which can be translated as both "frosted" and "crazy") are also available in Europe, but rarely seen in North America.
In France, Orangina is famous for its advertisements, which almost always show people dressed in costumes based on Orangina or other soft drink containers. Most famous among these advertisements was one featuring Orangina Rouge, portrayed by Maurice Lamy. The advertisement was made to resemble a horror film, playing on the fact that the drink was made from blood oranges. The Orangina Rouge character was depicted as a mad chainsaw-wielding killer, attacking a family travelling by car through the forest. The child's query "Mais pourquoi est-il si méchant?" ("But why is he so evil?") and the costumed killer's response "PARCE QUE!" ("BECAUSE!") both became popular French catchphrases..
Orangina also got prankster Rémi Gaillard to do pranks for their advertisements. It features Rémi in a cowboy-like outfit attempting to jump on an unsuspecting person and piggyback ride them until he falls off. He then runs off yelling "CASSOS!"
In 2010 a gay-friendly commercial aired in France,[8] shortly after a McDonald’s France advertisement featuring a gay teenager was shown on television.[9]
In 2008, a commercial featuring anthropomorphic animals (such as a deer, a bear, peacocks, and chameleons) in swimsuits, caused outrage in the UK for its sexually suggestive content. In the video, the animals gyrate around poles, spray the drink onto the breasts of other animals, and ride bottles which then explode. The advert had already had 45 seconds of more provocative footage cut, and was only to be shown after the 9 o'clock watershed, initially during a programme titled How to Look Good Naked.
Kidscape, a UK-based children's charity, criticised the advert, saying, "Orangina is a drink which is mainly aimed at children and young people, but this new advert places the product in a very sexualised and provocative context".[10] The advert has also been awarded 'Freakiest Advert of 2008' and was 7th place in 'Worst TV Ad of 2008'.[11][12]
Others claim that Orangina is not targeted just at children and is also a 'leading adult soft drink'[13] and that the advertisement is intended to create controversy and thus free publicity.[14] Meanwhile, the advert has proven rather popular, with 3 million online viewings as of April 8, 2008.[13]
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