| Type | Privately held company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Beverages |
| Founded | 1882 |
| Headquarters | Worcester, Massachusetts, USA |
| Key people | Ralph Crowley, Jr. |
| Products | Polar Seltzers, Sodas and Mixers |
| Website | Polar Beverages website |
Polar Beverages is a fourth-generation, family-owned business that traces its roots back to 1882 and is based in Worcester, Massachusetts. The company is currently run by Ralph Crowley, Jr., the great-grandson of founder Dennis M. Crowley. It is the largest independent soft-drink bottler in the United States.[1]
The company is a manufacturer and distributor of fruit-flavored sodas, seltzer, ginger ale, drink mixers, and spring water to customers in the northeastern United States. It markets beverages under its flagship brand, as well as Adirondack and Cape Cod Dry. In addition to its own drinks, Polar bottles and distributes national brands such as A&W, Izze and Sunkist. The company has two bottling plants and six distribution facilities; it also offers corporate water services and beverage vending equipment. [2]
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A polar bear named Orson has been the company's mascot since 1902. [3] Next to the company's billboard near I-290 in Worcester, there is a large inflatable version of Orson, which can be seen smiling and "waving" to passersby, who will also notice that the oversized bear is tied down securely by wire, not only to keep the bear in place during rough weather, but also to prevent theft. Orson has sometimes been stolen by local fraternities as a prank.[4]
In 1994 Polar made a TV commercial where a polar bear considers drinking a Coke, but throws it into a recycling bin marked, "Keep the Arctic pure". The polar bear then reaches down into the freezing, Arctic water and pulls out a can of Polar Seltzer and drinks contentedly. [5] Coca-Cola filed a motion for the injunction against Polar in United States District Court in Boston contending that the commercial made Coke's product appear impure. [6]
The US district court granted the Company's motion because the commercial "implied that Coke [was] not pure," misrepresented the nature and quality of Coke, thereby potentially harming the soft drink irreparably. [5]
The injunction handed down required Polar Corporation to revise the ad. According to Polar, the judge's ruling affirmed the right of Polar to use a polar bear in its ads, but limited them from discarding the Coke can. [6]
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