Schweppes

Schweppes Zero Cream Soda (left) and Schweppes Cream Soda (right).

Schweppes Bitter Lemon

Schweppes /ˈʃwɛps/^[1] is a beverage brand that is sold around the world. It includes a variety of carbonated waters and ginger ales.

History

In the late eighteenth century, Johann Jacob Schweppe (1740–1821), a German-born naturalized Swiss watchmaker and amateur scientist developed a process to manufacture carbonated mineral water, based on a process discovered by Joseph Priestley in 1770, founding the Schweppes Company in Geneva in 1783. In 1792, he moved to London to develop the business there. In 1843 Schweppes commercialised Malvern Water at the Holywell Spring in the Malvern Hills, which was to become a favourite of the British Royal Family through to the present day. Mainstay products include ginger ale (1870), bitter lemon (1957),^[2] and tonic water (the oldest soft drink in the world – 1771).^[3] In 1969, the Schweppes Company merged with Cadbury to become Cadbury Schweppes. After acquiring many other brands in the ensuing years, the company was split in 2008, with its US beverage unit becoming the "Dr Pepper Snapple Group" and separated from its global confectionery business (now, part of Kraft Foods).^[4] The Dr Pepper Snapple Group is the current owner of the Schweppes trademark.

Ownership

Schweppes Australia is a venture of Asahi Breweries and was formerly Cadbury Schweppes Australia before de-merging. Schweppes Australia manufactures its own soft drink as well as for Pepsico in Australia under license which includes 7up, Sunkist, Monster Energy as well as Australian Exclusives from acquired company P&N Beverages like Cool Ridge (Spring Water), Spring Valley fruit drinks and Fiji Water. As part of long-standing licensing agreements, products under the brand are produced by different companies in territories around the world.^[5][6][7]

In the United States of America, Schweppes-brand products are currently manufactured by Dr Pepper Snapple Group.

In Canada, Schweppes is manufactured by Canada Dry Motts (formerly Cadbury Beverages Canada Inc.),^[8] a subsidiary of Dr Pepper Snapple Group.

In Trinidad and Tobago, Schweppes-brand products are produced under the authority of Atlantic Industries by Caribbean Bottlers (Trinidad and Tobago) LTD.

In Argentina, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Japan, Maldives, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Singapore, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, Uruguay and Vietnam, they are manufactured by The Coca-Cola Company.

In Denmark, it is manufactured by the Carlsberg Group (by license from The Coca-Cola Company)

In Hong Kong, Taiwan, and seven provinces in Mainland China, they are manufactured by Swire Beverages Ltd, a division of Swire Pacific Ltd..^[9]

In France, Spain and Portugal, the rights are held by Orangina Schweppes,^[10][11] a subsidiary of Suntory of Japan since November 2009.

In Germany and Austria, all Schweppes products are manufactured by the Krombacher Brauerei^[12] under license from Schweppes Germany. Schweppes Germany (and indirectly Krombacher) both control the German and Austrian licenses for Snapple (not available in Germany/Austria), Dr. Pepper, and Orangina.

In Switzerland, the Feldschlösschen brewery (a Carlsberg subsidiary) holds the rights.

In Israel, all Schweppes products are manufactured by Jafora-Tabori,^[13] who purchased the right from Cadbury in December 2006.

In the Czech Republic and Poland, the rights are held by PepsiCo.

In New Zealand, the rights to the Schweppes brand is held by Coca-Cola Amatil,^[14] who manufactures and markets many flavours of the brand.

In Finland, the rights to the Schweppes brand is held by Sinebrychoff.

In Sweden, Spendrups holds the rights.

In Norway, the rights are held by Hansa Borg Bryggerier.

In Mexico, the rights are held by Grupo Peñafiel.

In Egypt, there is a judicial conflicts between Sonat Company, the owner of Schweppes trade mark in Egypt and The Coca-Cola company, so in Egypt there are two kinds of Schweppes one belonging to Sonat and other belonging to Coca-Cola.

In Peru, the rights are held by The Coca Cola Company, with products distributed mainly through supermarkets and gas stations.

Marketing

During the 1920s and 1930s the artist William Barribal created a range of posters for Schweppes.^[15]

An ad campaign in the 1950s and 1960s featured a real-life veteran British naval officer named Commander Whitehead, who described the product's bubbly flavour (effervescence) as "Schweppervescence".^[16]

Another campaign made use of onomatopoeia in their commercials: "Schhhhh.... You know who." after the sound of the gas escaping as one opens the bottle.^[17]

Schweppes has invested in publicity in online social media. ^[18]

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Schweppes.

• Schweppes.com – official site
• Schweppes Germany – official German site
• Schweppes History Movie - 13 minute video on the history of Schweppes

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