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| Type | Iced tea,juice drink,lemonade,water |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Keurig Dr Pepper |
| Origin | United States |
| Introduced | 1972; 53 years ago (1972) |
| Website | www |
Snapple is a brand of tea andjuice drinks which is owned byKeurig Dr Pepper, based inPlano, Texas, United States. The original producer of Snapple, a company that was known asUnadulterated Food Products, was founded in 1972.[1] The brand achieved some fame due to various pop-culture references, including television shows.
Snapple was founded byLeonard Marsh,Hyman Golden, andArnold Greenberg in 1972 inValley Stream,Long Island,New York.[2] Their company, which was originally known as Unadulterated Food Products, was first conceived as a part-time venture to supply fruit juices tohealth food stores.[3] Unsure if the business would succeed, Greenberg continued to run his health food store inManhattan'sEast Village, while Leonard Marsh and hisbrother-in-law, Hyman Golden, operated awindow washing business.[3] In a 1989 interview withCrain's New York Business, Marsh admitted that when they launched the small business he knew "as much about juice as about making an atom bomb."[3]
An earlyapple juice product led to the company's name, Snapple.[3] Golden, Greenberg and Marsh had created acarbonated apple juice.[3] One of the batches of apple juice fermented in the bottle, causing the bottle caps to fly off.[3] The original name of that particular apple juice product,Snapple, aportmanteau derived from the wordssnappy andapple, became the new name for their beverage company. Thus the Snapple Beverage Corporation was born, beginning in the early 1980s.[3][4] Snapple would not manufacture their firsttea, lemon tea, until 1987.[5]
As of 2016[update], there are many different types of Snapple: tea (multiple flavors, such as lemon, raspberry, and peach, all of which come in original and diet),juice drinks,lemonade, andbottled water. Snapple also comes in aluminum cans.[6]
Snapple's brand slogan is "Made from the Best Stuff on Earth".
Snapple was known for a popular series of TVadvertisements in the early 1990s featuringWendy Kaufman (the "Snapple Lady") answering letters from Snapple fans.[7] In an effort to counteract the Coke and Pepsi challenge commercials, Snapple began running a new line of advertisements in May 1992, which featured its trademark "Made from the best stuff on Earth" line in ads that spoofed earlier beer and sports drinks promotions; the ads received low marks from advertising industry observers. In addition, the company used its $15-million-a-year advertising budget to pay for a long-lived series of live radio commercials featuring controversial radio hostsHoward Stern andRush Limbaugh. At the end of the summer of 1992, Snapple conducted a five-week search for a new advertising agency that could better convey its corporate identity in preparation for a wider national push. Later that year, Snapple also signed tennis playerJennifer Capriati to endorse its products. By August 1992, Snapple had expanded its distribution to every major city in the United States and it signed new contracts with beverage distributors. The company owned no manufacturing facilities, but instead made agreements with more than 30 bottlers across the country. In this way, Snapple was able to keep its overhead low and its payroll short. The company administration consisted of just 80 employees, 50 of whom worked out of a modest office building on Long Island.[8]
Thomas H. Lee, an American businessperson, financier and investor ofThomas H. Lee Partners (THL), acquiredSnapple Beverages in 1992 on undisclosed terms. The three founders of Snapple, Leonard Marsh, Hyman Golden and Arnold Greenberg, said they would own about one-third of the new company and be involved in its management. Hellen Berry, vice president of the Beverage Marketing Corporation, a consultant inNew York, estimated that Snapple, which had been for sale for more than a year and had $100 million in sales in 1991, sold for $140 million. Only eight months after buying the company, Lee took Snapple Beveragespublic and in 1994, only two years after the original acquisition, Lee sold the company to theQuaker Oats Company for $1.7 billion.[9] Lee was estimated to have made $900 million for himself and his investors from the sale. Quaker Oats ran into problems and sold Snapple toTriarc in 1997 for $300 million.[10] Triarc sold it toCadbury Schweppes for $1.45 billion in September 2000.[11] Snapple was spun off in May 2008 to its current owners.
In 2009, a consumer lawsuit was brought against Snapple inCalifornia. The suit alleged the drinks contained unhealthy ingredients such ashigh fructose corn syrup and deceptive names on labels that led consumers to believe that certain healthy elements are in the drinks that are not really present.[12]
In 2010, in a lawsuit against Snapple in the federal District of New Jersey, the court certified to the FDA for an administrative determination the question whether high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) qualifies as a "natural" ingredient. In 2010, the FDA responded by letter and declined to provide the court with the requested guidance. Stating that it would take two to three years to engage in a transparent proceeding to elicit the proper public participation, the FDA again cited its limited resources and more pressing food-safety concerns.[13]
In 2011, a New York federal court dismissed a different lawsuit accusing Snapple of misleading consumers by labeling drinks sweetened with high fructose corn syrup as "all natural" when the drink contained no natural juice. The court found that the plaintiffs had failed to show that they were injured as a result of Snapple's labeling.[14]
After the lawsuit in May 2009, Snapple was made withsugar, nothigh fructose corn syrup. In certain areas the older formula is still sold in stores, but this is becoming increasingly rare.[citation needed]
In October 2003, Snapple began its sponsorship of theNew York City public school system (and other parcels in the area), as part of the deal to make SnappleNew York City's official beverage.[15] The company promised an $8 million per year profit for city schools if it were allowed to sell its drinks, including juice andbottled water, in schoolvending machines.[15]
Snapple was able to acquire the contract in part becauseNew York City officials did not want to encourage the consumption ofsodas, which have been linked to childhoodobesity anddiabetes and are generally considered unhealthy. The Snapple juice drinks, specifically created to meet rules banning soda and other sugary snacks from city schools, are marketed under the "Snapple 100% Juiced!" label.[15] The flavors available under this brand include Green Apple, Fruit Punch, Melon Berry, Grape, Orange Mango, and Strawberry Lime.[15] Although the juice drinks are fortified with vitamins and minerals, a 16-ounce bottle contains more sugar (41 grams) than a 12-ounce can ofCoca-Cola (39 grams).[15]
Dr.Michael F. Jacobson, theexecutive director of theCenter for Science in the Public Interest, called the drinks "little better than vitamin-fortified sugar water."[15] In addition, the concentrates used in the drinks, apple, grape and pear, are the least expensive and nutritious. Dr. Toni Liquori, associate professor at theColumbia Teachers College, questioned the sale of bottled water in schools, saying "If anything, we should have cold water in our schools."[15]
The deal also gave Snapple exclusive rights to sell its tea and juice-based drinks in vending machines on all New York City properties starting in January 2004. Snapple paid the City $106 million for the rights and agreed to spend $60 million more to marketing and promotion over the length of the five-year contract.[16]
In the early 1990s, the original label graphic on the Iced Tea flavor, a depiction of the United States historical event theBoston Tea Party, was replaced due to misinformation espoused by protest groups claiming the ships on the packaging were slave trading vessels inNew York Harbor. Snapple also fell victim to a rumor that the smallK was either a representation of theKlan, or of an imaginedJewish Tax (augmented by the fact that all three founders were Jewish). TheK on the products actually meant that they werecertified kosher. There were also rumors that the company donated to the controversial pro-life organizationOperation Rescue.
Snapple initially tried to quell these rumors quietly, but ultimately had to launch a media campaign to squash them, pointing out it would be bad for business to support controversial issues in such a way as the rumors implied. Through a media campaign with theNAACP, Snapple successfully fought back these rumors, although occasionally they are still brought up as fact.[17][18]
Snapple is well known for printing a numbered list of Snapple "Real Facts" on the inside of theirbottle caps. A list of these "Real Facts" is available on the company website;[19] however, the most comprehensive list of "Real Facts" is available athttps://www.snapplecaps.com/real-facts/. The "Real Facts" currently go from #1 to at least #2060, although many numbers in this range have never had facts written for them and have never been put into circulation.[20]
Several of the facts on Snapple caps have been found to be outdated, incorrect or exaggerated.[citation needed]
| Fact # | Claim | Reality | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | Broccoli is the only vegetable that is also a flower. | There are other vegetables that are also flowers, such as cauliflower and artichoke.[22] | False |
| 23 | The San Francisco cable cars are the only mobile national monument. | The San Francisco cable cars are included in a group known asNational Historic Landmarks rather than National Monuments, which are a different designation. There are many ships that are National Historic Landmarks, as well as a few roller coasters.[23] | Exaggerated |
| 31 | The average human will eat an average of eight spiders a year while asleep. | This statistic is false and completely impossible, as noted byScientific American.[24] | False |
| 36 | Aduck's quack does not echo. | This was tested by Snopes andMythBusters, both of which found that a duck's quack does echo but is hard to distinguish.[25] | Exaggerated |
| 69 | Caller ID is illegal inCalifornia. | There is no law against Caller ID in the state, though there were lengthy debates about making it illegal in the early 1990s.[26] | False |
| 77 | No piece of paper can be folded in half more than 7 times. | This myth was proven wrong byBritney Gallivan in 2002, when she managed 12 folds. In 2005, drawing on Gallivan's accomplishment,MythBusters folded a piece of paper 11 times. The piece of paper used inMythbusters was an oversized piece of paper that was thinner than a standard 8.5" × 11" (21.59 × 27.94 cm) piece of paper.[27] The wording of "piece of paper" is also a broad statement, as noted byMythBusters. | False |
| 89 | The average American walks 18,000 steps a day. | It was found that the average American only walks 5,117 steps a day.[28] | Exaggerated |
| 114 | The oldest known animal was atortoise, which lived to be 152 years old. | In June 2006 a tortoise namedHarriet died at 175 years old.[29] The oldest known animal to have lived was namedMing, a clam of the speciesArctica islandica, who was killed by researchers at approximately 507 years old.[30] | Outdated |
| 140 | Holland is the only country with a national dog. | Holland is a region within theNetherlands, but is not technically a country in its own right. The national dog of the Netherlands is theKeeshond, but other countries such asMexico also havenational dogs.[31][32] | False |
| 146 | The smallest county in America is New York County, better known asManhattan. | Manhattan is actually thesecond-smallest county by land area afterKalawao County, Hawaii. The smallest self-governing county isArlington County, Virginia. | False |
| 162 | The temperature of thesun can reach up to 15 million degreesFahrenheit. | The surface of the Sun can reach 6,000 degreesCelsius, or about 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit. The core of the Sun though can reach 27 million degrees.[33] | False |
| 163 | The first penny had the motto "Mind your own business". | The first pennies worldwide date back to the medieval era. The first official one-cent coin (known as aFugio Cent) of the United States held the message "Mind Your Business". In 1793, the first one-cent coin was struck by theUnited States Mint. | Misleading |
| 182 | A rainbow can only be seen in the morning or late afternoon. | It is true thatrainbows can only be seen if thesun is close to thehorizon, but it does not need to be morning or late afternoon for a rainbow to appear. North of theArctic Circle, rain can rarely occur in midday when the sun is close to the horizon due to theEarth'saxial tilt. | Exaggerated |
| 744 | Polar bears can smell a seal from 20 miles away | According toSea World, this distance is a much lower limit of about 1 km (0.6 miles). | Exaggerated |
| 761 | Owls are one of the only birds that can see the color blue | Birds in general have excellent color vision. Some are even able to see into theUV spectrum. | False |
| 793 | Broadway is one of the longest streets in the world. It is 150 miles long. | Broadway terminates 33 mi (53 km) from itsManhattan origin. It continues north ofSleepy Hollow, New York, asU.S. 9 andAlbany Post Road. | Exaggerated |
| 794 | Mount Whitney, the highest mountain in the continental United States, and Zabriskien [sic] Point, the lowest point in the United States, are less than eighty miles apart. | It is true that Mount Whitney is the highest mountain in thecontiguous United States, but the lowest point isBadwater Basin in Death Valley, which is 13 miles further thanZabriskie Point. In a nutshell, the lowest point is 84 miles from Mt. Whitney.[34] | Partly true |
| 825 | Our eyes are always the same size from birth, but our nose and ears never stop growing. | The average newborn's eyeball is 16 to 18 millimeters in diameter (axial length). The infant's eyeball grows slightly to approximately 19.5 millimeters and by age 3 to 23mm. The eyeball continues to grow, gradually, to a diameter of about 24–25 millimeters in adulthood.[35] | Partly true |
| 853 | Hawaii has its own time zone. | Hawaii shares atime zone with theAleutian Islands, though the population of the remaining islands is so small that 99.5% of people in Hawaii's time zone do live in Hawaii. | Partly true |
| 868 | Thomas Jefferson invented thecoat hanger. | Claims that Thomas Jefferson invented the clothes hanger are unfounded, according to theThomas Jefferson Foundation atMonticello.[36] The modern coat hanger has been patented over 200 times in the U.S. alone since the mid-1800s. | Inconclusive |
| 889 | The original Cinderella was Egyptian and wore fur slippers. | "Rhodopis" is considered the earliest known variant of the "Cinderella" story.[37] In the story, Rhodopis is Greek and the slippers are consistently described as rose-gold rather than fur. WhileCharles Perrault's French re-telling of the story featured fur slippers, it is believed to be an urban legend thatvair (fur) was mistranslated asverre (glass).[38] | Partly true |
| 904 | If done perfectly, anyRubik's Cube combination can be solved in 17 turns. | Theminimum number of turns it takes to solve a Rubik's Cube is 20 insome cases.[39] | False |
| 907 | Dueling is legal inParaguay as long as both parties are registered blood donors. | There is no evidence supporting the claim that dueling is legal anywhere in Paraguay. The U.S. Paraguayan consulate has, in fact, stated that dueling is illegal in the country.[40] | Inconclusive |
| 921 | If you had 1 billion dollars and spent 1 thousand dollars a day, it would take you 2,749 years to spend it all. | When countingleap years, it would take one 2,738 years at 1 thousand dollars a day to spend 1 billion dollars. | Exaggerated |
| 975 | The letter J is the only letter in the alphabet that does not appear anywhere on theperiodic table of the elements. | This was true until 2012, when element 114 was officially renamedflerovium from its initial placeholder name ununquadium. Now both J and Q are missing from the periodic table.[41][42] | Outdated |
Snapple was the official beverage sponsor ofAmerica's Got Talent from season 7 to season 9 of theNBC show[43] (Howard Stern, one of the judges on the show, was a spokesperson for Snapple in the 1980s). It was replaced byDunkin' for season 10.[44]
In the immediate aftermath of the collapse of the World Trade Center on 9/11, New York Paramedic Robert Ruiz was trapped inside a darkened building. He was able to locate a light source, but when he got closer, he discovered it was a refrigerator full of Snapple:
No, I didn't want a drink. I tell everybody that part about the Snapple. I said, you know, I thought it was light. I thought it was the way out, and it turns out to be a giant refrigerator full of Snapple. I got so mad at that point.[45]
In 2007, Snapple opened theSnapple Theater Center on 50th Street andBroadway in the heart ofNew York City'sTheater District. It has two theaters, one of which is a traditional theater, the other a thrust stage which can house plays. The center also includes a 40×50 ft (12×15.2 m) rehearsal space which is available for rent. The theaters are consideredoff-Broadway because of their low seating capacities.[46] The theater has since dropped the Snapple name and sponsorship and is simply known asThe Theater Center.
Most Snapple drinks do have akosher certification from theOK KosherAgency. Exceptions include:
the average American manages only 5,117 steps.
| Soda |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Coffees | ||
| Juice, teas and others | ||
| Beverage mixers | ||
