Orangina

Orangina bottles
Manufacturer	Suntory
Introduced	1936; 90 years ago (1936)
Colour	Orange/yellow/amber
Ingredients	Citrus
Website	www.orangina.com www.orangina.eu

Orangina (French pronunciation:[ɔʁɑ̃ʒina]) is a lightly carbonated beverage made from carbonated water, 12% citrus juice (10% from concentratedorange, 2% from a combination of concentratedlemon, concentratedmandarin, and concentratedgrapefruit juices), as well as 2% orange pulp.^[1][2] Orangina is sweetened with sugar or high fructose corn syrup (glucose fructose) and in some markets (such as the United Kingdom) with artificial sweetener. Natural flavours are also added.^[3]

Orangina was innovated by Spanishpharmacist, Agustín Trigo Miralles, asNaranjina in the early 1930s. He subsequently sold the formula to Léon Beton, a French businessman based inFrench Algeria, in 1935. Today, it is a popular beverage inEurope (especially inFrance andSwitzerland),Japan,North Africa, and to a lesser extent inNorth America.

The history ofOrangina began with the encounter at the 1935Marseille Trade Fair between Léon Beton, a French businessman living inFrench Algeria, and a Spanish pharmacist fromValencia, Dr Agustin Trigo. The latter presented his innovation, "Naranjina".^[4] The drink was created from a mix of citrus juices,carbonated water,sugar and other ingredients.^[5] Beton, owner of an orange grove in theplain of Mitidja and successful essential oil merchant, bought the beverage's formula;^[5][6] and the first bottle of "Orangina, soda de naranjina" was launched in France the same year.^[7] However, the outbreak of major conflicts in Europe, notably theSpanish Civil War andWorld War II, hampered the brand’s expansion.^[6]

His son,Jean-Claude Beton, took over the company in 1947.^[5][6] Jean-Claude Beton kept most of the original recipe, which he marketed to appeal to European and North African consumers.^[5] Orangina quickly became a common beverage throughoutFrench North Africa.^[6] In 1951, Jean-Claude Beton introduced Orangina's signature 250 ml bottle, which became a symbol of the brand.^[5] The bottle recalls the rounded shape of anorange, with a glass texture designed to mimic the fruit.^[5]

Production was moved toMarseille inmetropolitan France in 1962 in the run-up toAlgeria's independence.^[5] The company joined thePernod Ricard group in 1984. At this time, the iconic glass bottle was re-imagined by Rotherham based designer, “Uncle” Martin Jones.^{[citation needed]}

In 2000, after an attempt to sell toCoca-Cola was blocked onanti competitive grounds, the Orangina brand was acquired byCadbury Schweppes along with Pernod Ricard's othersoda businesses.^[8] In 2006, Cadbury decided to concentrate on thechocolate business and sought buyers for its soda business. As the number three soda producer globally, neither of the bigger two (Coca-Cola orPepsiCo) could buy it, so eventually the soda company was split up to sell.

In 1978, the drink was introduced in the United States under the nameOrelia, but this name was abandoned in favour of the original in 1985.^[9] Orangina was produced for the North American market in Canada, but the operation was moved toHialeah, Florida, United States, to be produced under licence byMott's LLP ofRye Brook, New York. After being spun off from Cadbury Schweppes' former North American soft drinks business, the brand was owned byDr Pepper Snapple Group Inc (nowKeurig Dr Pepper). Production of Orangina moved back to Canada.^[10]

As with other carbonated beverages in the US market, Orangina for the United States is sweetened withhigh-fructose corn syrup, instead of regular sugar like original Orangina. Orangina for the Canadian market is labelled as being sweetened withsugar andglucose-fructose. Orangina sweetened only with sugar was also imported by Canada Dry Motts from Europe for the Canadian market.

In 2020, Suntory assumed the brand in North America and licensed it to Ventures Foods and Beverage.^[11] However, as of 2024, the product has all but disappeared from the United States market and no information on its status can be found. In Canada, the brand remains widely distributed by Aliments Unique Inc.

From 2006, private equity firmsBlackstone Group andLion Capital LLP owned the brand outside North America under the company nameOrangina Schweppes.^[12] In November 2009, its ownership changed once again when it was bought by Japanese brewerSuntory.^[13] In Great Britain, it was formerly manufactured under licence byAG Barr ofGlasgow, most famous forIrn-Bru, this has recently^[when?] been taken in house by Suntory subsidiaryLucozadeRibena Suntory.^[14]

Orangina is produced inVietnam byFosters Vietnam under licence and is sold inCarrefour branches inTaiwan. It is produced inIran byShemshad Noosh Co.

The brand is famous for the design of its 25cl (8oz) bottle made in the shape of a pear with a pebbly texture meant to recall the peel of an orange or other citrus fruit.^{[citation needed]} Larger bottles also include the pebbly texture but use a more regular bottle shape rather than maintaining the proportions of the smaller bottles.

New flavours have emerged in Europe including Orangina Sanguine which is made fromblood oranges and also containscaffeine andguarana. It is significantly more sour than regular Orangina. Other flavours 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. The sugar free variant "Miss O" was launched in the 2010s.

In Tunisia, multiple flavours of Orangina are sold as Orangina Rouge, similar to the European Orangina Sanguine, and Orangina Light as a sugar free variant.

The pulp at the bottom of the bottles was a big flaw compared to its competitors. It therefore took an original marketing positioning, which transformed this defect into a quality, with the "Shake me" advertisements.^[18]

In 2010, a gay-friendly Orangina commercial was released in France, a few weeks after a McDonald's advertisement featuring a gay teenager was shown on French television.^[19]

In 2008, a television commercial featuringanthropomorphic animals (such as a deer, a bear, peacocks, and chameleons) in swimsuits, caused outrage in the United Kingdom, 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'clockwatershed, initially during a programme titledHow to Look Good Naked.^{[citation needed]}Kidscape, a children's charity based in the country, 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".^[20] The advert was also awarded "Freakiest Advert of 2007", and was seventh place in "Worst TV Ad of 2008".^[21][22] Others asserted that Orangina is not targeted just at children and is also a "leading adult soft drink"^[23] and that the advertisement is intended to create controversy and thus free publicity.^[24] The advertisement was popular, and by April 2008 had three million online viewings.^[23]

• Orange drink

• International website (English/French)
• A history of Orangina (French)

• French cuisine
• Suntory brands
• Citrus sodas
• Orange sodas
• Carbonated drinks
• Algerian drinks
• French drinks
• Food and drink companies established in 1935
• Products introduced in 1935
• Private equity portfolio companies

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