Freekee Soda / Tango Strange Soda

Associated With

Britvic Soft Drinks - developer and manufacturer

Defining Feature

A carbonated blend of skimmed milk and fruit juice marketed as smooth but fizzy

Status

Discontinued - withdrawn in January 2004

Overview

Freekee Soda mixed carbonated water, skimmed milk and fruit juice into a smooth but fizzy drink.

Britvic launched it in February 2003 after three years of development. Aimed principally at children and young teenagers, it came in Strange Strawberry and Odd Orange variants.

Following a reported naming conflict, Britvic repositioned it as Tango Strange Soda in September 2003. The change did not rescue the product, and Britvic discontinued it in January 2004 after reporting that the proposition had proved too challenging for consumers.

Why It Mattered

Its brief life captures the commercial risk of asking shoppers to understand a drink that sat between fizzy pop, fruit drinks and milkshakes.

The rapid renaming and withdrawal also show how difficult a novel texture and category can be to communicate, even with substantial launch backing and an established brand.

Launch, Rebrand and Withdrawal

• The promoted single-bottle price fell from 62p to 49p during the repositioning.
• Britvic announced the drink’s discontinuation on 22 January 2004.
• Reported retail sales totalled £3.4 million.

Packaging and Investment

• Reports describe coloured PET bottles but disagree over capacities of 300 ml and 330 ml.
• Britvic reported total backing of £7.75 million.
• That total comprised £1.5 million for manufacturing equipment and £6.25 million for launch activity.

The Taste Buds Advert

• The surviving 2003 commercial showed miniature versions of a teenage drinker jolted into trembling action after a sip.
• Clemmow Hornby Inge created the campaign, Ulf Johansson directed through Smith and Jones, and MPC handled post-production.
• The surreal effect combined practical live action with compositing.

Gallery