Kia-Ora the famous orange cordial. We all adored it and it was too orangey for crows.
Many readers will remember the Kia-Ora cartons of orange you could buy in cinemas.
Summary
Kia-Ora was a fruit flavoured cordial. Hugely popular in it’s day, you could buy the cordial from supermarkets and convenience stores everywhere. It was also the must have drink during the interval at the cinema.
Kia-Ora is made by Atlantic Industries who are themselves a subsidiary of the Coca-Cola Company, who licensed the drink for production in the UK and Ireland.
Kia-Ora originated from a lemon squash sold by an Arthur Gasquoine in Sidney, Australia in 1903. Bought by the Dixon family (don’t know who they are) the same year they went on to mass produce the product.
It hit the UK in 1917 in orange and lemon flavours. In 1961 ownership passed to the Campbell Soup company who phased the brand out in 1969.
Somewhere between 1969 and 1998 the brand became part of Cadbury Schweppes.
In 1998 Cadbury Schweppes soft drinks brands were bought by the Coca-Cola Company.
Where Did They Go?
After a string of controversy over it’s crow ads the brand received a refresh in 1987. However it’s success had declined with rival Robinsons now more popular.
In the spring of 2019 Coca-Cola called time on the brand discontinuing UK production. However Kia-Ora is still produced in Ireland.
Commercial Break
Here come those controversial ads