Indian soft drink legend “Campa Cola” is planning a comeback in the market
The Reliance Group of India, owned by multi-billionaire Mukesh Ambani, is going to relaunch the historic summer beverage brand “Campa Cola.”
For 220 million rupees ($26,80,882; £22,48,342), it purchased the brand last August from Pure Drinks, the company that created it.
The beverage will be available in lemon, orange, and cola flavors. The brand enjoyed its popularity in the 1970s and 1980s, but after international cola brands entered the Indian market, Campa Cola lost its appeal. The business intends to “inspire people across decades to embrace this genuinely legendary brand,” a Reliance spokeswoman said.
The story of Campa-Cola started in India, where the story of Coca-Cola ended. Coca-Cola arrived in India in the 1950s, and it was the most well-known soft drink brand until the 1970s.
Coca-Cola was forced to disclose the “secret formula” of its concentrate to its Indian subsidiaries in addition to diluting its ownership share in those companies in 1977 due to a change in government regulations. Coca-Cola didn’t want to do this, so the company left the Indian market. A government-owned corporation introduced “Double Seven (77)” to fill the void left by the brand’s disappearance, but the beverage was not able to attract the market, and only a few people bought the beverage.
The company named “Pure Drinks,” the largest and main bottle supplier of Coca-Cola, took advantage of the moment and plans to launch their own soda.
The design was same as Coca-Cola, and it was called “Campa Cola.” The locally produced soft drink immediately made a name for itself as the beverage of choice among young people. The brand’s advertising featured a fresh appeal, catchy taglines, and a strong sense of patriotism. The pun, “The Great Indian Taste,” has stuck in people’s minds and become synonymous with the company.
The bubbly beverage quickly became a favorite among kids and teenagers and was frequently served at birthday celebrations and on vacations with the family.
Some people nevertheless believed that the beverage fell short of its predecessor. It was referred to as an “imitation brand” in a 2018 article and an interview with commercial filmmaker Alyque Padamsee for The Print.
However, despite being well-liked among young people, the brand started to lose steam in the late 1990s as Manmohan Singh, who was then India’s finance minister, introduced reforms to liberalize the country’s economy.
The adjustments made it simpler for foreign companies to conduct business in the nation, and Coca-Cola was able to rejoin the market. The drink quickly vanished from stores and booths after the soft drink company shut down its bottling facilities in the 2000s.