Fanta Retro: Only available in the classic brown, grooved glass bottle bearing the orange “twin-peak” logo label. © www.glowbus.de

Pomp and Circumstance for an “Old Lady”

German Packaging Museum honours the “Fanta Classic” Edition

The Coca-Cola Company is in a party mood – and for the second time already this autumn. After Coca-Cola Life’s returnable rPET-bottle received the German Packaging Prize for Design and Sustainability in September, its “sister bottle” has now received further recognition. The German Packaging Museum declared the “Fanta Classic Edition” 2015 Packaging of the Year thereby recognising its role as a classic and acknowledging the company’s courage to place the Loewy design from 1955 on the market again – 60 years later and with no change.

The TV commercial to commemorate Fanta’s 75th anniversary echoed that “good old days” feel. Critics related this strapline to the war and made the company discontinue broadcasting. This, however, did not affect the product’s popularity in any way. © www.glowbus.de

75 Years of Fanta – Made in Germany

Hardly anyone knows that the Fanta brand actually originates from Germany – from 1940, to be precise, when raw materials were scarce during WWII. Germany was at war with the United States – the essential ingredients for the popular Coca-Cola soda were missing. In order to continue production a Coca Cola team in Essen was commissioned by the then General Manager of Coca-Cola GmbH, Max Keith, to develop a new soft drink – Fanta. The principal ingredient was whey, a by-product resulting from the production of quark and cheese, which were also available in sufficient amounts during war times.

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The name is said to be the result of a then competition among employees – modelled after the term fantastic. Today, Fanta is available in over 70 flavours and in more than 200 countries. Every day some 130 million bottles of Fanta are sold across shop counters worldwide.

Classics captivate! As 2015 Packaging of the Year the original design by French-American Raymond Loewy from 1955 convinced the jury of the German Packaging Museum. © Coca-Cola Deutschland

Global success! Every day in 200 countries some 130 million bottles of Fanta are sold across shop counters. © Alfonso Jimenez / Flickr.com

'Coca Cola Life Stevia' received the German Packaging Award in September 2015. © Mike Mozart / Flickr.com

The jury of the German Packaging Museum felt the decision to re-launch, unchanged, the inimitable shape and touch of the original bottle 60 years on was a courageous and historic move. © www.glowbus.de