Cockta (pronounced [ˈkòːkta][1]) is a soft drink from Slovenia. Its main ingredient comes from dog rose hip; the other ingredients come from 11 different herbs, lemon and orange. Its original variant contains neither caffeine nor orthophosphoric acid.[2]
 | |
| Type | Soft drink |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Droga Kolinska d.d. |
| Country of origin | Yugoslavia (now Slovenia) |
| Introduced | 8 March 1953 |
| Flavor | Rose hip, lemon and orange |
| Website | www |
Origins
editThe origins of the Cockta drink begin in the early 1950s. In 1952, Ivan Deu, the Director of the state-owned corporation Slovenijavino, came up with the idea of producing an original, refreshing Slovenian beverage which would be able to compete against soft drinks from abroad (particularly Coca-Cola), which were not yet being sold in Yugoslavia.[3] The chemical engineer, Emerik Zelinka, an employee of the Slovenijavino research labs, created the drink with a new, different taste, derived from a blend of eleven different herbs and spices; including the rose hip, a prominent flavour within Cockta's blend. The drink was introduced to the market for the first time on 8 March 1953 at a ski jumping competition at Planica.[4]
Ownership
editIn 2000, the Cockta brand was bought by the Kolinska food company, known today as Droga Kolinska d.d. In mid-2010, Croatian holding company Atlantic Grupa d.d. acquired Droga Kolinska.[5]
Sales
editIn the first year of production, four million Cockta bottles were sold in Slovenia alone, and ten years later, sales climbed to 71 million. From Slovenia, Cockta spread across the common market of the other republics of Yugoslavia, but no dedicated bottling facilities were established.[citation needed]
Marketing
editThe initial Cockta launch and marketing campaign was carefully designed. The first bottle and label for Yugo Cockta was created by Sergej Pavlin, then a young architecture student. Pavlin also designed other aspects of the brand's visual image, including the design for Cockta delivery trucks and cardboard packaging for Cockta's bottles.[4]
Many older Slovenes can still remember the posters which swept the entire country as part of the original Cockta marketing campaign: they featured a suntanned young woman, with a hairstyle considered trendy at the time, in a ponytail, with blue eyes, holding in her hands a bottle of the new beverage.[6] The sports event at Planica where Cockta was launched was the earliest form of sports sponsorship in Slovenia.[7]
In 2006, Cockta sponsored the MaxCards World Championships, held in Ljubljana.
In 2013 a survey conducted by Valicon placed Cockta 6th in a list of the top 25 strongest brands in Slovenia. Brand strength was calculated based on brand awareness, experience and usage.[8]
In 2019, "Cockta Free" came onto the market, with this variant containing no added sugar. Cockta is available in 275ml glass bottles, 330ml cans, 0.5 liter and 1.5 liter plastic bottles. Cockta Free is available in 275ml glass bottles, 330ml cans, 0.5 liter and 1.5 liter plastic bottles.[citation needed]
In 2023, Cockta's version of an orangeade launched, called "Cockta Blondie".[citation needed]
Slogans
edit- 1980 - Pijača vaše in naše mladosti (The Drink Of Your Youth and Ours)[9]
- 1983 - Še vedno najboljša (Still the Best)
- 2001 - Prve ne pozabiš nikoli (You Never Forget Your First one)[9]
- 2002 - Cockte pogrešam (I Miss Cockta; homophone: phonetically read as "How Much I Miss You" when translated)
- 2005 - Ješ MaxCards, Spiš MaxCards, Piješ Cockto! (You Eat MaxCards, You Sleep MaxCards, You Drink Cockta!)
- Brez kofeina - brez kisline - brez heca! (No Caffeine - No Sour Taste - No Kidding!)
- 2012 - Osveži življenje (Freshen [your] life)
- 2018 - Cockta za vedno (Cockta Forever)
Gallery
edit-
Cockta since 2018
-
Cockta from 2015
-
Cockta Free from 2019
-
Cockta Blondie from 2022
See also
edit- Polo-Cockta, a drink brand in Poland
References
edit- ^ "Slovenski pravopis 2001: kokta".
- ^ Cockta. "The story of Cockta". Archived from the original on 2 February 2015.
- ^ Bartolj, Jaka (9 February 2016). "A Coca-Cola substitute became a leading Slovenian brand". Archived from the original on 10 February 2016.
- ^ a b Cockta, the drink from our younger days. The heritage of Slovene brands, 2010, archived from the original on 20 August 2016
- ^ Starling, Shane (16 July 2010). "Atlantic Grupa buys Droga Kolinska". Nutra Ingredients. William Reed Business Media.
- ^ "Cockta, the drink from our younger days. The heritage of Slovene brands". Slovene Ethnographic Museum. 30 September 2010. Retrieved 9 April 2023.
- ^ "Cockta stands proud with the Slovenian Eagles" (Press release). Atlantic Grupa. 21 March 2016. Archived from the original on 20 August 2016.
- ^ "Three Slovenian Brands among Top Ten in the Region". The Slovenia Times. 23 December 2013. Archived from the original on 20 August 2016.
- ^ a b Rezek, Barbara (10 August 2006). "Is Cockta really our Coca-Cola?". The Slovenia Times. Archived from the original on 20 August 2016.