Mukesh Ambani, Asia’s wealthiest man has disclosed plans to relaunch an iconic 1970s soda brand ‘Campa Cola’ that once rivaled Coca-Cola and Pepsi, producing a wave of nostalgia on social media among the millions of Indians who were raised consuming the drink.
Ambani’s Reliance Group said this week it would reintroduce Campa Cola to India’s multibillion-dollar non-alcoholic beverages market this summer in three flavors: cola, lemon, and orange, CNN News-18 reported.
The trademark served a void in the South Asian country at a time when its more well-known American rival Coca-Cola was not available, and the news of its return has initiated a flurry of interest from middle-aged Indians who remember consuming it in their childhood.
While Coca-Cola was introduced in India in the 1950s it was removed from the market just over two decades later when the Indian government introduced a law that would have needed it to tell its formula. In its absence, the Indian alternative Campa Cola became extremely popular and shortly expanded to lead the country’s soft drink market.
Campa Cola’s popularity was fueled by catchy promotion campaigns that appealed to Indian youth. Bollywood actor Salman Khan emerged in one of its more famous television campaigns while its print advertisements were known for their pop-art graphics and bold colors. It also had a punchy tagline, with a touch of an attraction to patriotism: “The Great Indian Taste.”
However, its popularity started to fizzle during the 1990s when Former India’s Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao and his Finance Minister Manmohan Singh opened the country to foreign investment.
Foreign cola brands made a comeback, with Coca-Cola returning in 1993 and Pepsi and Fanta also becoming famous. Campa Cola slowly vanished from stalls and shelves across the country. With its new addition, Reliance appears to be expecting to demand both those Indians nostalgic for the brand and to raise the cola to a younger crowd who might not remember its last incarnation.
By presenting Campa in its new avatar, we hope to inspire consumers across generations to embrace this truly iconic brand and trigger a new excitement in the beverage segment.”
a company spokesperson said.
