Rio (British drink)
 | |
| Type | Soft drink |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Hall & Woodhouse |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Introduced | 1980s |
| Website | drinkrio |
Rio Tropical Limited,[1] formerly known as Rio Riva and Arriva,[citation needed] is a British brand of soft drink made by Hall & Woodhouse.
History
[edit]The drink was created by a Dorset brewery Hall & Woodhouse in the 1980s and was originally named Arriva derived from the French ‘arriver’ which means to arrive.[2] In 1994, its name was changed to Rio Riva before being changed to simply Rio.[3] In 2013, Dragon Rouge redesigned Rio in response to research that showed consumers knew the Rio name but didn't know much about the drink itself.[4]
Rio was redesigned again in 2017 by Pearlfisher taking inspiration from Brazilian street art to target a younger demographic.[5][6] The logo was changed as well, with the ‘O’ being turned into a sun to emphasise their slogan of "Celebrate the Sunny".[7] In June of the same year, they introduced 500ml PET bottles.[8] Brand manager Danielle Obbard said the new bottles were an integral part of their "plan for continued growth".[9]
In 2018, Rio began sponsoring racing car driver Bobby Thompson.[10] In 2021, Rio entered a partnership deal with Boost Drinks, with the company overseeing the sales, marketing and distribution of Rio.[11][12]
In October 2023, it was announced Rio had been acquired from Hall and Woodhouse by British soft drink manufacturer, A.G. Barr for £12.3 million.[13]
References
[edit]- ^ "Rio Tropical Limited overview - Find and update company information - Gov.uk". Companies House. 19 July 2023. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
- ^ "Rio About". Rio. Archived from the original on 9 January 2022. Retrieved 9 October 2021.
- ^ "Rio". CTC. Retrieved 9 October 2021.
- ^ "A new look for soft drink Rio, by Dragon Rouge". Design Week. 7 August 2013. Retrieved 9 October 2021.
- ^ "Summer makeover for Rio soft drinks". Talking Retail. 17 April 2017. Retrieved 9 October 2021.
- ^ "Pearlfisher Redesigns Tropical Soft Drink Brand, 'Rio'". Logo Designer. 9 May 2017. Retrieved 9 October 2021.
- ^ "Redesign for juice in cans, bottles". Packaging World. 28 April 2017. Retrieved 9 October 2021.
- ^ "Going grande with Rio". Scottish Grocer. 3 July 2017. Retrieved 9 October 2021.
- ^ "Rio reveals 500ml PET bottles". Convenience Store. 2 June 2017. Retrieved 9 October 2021.
- ^ "Full throttle start to 2018 campaign". Scottish Grocer. 2 May 2018. Retrieved 9 October 2021.
- ^ "Drinks producers sign exclusive distribution deal". thebusinessdesk.com. 18 January 2021. Archived from the original on 8 January 2022. Retrieved 9 October 2021.
- ^ "Boost Drinks secures exclusive distribution rights with Hall & Woodhouse for Rio brand". lovebelfast.co.uk. 20 January 2021. Archived from the original on 8 January 2022. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
- ^ "A.G. Barr Acquires Rio Soft Drinks Brand". ESM Magazine. 24 October 2023. Retrieved 25 October 2023.