Snapple

Snapple is a brand of tea and juice drinks owned by Keurig Dr Pepper, based in Plano, Texas, United States. Snapple originated as an apple juice first produced in 1972 by Unadulterated Food Products, with the name Snapple a portmanteau derived from the words snappy and apple.[1]

The brand became popular in the 1990s and 2000s from pop-culture references and sponsorships in television shows, becoming the partial namesake of Dr Pepper Snapple Group in 2008. A series of lawsuits starting the following year questioned the brand's health claims, leading to changes in the products' formula.

History

Snapple was founded by Leonard Marsh, Hyman Golden, and Arnold Greenberg in 1972 in Valley Stream, Long Island, New York.[2] Their company, which was originally known as Unadulterated Food Products, was first conceived as a part-time venture to supply fruit juices to health food stores.[3] Unsure if the business would succeed, Greenberg continued to run his health food store in Manhattan's East Village, while Leonard Marsh and his brother-in-law, Hyman Golden, operated a window washing business.[3] In a 1989 interview with Crain's New York Business, Marsh admitted that when they launched the small business he knew "as much about juice as about making an atom bomb."[3]

An early apple juice product led to the company's name, Snapple.[3] Golden, Greenberg and Marsh had created a carbonated apple juice.[3] One of the batches of apple juice fermented in the bottle, causing the bottle caps to fly off.[3] The original name of that particular apple juice product, Snapple, a portmanteau derived from the words snappy and apple, became the new name for their beverage company. Thus the Snapple Beverage Corporation was born, beginning in the early 1980s.[3][4] In 1987, Snapple made their first tea, lemon tea.[5]

As of 2016, there are many different types of Snapple: tea (multiple flavors, such as lemon, raspberry, and peach, all of which come in original and diet), juice drinks, lemonade, and bottled water. Snapple also comes in aluminum cans.[6]

Snapple's brand slogan is "Made from the Best Stuff on Earth".

In the early 1990s, Snapple was known for a popular series of TV advertisements featuring Wendy Kaufman (the "Snapple Lady") answering letters from Snapple fans.[7] In May 1992, in an effort to counteract the Coke and Pepsi challenge commercials, Snapple began running a new line of advertisements, which featured its trademark "Made from the best stuff on Earth" line in ads that spoofed earlier beer and sports drinks promotions. The ads received low marks from advertising industry observers. In addition, the company used its $15-million-a-year advertising budget to pay for a long-lived series of live radio commercials featuring controversial radio hosts Howard Stern and Rush Limbaugh.

At the end of the summer of 1992, Snapple conducted a five-week search for a new advertising agency that could better convey its corporate identity in preparation for a wider national push. Later that year, Snapple signed tennis player Jennifer Capriati to endorse its products. By August 1992, Snapple had expanded its distribution to every major city in the United States and signed new contracts with beverage distributors.

The company owned no manufacturing facilities, but instead made agreements with more than 30 bottlers across the country. In this way, Snapple was able to keep its overhead low and its payroll short. The company administration consisted of just 80 employees, 50 of whom worked out of a modest office building on Long Island.[8]

In 1992, Thomas H. Lee, an American businessperson, financier and investor of Thomas H. Lee Partners (THL), acquired Snapple Beverages on undisclosed terms. The three founders of Snapple, Leonard Marsh, Hyman Golden and Arnold Greenberg, said they would own about one-third of the new company and be involved in its management. Hellen Berry, vice president of the Beverage Marketing Corporation, a consultant in New York, estimated that Snapple, which had been for sale for more than a year and had $100 million in sales in 1991, sold for $140 million.[9]

Only eight months after buying the company, Lee took Snapple Beverages public. In 1994, Lee sold the company to the Quaker Oats Company for $1.7 billion.[10] Lee was estimated to have made $900 million for himself and his investors from the sale. Quaker Oats ran into problems and sold Snapple to Triarc in 1997 for $300 million.[11] In September 2000, Triarc sold it to Cadbury Schweppes for $1.45 billion.[12] In May 2008, Snapple was spun off to its current owners.

Controversies

Real Facts

Snapple is well known for printing a numbered list of Snapple "Real Facts" on the inside of their bottle caps. A list of these "Real Facts" is available on the company website[20] and fan sites. The "Real Facts" currently go from #1 to at least #2060, although many numbers in this range have never had facts written for them and have never been put into circulation.[21]

Several of the facts on Snapple caps have been found to be outdated, incorrect or exaggerated.

Popular culture

Snapple was the official beverage sponsor of America's Got Talent from season 7 to season 9 of the NBC show[44] Howard Stern, one of the judges on the show, was a spokesperson for Snapple in the 1980s. It was replaced by Dunkin' for season 10.[45]

In the immediate aftermath of the collapse of the World Trade Center on 9/11, New York Paramedic Robert Ruiz was trapped inside a darkened building. He was able to locate a light source, but when he got closer, he discovered it was a refrigerator full of Snapple:

"No, I didn't want a drink. I tell everybody that part about the Snapple. I said, you know, I thought it was light. I thought it was the way out, and it turns out to be a giant refrigerator full of Snapple. I got so mad at that point.[46]"

Snapple Theater Center

In 2007, Snapple opened the Snapple Theater Center on 50th Street and Broadway in the heart of New York City's Theater District. It has two theaters, one of which is a traditional theater, the other a thrust stage which can house plays. The center also includes a 40×50 ft (12×15.2 m) rehearsal space which is available for rent. The theaters are considered off-Broadway because of their low seating capacities.[47] The theater has since dropped the Snapple name and sponsorship and is simply known as The Theater Center.

Kosher certification

Most Snapple drinks do have a kosher certification from the OK Kosher Agency. Exceptions include:

• Fruit Punch[48]
• Grape
• Kiwi Lemon-lime

See also

• Kick (soft drink)

External links

• Official website
• Snapple Refreshes Itself – Snapple Relaunch (2009)
• The Snapple Dragoon at Snopes.com