Much-loved soft drink Lilt is being axed after almost 50 years on our shelves. The "totally tropical" drink is being relaunched with a new name by maker Coca-Cola.
It will become part of the Fanta brand as Fanta Pineapple & Grapefruit, reflecting its two main flavours. The new drink will be available officially from Tuesday (February 14). It will be available in 330ml cans, 500ml bottles and 2 litre bottles. A zero sugar version will reportedly only be available in 2 litre bottles.
Coca-Cola Europacific Partners said of the change: "Keen Lilt fans may have spotted a gradual transition as the drink has made its way into the Fanta family over the past few months, with changes to its packaging and logo. Some have even hypothesised on social media that Lilt may be becoming part of the Fanta brand, and one even went as far as producing their own news broadcast-style video.”
CCEP GB VP of commercial development Martin Attock told The Grocer: “Our main priority with this announcement is to reassure Lilt’s loyal fanbase that absolutely nothing has changed when it comes to the iconic taste of the drink they know and love. It’s still bursting with tangy tropical flavours. It’s just got itself a new name."
Lilt made its UK debut in 1975 with the advertising slogan: ‘the Totally Tropical Taste’. It later hired actors Blanche Williams and Hazel Palmer to star in the TV ads and they became known as the ‘Lilt ladies’.
