Farmers Union Iced Coffee facts for kids
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| Type | Milk beverage |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Bega Group |
| Country of origin | Australia |
| Introduced | 1977 |
| Flavour | Coffee |
| Variants | Farmers Union Iced Coffee Regular, Farmers Union Iced Coffee Strong, Farmers Union Iced Coffee ONE, Farmers Union Iced Coffee EDGE. |
Farmers Union Iced Coffee is a popular coffee-flavoured milk drink from Australia. It is especially well-known in South Australia. The drink is sold under the "Farmers Union" name, which started as a group of dairy farmers in South Australia. Today, it is made by Bega Dairy & Drinks.
Contents
The Story of Farmers Union Iced Coffee
Farmers Union Iced Coffee first came out in 1977. It quickly became a very popular drink in South Australia. Now, you can find it in all parts of Australia. This "iced coffee" drink is made with coffee, a type of sugar called glucose, and milk.
In the past, the drink used to have an ingredient called "iced confection." When this was removed, the taste of the drink changed quite a bit. You can usually buy Farmers Union Iced Coffee in 600 mL cardboard cartons. There are also smaller 300 mL bottles and larger 2-litre plastic cartons.
How Popular Is This Drink?
In 2003, Australians drank over 22 million litres of Farmers Union Iced Coffee. This made it the best-selling flavoured milk drink in Australia at that time. Because it is so popular, some McDonald's, KFC, and Hungry Jack's restaurants across Australia now sell it.
Even car makers noticed how popular it was! Some Mitsubishi Magna and Holden Cruze cars were designed with cup holders that could perfectly fit Farmers Union Iced Coffee cartons. Many other companies now make their own iced coffee drinks, trying to compete with Farmers Union.
Funny TV Commercials
Farmers Union Iced Coffee is also famous for its funny TV commercials in Australia. One well-known series of ads shows tough male workers doing ballet with big machines. This happens because their boss promised them a truckload of iced coffee if they all took up ballet.
Another popular set of ads features a serious voice talking about big world events. But on screen, you see everyday Australian versions of these events. Here are some examples:
- "When the wall came down": This ad shows two men knocking down a wall during a home project. It makes a funny link to the fall of the Berlin Wall.
- "Survived the Apollo Disaster": This ad shows three drivers, one drinking Iced Coffee, as their car is towed away after a small accident. This is a playful nod to the Apollo 13 space mission, where astronauts safely returned to Earth after an explosion.
- "There when the bras were burnt": This ad shows a man watching TV while an iron accidentally burns a bra in the background. It refers to a famous act of feminism where women protested for their rights.
- "When Chisel broke up": This ad shows a builder looking sad while holding two pieces of a broken chisel. This refers to when the famous Australian band, Cold Chisel, broke up.
- "Saw Cathy in Sydney in 2000": This ad shows a man meeting an old friend named Cathy in Sydney. It playfully connects to Cathy Freeman winning a gold medal at the Sydney Olympics in 2000.
- "Lived through the Millennium Bug": This ad shows a man in a sleeping bag drinking Iced Coffee and swatting a bug. It refers to the Y2K bug, a computer issue that people worried about in the year 2000.
- "...and Trevor's Underarm": This ad shows two construction workers drinking Iced Coffee. One lifts his arm, showing body odour, and the other looks disgusted. This refers to Trevor Chappell's famous underarm bowling incident in a cricket game in 1981.
- "Strongly opposed the Bush Invasion": This ad shows a man trimming his neighbour's overgrown bushes. This is a light-hearted reference to the opposition to George Bush leading the invasion into Iraq.
New Flavours of Iced Coffee
On October 23, 2006, Farmers Union released two new flavours in South Australia. One was Farmers Union Strong Iced Coffee, which has a bolder coffee taste. The other was Farmers Union Light Iced Coffee, which had no added sugar.
The original and Light flavours have about 18 mg of caffeine per 100 mL. The Strong Iced Coffee has more, with 24 mg of caffeine per 100 mL.
The Light Iced Coffee was not as popular as the original. Many people preferred the classic taste. So, in August 2011, the company launched a new product called Farmers Union Iced Coffee One. They said it had "100% taste, 1% fat and no added sugar." This was a completely new recipe.
Farmers Union also sells a "Feel Good" range of milk drinks. These are low in fat and sugar and come in coffee and chocolate flavours.
See also
- Farmers Union (brand)
- South Australian food and drink
