Kas (drink) facts for kids
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| Owner | PepsiCo (1991–pres.) |
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| Introduced | 1956 |
| Markets | Europe |
| Previous owners | El As (1956–91) |
Kas is a popular brand of soft drink made by PepsiCo. It comes in many fruit flavors like grapefruit, orange, lemon, and apple. There's also a special "bitter" flavor made from plant extracts. Kas also offers fruit juices called Kasfruit. You can find Kas drinks in Spain, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, and France. In the past, it was also sold in Portugal, Brazil, and Argentina.
Kas is known as a "flavor segment" drink. This means it's a fruit-flavored drink that often has bubbles (carbonation).
Contents
History of Kas
How Kas Started
The story of Kas began a long time ago, in 1870. A couple named Román Knörr Streiff and Pilar Ortiz opened a beer factory in Spain. In the 1920s, their son, Román Knorr Ortiz, decided to start his own business. He wanted to make sodas and called his company "El As."
His business was doing well until the Spanish Civil War started. During this time, production stopped. It didn't start again until 1940.
The Birth of Kas Drink
In 1956, the factory was working again in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain. José Maria Knorr Elorza, a member of the family, created a new drink. It was a mix of soda and orange juice. This was the first flavored soda in Spain! He named it "Kas." The 'K' came from the family name, and 'As' was from the original company name.
During the 1960s, the company grew a lot. They opened new factories across Spain. They also launched new products, like Kascol (a cola drink) and 'BitterKas', which became very popular. For many years, the company even sponsored a cycling team. They also sponsored the Spain national football team during the 1982 FIFA World Cup.
Kas Joins PepsiCo
In 1991, a huge international company called Pepsi bought the Kas company. After this, Pepsi started making diet (sugar-free) soft drinks and juices under the Kas brand. Pepsi sold Kas products mainly in Spain. For other parts of the world, Pepsi used its Mirinda brand for similar flavored drinks.
Kas Advertising
"24 Horas Kas" Campaign
In the mid-1990s, Kas had a very famous advertising campaign called "24 Horas Kas" (24 Hours Kas). It had a catchy song based on "Dame Más" (Give Me More) by Alex de la Nuez. This campaign also featured the "Chica Kas" (Kas Girl). She was an attractive woman wearing a wide-brimmed hat and a dress. She became a well-known symbol for the brand.
Kas in Mexico
In 1994, Coca-Cola launched a grapefruit-flavored drink called Fresca in Mexico. To compete, Pepsi-Cola de Mexico launched Kas grapefruit there. The "24 Horas Kas" campaign from Spain was changed for the Mexican market. The "Dame Mas" song was sung by an Argentine pop group called The Sacados. It became very popular in Mexico.
The launch in Mexico also included many TV and radio commercials. There were also billboards and tasting events in bars and clubs. This helped promote Kas as a mixer with tequila. In 2006, the brand in Mexico was renamed Kas Mas.
Other Places Kas is Sold
Popularity in France
In France, Kas became very popular in the southwestern part of the country. People there often mix it with gin or vodka.
Kas in Brazil
In the mid-1990s, Kas tried to enter the Brazilian market. Brazil already had many soft drink brands made from guarana extract. So, Kas introduced several guarana-flavored drinks. These included guarana by itself, or mixed with acerola, maracuja, and peach. However, production stopped shortly after the launch. The orange, lemon, and apple flavors of Kas were never sold in Brazil.
See also
In Spanish: Kas para niños
