Solo (Australian soft drink) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Solo

Type	Soft drink
Manufacturer	Asahi Breweries
Country of origin	Australia
Introduced	1973; 52 years ago (1973)
Colour	White
Flavour	Lemon
Variants	Solo Original Solo Sub Solo Strong Solo Lemon & Lime Solo Low Carb Solo Guarana Solo Brew Solo Zero Sugar Hard Rated

Solo is a popular Australian soft drink with a refreshing lemon flavour. It's a fizzy drink, also known as a carbonated beverage. Today, a company called Asahi Breweries makes Solo.

Solo first came out in 1968, created by a company called Tarax. Later, in 1974, Cadbury took over. The idea for Solo's lemon taste came from a traditional non-alcoholic drink found in Australian pubs, called 'pub squash'. Many Australians know Solo because of its famous "Solo Man" advertising campaigns, which have featured different Australian actors over the years. A regular 375mL can of Solo has about 43.1 grams of sugar. There are also different versions of Solo, like Solo Zero, which uses artificial sweeteners instead of sugar.

Solo's History

Solo was first launched in 1968 by a company called Tarax. In 1973, Cadbury-Schweppes took over the brand. Then, in April 2009, Asahi Holdings (Australia) Pty Ltd bought Cadbury-Schweppes Australia, which included Solo. Asahi is a Japanese company that makes both drinks and beer.

The lemon flavour of Solo comes from a traditional Australian pub drink. This drink was called 'pub squash' or 'lemon squash'. It was made from a sweet lemon syrup mixed with water. Solo is basically a fizzy version of this lemon squash.

Over the years, Solo has released different flavours. These include a lemon and lime flavour. They also made a zero-sugar version. This version uses artificial sweeteners instead of regular sugar. In 2018, Solo's makers promised to reduce the sugar in their drinks. They aim to cut sugar content by 20% by the year 2025.

Solo's Marketing and Ads

The Solo Man

The "Solo Man" is a very famous advertising campaign for Solo. It started in the 1970s, soon after the drink was released. The most recent Solo Man ad came out in 2018. For almost 50 years, the Solo Man ads have shown an Australian man doing exciting and challenging activities. He does these activities to "earn" his Solo drink.

In the past, the Solo Man was shown as a very strong and traditional male character. However, the 2018 campaign, called "Thirst Worthy Effort," changed this. It showed the Solo Man doing more everyday activities at home.

Here are some of the adventurous things the Solo Man has done in ads:

• Kayaking down fast rivers.
• Riding a wagon pulled by horses.
• Sailing on a catamaran.
• Driving a yellow speed boat.
• Wrestling a wild horse (brumby).
• Playing squash.
• Riding a horse.
• Fishing for a shark.
• Windsurfing.
• Arm wrestling.
• Doing a triathlon.
• Rafting safely down rapids.
• Kayaking off a high cliff.
• Wrestling a saltwater crocodile.
• Driving a jeep through a store.
• Fixing a jetty as a carpenter.
• Wakeboarding on a cooler lid.
• Dragging a shark home.
• Chasing a barrel full of lemons.

Some old Solo slogans included "The thirst crusher." Another one was "Light on the fizz, so you can slam it down fast." In the 1970s and 1980s, TV ads often said: "You've never tasted a lemon drink like Solo before. Unless it's one of those great lemon squashes that pubs used to make. Extra lemon tang, and not too many bubbles. Solo lemon: a man's drink."

In 2012, the Solo Man was brought back for new ads. Australian actor Adam Demos played him. In this story, the Solo Man is in old Australia, swinging an axe. He puts lemons into a barrel, which then rolls away. He chases it down hills and then drinks the whole barrel of lemon juice. A new slogan was also created: "Go hard, go solo." This campaign showed the Solo Man completing an obstacle course to get his drink.

In 2018, Solo changed the Solo Man's image. He was shown as less "macho." In these newer ads, he is a dad who makes costumes for a play. He also has a dog and puts together flat-pack furniture. The new slogan for these ads was "A Thirst Worthy Effort."

Solo Man Actors

The very first "Solo Man" was played by Michael Ace. He was a former PE teacher and also a model. He starred as Solo Man in the 1970s and 80s.

Another Solo Man was Terry Creasey, who is the father of Australian actor Joel Creasey. Terry Creasey was also a model. He was the Solo Man who ran up a hill with a dog and then drank a can of Solo.

In the mid-1980s, Mark Robert Coutelas played Solo Man. He had a moustache and a mullet hairstyle. He was in the ad where Solo Man kayaks off a cliff and goes white-water rafting.

In 2012, Australian actor Adam Demos became the Solo Man. He was born in Wollongong, NSW, Australia. Adam Demos's Solo Man was the one who chased a barrel of lemons down a hill. He then drank or poured the lemon juice over himself on top of a cliff. Adam Demos has also acted in movies like “Falling Inn Love” and TV shows like “Rescue Special Ops”.

Solo and Sports

In 2009, Solo's parent company, Schweppes Australia, partnered with Football Australia. For three years, the 'Goal of the Year' award was called the 'SOLO Goal of the Year'. This campaign featured Australian football player Harry Kewell. It tried to bring back a game called 'crushed can football' to Australian streets. This game involves crushing an empty Solo can and kicking it around.

In 2011, before the Football World Cup in South Africa, Solo launched an online campaign. It was called 'lucky undies' and supported the Australian Socceroos team. As part of this, 225,000 yellow underwear items were made. They were sold online or given away with the drink. This campaign also had a 1-minute TV ad. On May 24, 2010, fans at a Socceroos match in Melbourne were given these bright yellow underwear to wear over their clothes.

Solo's Masculine Ads

Solo has often been advertised as a very "masculine" drink. This means their ads often target boys and men. They use marketing techniques that show men as brave, adventurous, strong, and able to think clearly.

Historically, Solo's ads focused on traditional ideas of masculinity. The Solo Man's tough image, doing extreme sports, showed this. These ads often showed men being alert, standing tall, gripping things tightly, and being physically active. Solo has continued this style of advertising through different extreme sports adventures.

Solo's marketing mainly focuses on men in Australia. This might be because, between 2017 and 2018, men in Australia were twice as likely to drink a soft drink every day compared to women.

However, since 2018, Solo's "Thirst Worthy Effort" campaign has changed. It rethinks what it means to be a Solo Man. The ads now show the Solo Man doing more everyday things. For example, he builds furniture or makes costumes for a school play. This shows Solo adapting to how society's ideas about gender are changing.

Solo's Competitors

In Australia, Solo competes with many other soft drinks. These drinks offer different flavours and prices. In 2020, Asahi Holdings, which owns Solo, had 15.4% of the Australian soft drink market. Coca-Cola Amatil Limited had the biggest share, with 39.8% of the market. Solo mainly competes with brands owned by Coca-Cola Amatil Limited. These include Coca-Cola, Fanta, Sprite, and Kirks. Smaller brands also compete with Solo. These include drinks from Tru Blu Beverages, like Pub Squash, Pips, and Vida. They have about 4–5% of the market. Bundaberg Brewed Drinks Pty Ltd has about 3–4% of the market.

Solo in Other Countries

Cadbury Schweppes sold a similar lemon-lime drink called Rondo in the United States. This was during the late 1970s and 1980s.

Cadbury-Schweppes also sold an energy drink in the U.S. called Coolah Energy. It was inspired by the Australian Solo. Like Solo, it had lemon flavour. It also contained caffeine. Its slogan was "Energy from Down Under." It also listed boronia as an ingredient. Boronia is an Australian plant known more for its flowers than its fruit. Coolah Energy is no longer sold.

Solo's Ingredients

What's in Solo?

Here are the main things you'll find in Solo:

• Fizzy water (carbonated water)
• Sugar
• Lemon juice (made from concentrate, about 5%)
• Food acids (like citric acid)
• Natural flavour
• A preservative (to keep it fresh)
• Natural colour (from safflower extract)

Solo's Nutrition Facts

A typical 375 mL can of Solo contains:

• 43.1 grams of sugar
• 0 grams of fat
• 0.2 grams of protein
• 68 milligrams of sodium
• It provides 750 kJ of energy.

See also

• Sprite Lemon+