Tango (drink) facts for kids
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| Type | Carbonated soft drink |
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| Manufacturer | Corona Britvic (since 1987) |
| Country of origin | Wales |
| Introduced | 1950 |
| Variants | Tango Ice Blast (Slush), and multiple flavours |
Tango is a fizzy drink that started in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It was first made by a company called Corona in 1950. Later, in 1987, another company called Britvic took over making Tango.
Today, you can find Tango in many flavors like Orange, Apple, Strawberry and Watermelon, and Tropical. There's also a frozen version called "Tango Ice Blast." Tango is famous in the United Kingdom for its TV commercials, especially those from the 1990s.
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Tango's Fun Advertisements
Tango is well-known for its creative and sometimes surprising advertisements. In the late 1980s, ads started using a style called surrealism, which means they showed things that were dream-like or unusual.
The Famous "Orange Man" Ad
In 1992, Tango launched a very famous ad campaign with the slogan "You know when you've been Tango'd." The first ad, called Orange Man, showed a person drinking Tango. Then, a large man painted orange would suddenly slap them.
This ad became very popular, but it also caused problems. Some children started "Tangoing" each other in playgrounds, which meant slapping them. There were reports of kids getting hurt. Because of this, Tango quickly changed the ad. The new version showed the orange man kissing the person instead of slapping them.
Even with the controversy, the original "Orange Man" ad was voted one of the "100 Greatest Adverts" in a 2000 poll.
Other Memorable Tango Ads
Most Tango ads after the "Orange Man" avoided showing violence. However, a few still caused a stir. In 2004, an ad called "Pipes" showed a man rolling down a hill with concrete pipes, and it was banned. Another ad from 1997, "Vote Orange Now," brought back the orange man who slapped the main character several times.
In 2000, an ad from 1998 featuring a young James Corden was banned. It showed him being bullied for not drinking Tango, and people felt it encouraged bullying. The company replaced it with a simple ad saying, Drink Tango: It's Nice.
Tango has also used other fun ways to advertise. In 1996, they gave away an "Apple Tango Calendar" with a newspaper. In 2003, they had a "Big Drench Tour" with a giant apple filled with water. People could stand under it and play a game to win prizes.
Some Tango ads have even shown phone numbers for viewers to call. These numbers usually flashed on screen very quickly. Many ads also offered prizes you could send away for, like a rubber doll or a "Tango Horn."
Tango has also sponsored TV shows like The Word and music events like the Underage Festival. Old slogans for Tango include "You Taste the Tang in Tango Every Sparkling Sip You Take" from the 1960s and "The Whole Fruit" from the late 1980s.
Tango's Look: Logos and Packaging
Over the years, Tango's cans and bottles have changed their look many times.
Early Designs
When Britvic bought Tango in 1987, the first packaging had the word 'Tango' inside a circle with an orange background. In 1989, the cans changed from steel to recyclable aluminum. The word 'Tango' was then placed inside an oval, with sliced oranges in the background. You could often see stickers of this design in shop windows.
In 1992, the packaging changed again. The 'Tango' logo was shown on the fruit the drink was flavored with, against a black background. The flavor name was at the bottom of the can.
Modern Designs
In 1996, Tango packaging changed once more. The words 'Tango' and the flavor were written on something that looked like the drink itself, for example, an orange explosion for Tango Orange. Small changes were made in 1997 to add more detail.
In 2002, the logo got a new, more 3D look. This design was used until 2007, though Tango Ice Blast still uses it. Diet Tango Orange products from this time had a grey background instead of black.
A simpler design came out in 2007, with the 'Tango' logo on top of a carved fruit, and the flavor written in small letters. This design didn't help sales much. In 2009, new packaging came out with mashed-up fruit images and graffiti-style writing. This design actually helped sales go up!
Special Packaging
For special limited edition Tango flavors, unique packaging has been created. For example, the 'Tango Talk' version of Orange and Apple Tango had a mobile phone on the can. Larger cans of Tango Orange in 2009, called "Tango with Added Tango Orange," showed more oranges in the background.
The short-lived Tango Strange Soda had a "strange" fruit with a face on its label. In 2010, a large can called "Tango Orange Sound System: Official Can" had speakers on it instead of fruit.
In 2000, smaller 250ml bottles of Tango were introduced. This was part of a big campaign to market drinks that could fit into children's lunch boxes.
Tango Flavors and Varieties
Besides orange, Tango has been sold in many different flavors. Tango Lemon was first introduced in the 1950s. Later flavors included apple in the 1980s, and blackcurrant and cherry in the 1990s.
Diet Tango products were released in the 1990s, later called "Tango No Added Sugar." While some varieties are still sold, many have been stopped. Tango Clear was also available for a short time. Orange is the original and most important flavor of the brand.
Tango has also made other products, like two different chocolate bars and chewy ball sweets.
Product Recalls
Tango has had two product recalls in its history. In 1994, over a million bottles of Still Tango were recalled because the drink was fermenting (going bad) on the shelves. It wasn't sold again until 1995. Then, in 2005, over 100,000 cans of Tango Cherry and Tango Fruit Fling were recalled because there were worries they might explode due to an ingredient.
Other Tango Products
In 2011, Turbo Tango was launched as the "first aerosol drink." In 2000, Tango introduced a flavored Crunchie chocolate bar. In 2011, several flavors of Chew Stick and Chewy Bonbons were released. In 2013, Tango even launched a branded shower gel and hand soap.
Blackcurrant Tango
Blackcurrant Tango was launched in 1996. It's famous for its award-winning TV commercial from 1997, called St George. This drink was brought back in August 2011 as a special flavor for the supermarket Asda. Since 2012, other stores also sell it.
The "St. George" ad for Blackcurrant Tango showed a customer service worker named Ray Gardner. He was responding to a complaint letter from a French student about the flavor. Ray Gardner got more and more excited, taking off his suit to show purple boxing shorts. He walked out of his office and building, joined by a crowd waving flags, and entered a boxing ring.
The boxing ring was shown on the edge of the White Cliffs of Dover. Ray Gardner shouted, "Come on France, Europe, the world. I'll take you all on! I'm Ray Gardner. I drink Blackcurrant Tango. Come and get me!" Three Harrier jets with purple lights hovered in the background. This ad was praised for its amazing digital editing. Ray Gardner even won an award for his performance.
Current Flavors
- Orange
- Apple
- Blue Raspberry
- Strawberry & Watermelon
- Dark Berry
- Wild Cherry
Limited Editions
- Peach & Pomegranate (2019)
- Sour Watermelon (2018)
- Dark Cherry (2015-2016) (released around the time of the movie The Last Jedi)
- Berry Peachy (Tango Editions)
Summer Flavor Festival (2015)
- Citrus
- Tropical
- Strawberry & Kiwi
Summer Flavor Festival (2016)
- Pina Coco'lada
- Lemon Fizz
- Pineapple
- Punchy Peach and Passionfruit
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See also
In Spanish: Tango (bebida) para niños
