Tizer facts for kids
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| Type | Carbonated soft drink |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | A.G. Barr plc (since 1972) |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Introduced | 1924 |
| Colour | Red |
| Related products | Vimto Tango Fanta |
Tizer is a popular red-orange, citrus-flavored fizzy drink. It is bottled and sold in the UK. The name "Tizer" comes from its original name, "Pickup's Appetiser." Fred and Tom Pickup first launched the drink in 1924 in Birtle, Bury.
Contents
History of Tizer
After the Pickup brothers passed away, the Armour Trust owned Tizer for a while. Then, in 1972, a Scottish drinks company called A.G. Barr plc bought it for £2.5 million. Like Barr's other famous drink, Irn-Bru, Tizer's exact recipe is a secret. However, you can find a list of ingredients and nutrition facts on the packaging.
Changes to Tizer's Recipe and Look
In 2003, Tizer tried selling new flavors like "Purple" and "Green." There was also a short-lived "fruitz" version in 2004. From 1996 to 2007, the Tizer logo was styled as T!zer.
In 2007, the company stopped using its "Ed the Head" mascot. Tizer was relaunched with the slogan "Original Great Taste." This new version had fewer additives and no E numbers (which are codes for food additives). It also came in classic packaging that looked like the 1976 style.
However, in 2009, the recipe changed back. It removed the real fruit juice and brought back artificial flavors, colors, and sweeteners. In 2011, Tizer got a new logo and the slogan "The Great British Pop."
Tizer Ice: A Cool Idea
Tizer Ice was a special version of the drink launched in the late 1990s. This drink contained menthol, which made it feel cold when you drank it, even if it was at room temperature. Later, it was called "Ice by Tizer." However, it did not sell very well and was eventually taken off the market.
When it was known as Tizer Ice, its mascot was a different version of Ed the Tizer Head. Its only TV ad, shown in cinemas, featured a character called the "Iceman."
Safety Concerns with an Advertisement
In 1999, a print advertisement for Tizer Ice showed children with their faces pressed against a glass surface. The slogan was "How many kids can you get in your fridge?" This ad was criticized by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents. They felt it was inappropriate because children had sadly died after getting trapped inside refrigerators.
Tizer Diet: A Lighter Option
Tizer Diet was a low-calorie version of Tizer. It was first sold in the late 1980s as Sugar Free Tizer. It returned from 1997 to 2001 as Tizer Diet.
In 2001, an advertisement for Tizer Diet was placed at bus stops. It was a funhouse mirror that made people look thinner. This mirror had the Tizer Diet logo on it.
How Tizer Was Promoted
Tizer used many ways to promote its drink over the years.
Branding and Packaging
In 1996, Tizer changed its look. The cans and bottles got a new logo and a mascot named "Tizer Head," later called "Ed the Head." Ed was a red human head with an open top, ready for Tizer to be poured in. An actor, who was the son of Roger Moore, played Ed.
In 2001, Tizer packaged four bottles of the drink in blue lunchboxes. This idea was inspired by a similar campaign for the drink Tango in 2000.
As part of a new look in 2003, the cans turned red, and Ed the Head's expression changed to a smile. The ads showed a chef fighting a lobster and a group of gorillas and monkeys drawn in a style similar to the band Gorillaz's artwork. In 2004, Tizer ran a campaign with a red chameleon that stayed red even against different colored backgrounds. The slogan for this campaign was "No, we're not changing colour."
The "Ize" Campaign
In 1985, Tizer started a TV ad campaign on TV-am. It explored a new way of speaking called "Tize-izer" vocabulary. The ads showed people adding "ize" between parts of words. A free record, featuring the voice of impressionist Rory Bremner, was part of this campaign. This tongue-twister language became popular with children. They would use it, often confusing their parents.
BDH Advertising Campaigns
In April 1993, Tizer launched a big TV and cinema ad campaign. It was created by an agency called BDH and Partners. This campaign aimed to attract people aged 16–24, rather than just younger children. The ads were unique and aimed to become very popular.
The campaign started with eight unusual TV ads. The word "Tizer" was never said aloud. Instead, each ad used a play-on-words with words that ended in "-tizer," like "Bap-" or "Adver-." The first part of the word was shown on screen, and viewers had to add "Tizer" to understand the theme. The ads featured strange scenes, like young people dancing or bottle jugglers. The actors appeared in black and white against a bubbling red Tizer background. This "brave advertising" helped Tizer stand out from other drinks.
These ads were so popular that BDH created seven more in May 1994. These new ads were even more wild. New word parts included "stigma-" and "dogma-." The ads showed unusual characters and situations, like a beauty queen drinking Tizer and saying she was "in it for the money."
In July 1996, BDH Advertising launched another campaign for Tizer. It featured TV presenter Simon Bright and the voice of radio DJ Chris Evans. This time, the ads were aimed at children aged 5–15. The campaign used the idea of "Tiz/Tizn't." The ads compared life with Tizer ("Tiz") and without Tizer ("Tizn't"). This launch also included a competition where people could win prizes like computer equipment or music store vouchers.
Tizer Fan Club
A Tizer fan club was started in July 1991 for people in the United Kingdom. It was advertised in magazines for teenagers, like Smash Hits. It cost £3.00 to join. Members received a membership card and Tizer items like a folder, stickers, and Tizer sunglasses. The fan club stopped around 1993.
Sponsorships
In 1997, Tizer sponsored a big dance event called Rezerection/Rez. This was because the name spelled backward is "Rez It." Tizer was the main soft drink available at these events. In the same year, Tizer also sponsored The Chart Show, a Saturday morning music show on ITV in the UK.
From January 23, 1999, Tizer sponsored CD:UK. This show replaced The Chart Show in 1998.
Tizer also sponsored a roller coaster in Southport called the "Traumatizer." This ride closed with the park in 2006. It was then moved to Blackpool Pleasure Beach and renamed "Infusion."
In-Store Promotions and Prizes
Tizer is known for giving out drink fridges. They have large ones for restaurants and shops, and smaller "mini-fridges" for people to buy. From 1997 to 2003, their large, lit-up fridges were blue. From 2003 to 2007, they were red. Tizer also provides mobile can coolers for shops and vending machines.
Tizer was sold at the pizza restaurant chain, Pizzaland, which is now closed. In 1995, some Tizer cans offered a £1 discount at Pizzaland if you spent £4 or more. That same year, Tizer ran a competition with £150,000 worth of high-tech prizes. This was one of the biggest soft drink competitions at the time.
Slogans
Here are some of Tizer's past and present slogans:
- "You Can Tell It's Tizer When Your Eyes Are Shut" (1980, 1982)
- "I'se Got The Ize" (1986)
- "Refresh Your Head" (1996–2003)
- "!tz a Red Thing" (2003–2007)
- "Live the Red Life" (2004, for Ringtones site)
- "Freeze Your Head" (1998, for Tizer Ice)
- "Don't Just Taste It. Feel It" (1999, for Ice from Tizer)
- "The Great British Pop" (2011–present)
For the slogans "Refresh Your Head" and "Freeze Your Head," the letters "R," "E," and "D" in "Your Head" were highlighted to spell out the word "Red."
Different Kinds of Tizer
Over the years, Tizer has released several different versions of its drink:
- Tizer (1924–present)
- Tizer Lemon (1995–1996)
- Tizer Ice (1998–1999)
- Ice by Tizer (1999) (This was the same as Tizer Ice, just a new name)
- Diet Tizer (2001)
- Tizer Forest Fruits (2004)
- Tizer Orange (2004)
- Tizer Citrus (2004)
- Fruitz by Tizer (2004)
