The rebranding of Lilt to Fanta Pineapple and Grapefruit due to ‘cultural appropriation’ has sparked concern among its fans. However, the name change could also raise concerns about the Nazi origins of the Fanta name.
Coca Cola was exported to Germany in the 1920s and 1930s, and the soft drink grew popular during Weimar Germany. Imports continued in 1933 when Adolf Hitler became Chancellor, but the trade embargo launched in September 1939 made it increasingly difficult for the German branch of Coca Cola to source the syrup used in its manufacture.
As a result, the local subsidiary under Max Keith created a new brand called Fanta. The name is derived from the German word for fantastic, ‘fantastisch’.
Fanta was developed using available ingredients, with the company’s chemists facing restrictions due to the war. The scientists used by-products from the food industry such as left-over apple cores from the cider industry, and whey, which is a by-product of cheese-making, to create a new carbonated drink.
In 2020, an academic paper examined the history of Fanta in Nazi Germany, exploring ethical dilemmas about promoting a drink with a sinister past. The question of rebranding Fanta was raised, given that it was not only created but also thrived in Nazi Germany during a time when the US was at war with Germany.
In 2015, Fanta’s parent company Coca-Cola celebrated 75 years of the brand in Germany, but their marketing campaign failed to acknowledge that Adolf Hitler was Germany’s leader at the time the company was founded, and ignored the horrific human rights abuses perpetrated by his regime. Shortly after the campaign was broadcast, Coca-Cola was inundated with complaints and was forced to pull the advertising.
»Nazis invented Fanta for German troops during WWII«
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