Rio (British drink) explained

Rio
Manufacturer:Hall & Woodhouse
Type:Soft drink
Origin:United Kingdom
Introduced:1980s

Rio, formerly known as Rio Riva and Arriva is a British brand of soft drink made by Hall & Woodhouse.

History

The drink was created by a Dorset brewery Hall & Woodhouse in the 1980s and was originally named Arriva derived from the French ‘arriver’ which means to arrive.[1] In 1994, its name was changed to Rio Riva before being changed to simply Rio.[2] In 2013, Dragon Rouge redesigned Rio in response to research that showed consumers knew the Rio name but didn't know much about the drink itself.[3]

Rio was redesigned again in 2017 by Pearlfisher taking inspiration from Brazilian street art to target a younger demographic.[4] [5] The logo was changed as well, with the ‘O’ being turned into a sun to emphasise their slogan of "Celebrate the Sunny".[6] In June of the same year, they introduced 500ml PET bottles.[7] Brand manager Danielle Obbard said the new bottles were an integral part of their "plan for continued growth".[8]

In 2018, Rio began sponsoring racing car driver Bobby Thompson.[9] In 2021, Rio entered a partnership deal with Boost Drinks, with the company overseeing the sales, marketing and distribution of Rio.[10] [11]

In October 2023, it was announced Rio had been acquired from Hall and Woodhouse by British soft drink manufacturer, A.G. Barr for £12.3 million.[12]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Rio About. 9 October 2021. Rio. https://archive.today/20220109183616/https://www.drinkrio.com/about. 9 January 2022.
  2. Web site: Rio. 9 October 2021. CTC.
  3. Web site: A new look for soft drink Rio, by Dragon Rouge. 7 August 2013. 9 October 2021. Design Week.
  4. Web site: Summer makeover for Rio soft drinks. 17 April 2017. 9 October 2021. Talking Retail.
  5. Web site: Pearlfisher Redesigns Tropical Soft Drink Brand, 'Rio'. 9 May 2017. 9 October 2021. Logo Designer.
  6. Web site: Redesign for juice in cans, bottles. 28 April 2017. 9 October 2021. Packaging World.
  7. Web site: Going grande with Rio . 3 July 2017. 9 October 2021. Scottish Grocer.
  8. Web site: Rio reveals 500ml PET bottles. 2 June 2017. 9 October 2021. Convenience Store.
  9. Web site: Full throttle start to 2018 campaign . 2 May 2018. 9 October 2021. Scottish Grocer.
  10. Web site: 18 January 2021. Drinks producers sign exclusive distribution deal. live. 9 October 2021. thebusinessdesk.com. https://archive.today/20220108111719/https://www.thebusinessdesk.com/yorkshire/news/2068783-drinks-producers-sign-exclusive-distribution-deal. 8 January 2022.
  11. Web site: 20 January 2021. Boost Drinks secures exclusive distribution rights with Hall & Woodhouse for Rio brand. live. 30 October 2021. lovebelfast.co.uk. https://archive.today/20220108112336/https://lovebelfast.co.uk/boost-drinks-secures-exclusive-distribution-rights-with-hall-woodhouse-for-rio-brand/. 8 January 2022.
  12. Web site: 2023-10-24 . A.G. Barr Acquires Rio Soft Drinks Brand . 2023-10-25 . ESM Magazine . en.

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