Irfan Amin Patwary, Jahangirnagar University, Bangladesh
If you are asked to name some soft drinks, Fanta is definitely the name that comes to mind along with Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Seven Up etc. Fanta is one of the most popular soft drinks nowadays. Although it is a soft drink, the stories behind its invention are not soft at all. The bloody history of World War II is connected with it. It even has connections with the Nazi forces.
It is a product under Coca-Cola, the world’s number one soft drink. For this reason, when talking about Fanta, the topic of Coca-Cola will naturally come with it. Therefore, to know the history of the invention of Fanta, it is necessary to briefly know the history of Coca-Cola. Because Fanta and Coca-Cola are closely related to each other.
In 1886, John Pemberton, an American pharmacist from Atlanta, invented Coca-Cola. It was then sold by the glass at a local pharmacy in Atlanta for five cents. He was a soldier in the American Civil War. It was developed as an alternative to the painkiller morphine. When he died, Coca-Cola’s successor, Asha Candler, spread it across America. It is then bottled and exported to America. In 1929, Coca-Cola started business in Germany under the name ‘Coca-cola GmbH’.
Coca-Cola’s success in Germany skyrocketed. Between 1933 and 1939, up to 4.5 million cases of Coca-Cola were sold each year. Within 10 years, Coca-Cola had 43 bottling factories and 600 distributors in Germany. Germany became Coca-Cola’s second largest market after America. And the one who contributed behind all this is Max Keith of German origin. He is the main contributor behind the invention of today’s Fanta. He introduced Coca-Cola to the people of Germany through a massive campaign.
Meanwhile, in 1933, Nazi leader Adolf Hitler came to power in Germany. Coca-Cola sponsored the Berlin Olympics in 1936 during Hitler’s regime. As Germany won a maximum of 33 golds, the Coca-Cola banner spread across the country, further enhancing Keith’s reputation in the company. In 1938, when American Ray Power, who was in charge of Coca-Cola’s German head, died in an automobile accident, his right-hand man Max Keith took over the charge. He had to be very careful while promoting the company. Everything was campaigned in German as their own. He explained to the government that he is only doing business by borrowing formula and money from Americans, Americans are not doing business here.
In 1939, Hitler started World War II. Because of the war and the government’s new import regulations, Coca-Cola’s raw materials came from America. But the business of Coca-Cola did not stop. They continued to distribute Coca-Cola to German occupied countries as well as supplying drinks to the troops.
But in 1941 America got involved in the war itself. Then America became the enemy of Germany. Being embroiled in war meant that trade between the two countries was also restricted. Keith was then afraid that he might have to go to jail for being a director of an American company. And his company may be taken over by the government, which was led by two famous American companies, General Motors and IBM. On the other hand, Keith’s communication with Coca-Cola’s headquarters in Atlanta was also cut off. The arrival of raw materials from America also stopped.
Keith had only one option open to him – to join the Nazi forces. Fortunately, Justice Minister Franz Gartner was his friend. Through him he took responsibility for maintaining the assets of the enemy. In this way, in addition to his own country, he also understood the charge of Coca-Cola factories in France, Netherlands, Belgium and Norway occupied by Germany.
But all those factories and workers would be worthless if there was nothing to produce. Because he is separated from America, the original source of Coca-Cola. He fears that his company will be taken over by the government. He then consults with chemists to come up with an alternative drink. They tried to make a new drink with leftovers from other food factories, such as apple pulp, leftover milk after making cheese, and sometimes grapes. In Kite’s words, it was “the rest of the rest of food”.
Employees were asked to use their imaginations to come up with a name for the new drink, which is called ‘fantasy’ in German. Then Joe Nipp, an experienced salesman of keith’s, called it ‘Fanta’ for short. From then on, this drink became known as Fanta. Since there was no alternative drink then its sales started to increase. 3 million Fantas were sold in 1943. It was not only used as a drink. It was also used to sweeten soups due to its high sugar content. Meanwhile, America knew nothing of this as there was no communication with Atlanta.
Meanwhile, the condition of the German forces in the war became deplorable. German cities were being bombed every day. All of Keith’s factories throughout Germany were bombed. His headquarters were completely razed to the ground. When the Nazi government collapsed in January 1945, it began killing spies across the country. The judiciary was no longer on Keith’s side. Then Keith’s friend dies and is replaced by a new minister, Roland Fraser. He summoned Keith and pressured him to change the name of Coca-Cola. At the same time the process of nationalization of Coca-Cola was started.
Fortunately, the Justice Department’s office was bombed the very next week and Fraser died. Keith then continued to manufacture fanta’s in the destroyed factories. Three months later, in May 1945, the Americans invaded Germany and found Keith in a ruined factory. Keith then telegraphed America that Coca-Cola was still active in Germany.
Then there is a doubt about whether Keith is a member of the Nazi army or not. But investigation revealed that although Keith had good relations with the Nazis, he was not directly involved with the Nazi forces. He was pressured to join the Nazi forces, but he refused. Besides, he could have become a big businessman by selling Fanta under himself. But he did not do that and kept the Coca-Cola factories in Germany running and because of this many workers at Coca-Cola were able to survive during the horrors of the war. After the war, he welcomed the Coca-Cola Company and explained the dividends received from Fanta.
Immediately after the end of the war, production of Coca-Cola resumed in Germany. For these reasons, Max Keith became a hero to Americans. Americans continued to praise his contribution. In recognition of his contribution, he was appointed President of Coca-Cola Europe. Meanwhile, with the end of the World War, the sale of Fanta was also stopped. But that was a temporary break.
Through proper research and proper planning, Fanta sales started again in 1955 with orange flavor. It started only in Italy but gradually it spread worldwide. It was launched in America in 1958. Currently, its 70 different flavors are sold in more than 190 countries worldwide. It also has different names depending on the country. For example, in Panama it is called ‘Kist’.
There are many controversies and myths about the invention of Fanta. Many believe that Fanta was invented by the Nazis. Many people say that, Max Keith was a Nazi supporter. Because if he was not a Nazi himself, he could not have continued business like this at that time. But everyone prefers to see him as a corporate figure, who was on good terms with both the enemy and the Nazi government at the same time. Many people believe that if Germany wins the war, he will become the head of the entire Coca-Cola company, hoping to keep Coca-Cola going. If he did that, his hope was partially fulfilled.
Whether these arguments are true or false is left to history. There is no doubt that the invention of the soft drink fanta is an amazing event.