Duke's Lemonade

Duke's Lemonade is a lemon based aerated drink marketed in India since 1889. The brand has a strong presence in western India. [1] Originally owned by Duke and Sons, the brand was sold to PepsiCo in 1994. Pepsico phased out most drinks under the Duke's brand in 2004, though it retained Duke's Lemonade.[2] Not only was Duke's Lemonade retained, in the same year Pepsico launched a new advertisement campaign in Mumbai to promote the brand, with a new tagline, "takatak taajgi".[3]

A giant bottle shaped tower at Duke's plant in Chembur
A Duke's Lemonade PET bottle

Duke's Lemonade was once a favorite in Irani cafés.[4] It is also used as a mixer with alcohol based drinks.[5] In an interview in 2008, Ramesh Chauhan of Parle said that he had approached the owners of Duke's Lemonade, requesting them to share the formula for the drink with the promise not to market it in India, which was turned down. Chauhan decided to come up with his own formula, which he launched under the Limca brand in 1977.[6]

Controversies

An investigation by The Financial Express in 2005 revealed that a sealed bottle of Duke's Lemonade contained a hair clip. Pepsico issued a statement stating that glass bottles go through an air wash system and are physically checked before reuse. The company attributed the incident to the possibility of the object being stuck to the bottom of the bottle, making it difficult to detect.[7] In 2006, Indian authorities tested leading cola brands, including Duke's Lemonade and found that they contained high level of pesticides.[8]

References
  1. Advani, A.H. (1989). Business India (291–299): 94. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  2. "The Duke Returns". The Indian Express. 4 December 2011. Retrieved 21 February 2012.
  3. "Pepsi peps up Dukes Lemonade ad campaign". The Hindu Business Line. 21 April 2004. Retrieved 21 February 2012.
  4. Yoo, David (1999). New spiritual homes: religion and Asian Americans. University of Hawaii Press. p. 240. ISBN 0-8248-2072-X.
  5. King, Niloufer Ichaporia (2007). My Bombay kitchen: traditional and modern Parsi home cooking. University of California Press. p. 270. ISBN 978-0-520-24960-8.
  6. "Coca-Cola is neglecting beautiful Limca". Daily News and Analysis. 26 June 2008. Retrieved 21 February 2012.
  7. "Freebies of an unexpected kind". The Financial Express. 2 July 2005. Retrieved 21 February 2012.
  8. Fernando, A. C. (2009). Business Ethics: An Indian Perspective. Pearson Education India. pp. 5–23. ISBN 978-81-317-1173-6.
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