Vimto
Encyclopedia
Vimto is a soft drink
originating from the United Kingdom
. It was first manufactured as a health tonic in cordial
form, then decades later as a carbonated drink. It contains the juice of grape
s, raspberries
and blackcurrant
s (in a 3% concentration), flavoured with herbs and spices. The original recipe was invented in 1908 by (John) Noel Nichols.
Vimto has also been made into a sweet
and an ice lolly
. It is available both as 'packaged goods' - i.e., in cans and bottles via retail outlets—or as a dispensed soft drink—i.e., a draught drink in pubs, clubs and restaurants.
, by (John) Noel Nichols (1883–1966), a wholesaler of herbs, spices and medicines. He saw the market opening for soft drinks due to the temperance movement
and the passage of the 1908 Licensing Act. It was originally sold under the name Vim Tonic, which Nichols shortened to Vimto in 1912. Vimto was originally registered as a health tonic or medicine, which was then re-registered in 1913 as a cordial
.
During the 1990s, Vimto print advertisements used the popular character Purple Ronnie, along with slightly rude poems by Giles Andreae
, the creator of Purple Ronnie. In 2003, Purple Ronnie was dropped, and a new creative direction was adopted, revolving around the benefits of Shlurpling the Purple. This, in turn, led to the launch in 2006 of Billy and his Dad's Pants - a modern-day morality
story in which, despite turning up at the swimming pool with his Dad's pants in the middle of his roll, Billy wins out with ingenuity and humour. The theme tune 'Dad's Pants' become something of a cult classic, and was based on the Loudon Wainwright III
song, "Dead Skunk in the Middle of the Road".
A sculpture entitled "A Monument to Vimto" (1992), carved out of an oak tree from a sustainable forest by Kerry Morrison, is situated on Granby Row in central Manchester
. The sculpture commemorates the fact that Vimto was originally produced on this site.
. Nichols moved out of manufacturing in 2003 when it closed its final production site in Golborne
. Vimto has acquired cult status amongst its consumers, and celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2008. Vimto is also manufactured under licence in Saudi Arabia
in Dammam City and Yemen
. A Sunday Time article claims that it is considered to be the most popular drink during the holy month of Ramadan
in some Arab countries.
The drink was also made under licence in the United Kingdom
by A.G. Barr in 1996.
, Cabana is the distribution arm of the company, and operates via a UK-wide network of distributors that are, in the main, independent. In Scotland and Sussex, the distributor is a wholly owned subsidiary of Cabana: (Scotland
- Cariel, and Sussex
- Beacon Drinks). Vimto is currently available in sixty-five countries and the number of countries in which it is on sale is growing.
Both a still, dilutable version
("Vimto Cordial") and a carbonated premixed version ("Fizzy Vimto") are available in the UK. While Vimto has its origins in Northern England
, it is increasingly growing in popularity, and can now be found nationally and internationally. The Cordial version is more widely sold, and is available in concentrate and ready-to-drink varieties.
As with many other soft drinks, sugar-free varieties are available.
Vimto is also available in a slush
variety alongside many other different Vimto confectionery products, such as Vimto bars, lollipops, Rip Rolls and candy sprays.
Vimto is also available in a summer flavour, containing ingredients such as orange
("Who put Oranges in my Vimto?") and apple
("Who put apples in my Vimto?") both of which are cordial
products. Vimto was the UK's fastest growing soft drinks brand by value in 2006 (as measured by ACNielsen
).
A cocktail
known as the Cheeky Vimto
or "Crazy Vimto" is also drunk in the UK. However, Vimto is not an ingredient of this beverage; instead, it contains port
and Blue WKD
. There is also a variant of this cocktail called "Dirty Vimto" that replaces the port with Buckfast Tonic Wine
.
Vimto is also often made as a hot beverage by simply adding boiling water to the concentrate, and is very popular in this form throughout the North of England.
A cherry-flavoured Vimto (named "Cherry Vimto") has been introduced in the UK. This has now also been joined by a strawberry-flavoured Vimto ("Strawberry Vimto")
The song was originally written by comedian John Warburton (based on the tune of "Dead Skunk
" by Loudon Wainwright III
) after executives from Cheetham Bell JWT saw him performing musical comedy at a club in Manchester
. The song was sung by Manchester soul singer Matt Wolff.
, although originally created by Jo Dobbs. The figure is now used on greetings cards.
commemorated the 100th anniversary of the fruit drink.
raspberry, grape and blackcurrant characters engaging in various activities which inevitably ends up with them being 'splatted', thus becoming the drink.
The character voices are performed by UK voiceover artist Christopher Finney.
, Vimto has enjoyed over 80 years of dominance as the beverage of choice for the iftar
or sunset feast during the Islam
ic holy fasting month of Ramadan
. An article in The Times on-line mentioned some 15 million bottles were sold during the one month season in 2007.
In Saudi Arabia
Vimto is manufactured under license by the Aujan Industrial Company and enjoys a 90% market share in the cordial concentrated drinks market. Every year, the company launches aggressive marketing campaigns on Arab satellite TV channels that in recent years have become very popular, and achieved cult status with viral marketing
videos exchanged on the Internet.
Soft drink
A soft drink is a non-alcoholic beverage that typically contains water , a sweetener, and a flavoring agent...
originating from the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. It was first manufactured as a health tonic in cordial
Squash (drink)
Squash is a non-alcoholic concentrated syrup that is usually fruit-flavoured and usually made from fruit juice, water, and sugar or a sugar substitute. Modern squashes may also contain food colouring and additional flavouring...
form, then decades later as a carbonated drink. It contains the juice of grape
Grape
A grape is a non-climacteric fruit, specifically a berry, that grows on the perennial and deciduous woody vines of the genus Vitis. Grapes can be eaten raw or they can be used for making jam, juice, jelly, vinegar, wine, grape seed extracts, raisins, molasses and grape seed oil. Grapes are also...
s, raspberries
Raspberry
The raspberry or hindberry is the edible fruit of a multitude of plant species in the genus Rubus, most of which are in the subgenus Idaeobatus; the name also applies to these plants themselves...
and blackcurrant
Blackcurrant
Blackcurrant, Ribes nigrum, is a species of Ribes berry native to central and northern Europe and northern Asia, and is a perennial....
s (in a 3% concentration), flavoured with herbs and spices. The original recipe was invented in 1908 by (John) Noel Nichols.
Vimto has also been made into a sweet
Confectionery
Confectionery is the set of food items that are rich in sugar, any one or type of which is called a confection. Modern usage may include substances rich in artificial sweeteners as well...
and an ice lolly
Ice pop
An ice pop, also referred to in the United States as a popsicle, and in the United Kingdom as an ice lolly, lolly ice or ice lollipop, is a frozen, water-based dessert. It is made by freezing flavored liquid around a stick. Often, the juice is colored artificially...
. It is available both as 'packaged goods' - i.e., in cans and bottles via retail outlets—or as a dispensed soft drink—i.e., a draught drink in pubs, clubs and restaurants.
History
Vimto was created in 1908 in a warehouse at 49 Granby Row, Manchester EnglandEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, by (John) Noel Nichols (1883–1966), a wholesaler of herbs, spices and medicines. He saw the market opening for soft drinks due to the temperance movement
Temperance movement
A temperance movement is a social movement urging reduced use of alcoholic beverages. Temperance movements may criticize excessive alcohol use, promote complete abstinence , or pressure the government to enact anti-alcohol legislation or complete prohibition of alcohol.-Temperance movement by...
and the passage of the 1908 Licensing Act. It was originally sold under the name Vim Tonic, which Nichols shortened to Vimto in 1912. Vimto was originally registered as a health tonic or medicine, which was then re-registered in 1913 as a cordial
Squash (drink)
Squash is a non-alcoholic concentrated syrup that is usually fruit-flavoured and usually made from fruit juice, water, and sugar or a sugar substitute. Modern squashes may also contain food colouring and additional flavouring...
.
During the 1990s, Vimto print advertisements used the popular character Purple Ronnie, along with slightly rude poems by Giles Andreae
Giles Andreae
Giles Andreae is a British poet, creator of the personae "Purple Ronnie" and "Edward Monkton". He is an artist and greeting card writer.-Life:...
, the creator of Purple Ronnie. In 2003, Purple Ronnie was dropped, and a new creative direction was adopted, revolving around the benefits of Shlurpling the Purple. This, in turn, led to the launch in 2006 of Billy and his Dad's Pants - a modern-day morality
Morality
Morality is the differentiation among intentions, decisions, and actions between those that are good and bad . A moral code is a system of morality and a moral is any one practice or teaching within a moral code...
story in which, despite turning up at the swimming pool with his Dad's pants in the middle of his roll, Billy wins out with ingenuity and humour. The theme tune 'Dad's Pants' become something of a cult classic, and was based on the Loudon Wainwright III
Loudon Wainwright III
Loudon Snowden Wainwright III is a Grammy Award-winning American songwriter, folk singer, humorist, and actor. He is the father of musicians Rufus Wainwright, Martha Wainwright and Lucy Wainwright Roche, brother of Sloan Wainwright, and the former husband of the late folk singer Kate McGarrigle.To...
song, "Dead Skunk in the Middle of the Road".
A sculpture entitled "A Monument to Vimto" (1992), carved out of an oak tree from a sustainable forest by Kerry Morrison, is situated on Granby Row in central Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
. The sculpture commemorates the fact that Vimto was originally produced on this site.
Manufacture
Vimto is currently produced by Cott Beverages in both Derbyshire and Yorkshire on behalf of Vimto Soft Drinks, a division of Nichols plcNichols plc
Nichols plc, based in Newton-le-Willows, Merseyside, England, is a company well known for its lead brand Vimto, a fruit flavoured cordial. The company can trace its roots back to the invention of Vimto, by John Noel Nichols in 1908...
. Nichols moved out of manufacturing in 2003 when it closed its final production site in Golborne
Golborne
Golborne is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, in Greater Manchester, England.It lies south-southeast of Wigan, northeast of Warrington and to the west of the city of Manchester. It has a population of 23,119....
. Vimto has acquired cult status amongst its consumers, and celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2008. Vimto is also manufactured under licence in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
in Dammam City and Yemen
Yemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
. A Sunday Time article claims that it is considered to be the most popular drink during the holy month of Ramadan
Ramadan
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, which lasts 29 or 30 days. It is the Islamic month of fasting, in which participating Muslims refrain from eating, drinking, smoking and sex during daylight hours and is intended to teach Muslims about patience, spirituality, humility and...
in some Arab countries.
The drink was also made under licence in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
by A.G. Barr in 1996.
Company
A subsidiary of Nichols plcNichols plc
Nichols plc, based in Newton-le-Willows, Merseyside, England, is a company well known for its lead brand Vimto, a fruit flavoured cordial. The company can trace its roots back to the invention of Vimto, by John Noel Nichols in 1908...
, Cabana is the distribution arm of the company, and operates via a UK-wide network of distributors that are, in the main, independent. In Scotland and Sussex, the distributor is a wholly owned subsidiary of Cabana: (Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
- Cariel, and Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
- Beacon Drinks). Vimto is currently available in sixty-five countries and the number of countries in which it is on sale is growing.
Variations
Squash (drink)
Squash is a non-alcoholic concentrated syrup that is usually fruit-flavoured and usually made from fruit juice, water, and sugar or a sugar substitute. Modern squashes may also contain food colouring and additional flavouring...
("Vimto Cordial") and a carbonated premixed version ("Fizzy Vimto") are available in the UK. While Vimto has its origins in Northern England
Northern England
Northern England, also known as the North of England, the North or the North Country, is a cultural region of England. It is not an official government region, but rather an informal amalgamation of counties. The southern extent of the region is roughly the River Trent, while the North is bordered...
, it is increasingly growing in popularity, and can now be found nationally and internationally. The Cordial version is more widely sold, and is available in concentrate and ready-to-drink varieties.
As with many other soft drinks, sugar-free varieties are available.
Vimto is also available in a slush
Slush (beverage)
A slush is a flavored frozen drink.There are a number of different kinds of slush drinks:* Frozen carbonated beverages, typified by the Slurpee or ICEE, are made by freezing a carbonated drink. These machines are complicated and expensive, and notably require a carbon dioxide supply...
variety alongside many other different Vimto confectionery products, such as Vimto bars, lollipops, Rip Rolls and candy sprays.
Vimto is also available in a summer flavour, containing ingredients such as orange
Orange (fruit)
An orange—specifically, the sweet orange—is the citrus Citrus × sinensis and its fruit. It is the most commonly grown tree fruit in the world....
("Who put Oranges in my Vimto?") and apple
Apple
The apple is the pomaceous fruit of the apple tree, species Malus domestica in the rose family . It is one of the most widely cultivated tree fruits, and the most widely known of the many members of genus Malus that are used by humans. Apple grow on small, deciduous trees that blossom in the spring...
("Who put apples in my Vimto?") both of which are cordial
Squash (drink)
Squash is a non-alcoholic concentrated syrup that is usually fruit-flavoured and usually made from fruit juice, water, and sugar or a sugar substitute. Modern squashes may also contain food colouring and additional flavouring...
products. Vimto was the UK's fastest growing soft drinks brand by value in 2006 (as measured by ACNielsen
ACNielsen
ACNielsen is a global marketing research firm, with worldwide headquarters in New York City. Regional headquarters for North America are located in Schaumburg, Illinois. As of May 2010, it is part of The Nielsen Company.-History:...
).
A cocktail
Cocktail
A cocktail is an alcoholic mixed drink that contains two or more ingredients—at least one of the ingredients must be a spirit.Cocktails were originally a mixture of spirits, sugar, water, and bitters. The word has come to mean almost any mixed drink that contains alcohol...
known as the Cheeky Vimto
Cheeky Vimto
Cheeky Vimto is an alcoholic cocktail. Primarily drunk in nightclubs rather than bars, the "Cheeky Vimto" is a popular drink among Britain's younger population.-Ingredients:...
or "Crazy Vimto" is also drunk in the UK. However, Vimto is not an ingredient of this beverage; instead, it contains port
Port wine
Port wine is a Portuguese fortified wine produced exclusively in the Douro Valley in the northern provinces of Portugal. It is typically a sweet, red wine, often served as a dessert wine, and comes in dry, semi-dry, and white varieties...
and Blue WKD
WKD Original Vodka
WKD Original Vodka is a brand of alcopop produced by Beverage Brands. It is sold and heavily marketed in the United Kingdom with the slogan ‘Have you got a WKD side?’ , and also in many countries in mainland Europe. AC Nielsen ranked it as the number-one UK ready-to-drink brand in 2006.-Product...
. There is also a variant of this cocktail called "Dirty Vimto" that replaces the port with Buckfast Tonic Wine
Buckfast Tonic Wine
Buckfast Tonic Wine, commonly known as Buckfast or Buckie or Tonic , is a fortified wine licensed by Buckfast Abbey in Devon, south west England. It is distributed by J...
.
Vimto is also often made as a hot beverage by simply adding boiling water to the concentrate, and is very popular in this form throughout the North of England.
A cherry-flavoured Vimto (named "Cherry Vimto") has been introduced in the UK. This has now also been joined by a strawberry-flavoured Vimto ("Strawberry Vimto")
Dad's Pants
The "Dad's Pants" television commercials featured a school boy who mistakenly took his dad's underwear to a swimming lesson.The song was originally written by comedian John Warburton (based on the tune of "Dead Skunk
Dead Skunk
"Dead Skunk" is a 1973 novelty song by Loudon Wainwright III.The song is musically a simple folk song based on acoustic guitar, but accompanied by drums and strings. The lyrics, which literally interpreted describe a dead skunk in the middle of a busy road and the smell it produces for pedestrians,...
" by Loudon Wainwright III
Loudon Wainwright III
Loudon Snowden Wainwright III is a Grammy Award-winning American songwriter, folk singer, humorist, and actor. He is the father of musicians Rufus Wainwright, Martha Wainwright and Lucy Wainwright Roche, brother of Sloan Wainwright, and the former husband of the late folk singer Kate McGarrigle.To...
) after executives from Cheetham Bell JWT saw him performing musical comedy at a club in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
. The song was sung by Manchester soul singer Matt Wolff.
Purple Ronnie
Purple Ronnie was a crudely-drawn stick figure cartoon character designed by Giles AndreaeGiles Andreae
Giles Andreae is a British poet, creator of the personae "Purple Ronnie" and "Edward Monkton". He is an artist and greeting card writer.-Life:...
, although originally created by Jo Dobbs. The figure is now used on greetings cards.
Vimto Cluedo
A specialist game of CluedoCluedo
Cluedo is a popular murder/mystery-themed deduction board game originally published by Waddingtons in Leeds, England in 1949. It was devised by Anthony E. Pratt, a solicitor's clerk from Birmingham, England. It is now published by the United States game and toy company Hasbro, which acquired its U.S...
commemorated the 100th anniversary of the fruit drink.
Shlurple the Purple
These advertisements, aired in 2005 featured a person drinking Vimto to find a strange thing happens to them (like a man's head shrinking or another man's ears stretch out). The same slogan is featured at the end of 'Dad's Pants'.Seriously Mixed Up Fruit
Seriously Mixed Up Fruit is the new strapline for Vimto and replaced Shlurple the Purple in 2009. This campaign features anthropomorphisedAnthropomorphism
Anthropomorphism is any attribution of human characteristics to animals, non-living things, phenomena, material states, objects or abstract concepts, such as organizations, governments, spirits or deities. The term was coined in the mid 1700s...
raspberry, grape and blackcurrant characters engaging in various activities which inevitably ends up with them being 'splatted', thus becoming the drink.
The character voices are performed by UK voiceover artist Christopher Finney.
Foreign markets
In the Arabian PeninsulaArabian Peninsula
The Arabian Peninsula is a land mass situated north-east of Africa. Also known as Arabia or the Arabian subcontinent, it is the world's largest peninsula and covers 3,237,500 km2...
, Vimto has enjoyed over 80 years of dominance as the beverage of choice for the iftar
Iftar
Iftar , refers to the evening meal when Muslims break their fast during the Islamic month of Ramadan. Iftar is one of the religious observances of Ramadan and is often done as a community, with people gathering to break their fast together. Iftar is done right after Maghrib time...
or sunset feast during the Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
ic holy fasting month of Ramadan
Ramadan
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, which lasts 29 or 30 days. It is the Islamic month of fasting, in which participating Muslims refrain from eating, drinking, smoking and sex during daylight hours and is intended to teach Muslims about patience, spirituality, humility and...
. An article in The Times on-line mentioned some 15 million bottles were sold during the one month season in 2007.
In Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
Vimto is manufactured under license by the Aujan Industrial Company and enjoys a 90% market share in the cordial concentrated drinks market. Every year, the company launches aggressive marketing campaigns on Arab satellite TV channels that in recent years have become very popular, and achieved cult status with viral marketing
Viral marketing
Viral marketing, viral advertising, or marketing buzz are buzzwords referring to marketing techniques that use pre-existing social networks to produce increases in brand awareness or to achieve other marketing objectives through self-replicating viral processes, analogous to the spread of viruses...
videos exchanged on the Internet.