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The »Punica Oasis« has dried up
Photo: Manfred Segerer / IMAGO
For decades, »Punica« was one of the best-known German food brands.
The sweet juice drinks had their heyday above all in the eighties and nineties.
Back then, every child knew the commercials for the “Punica Oasis”, in which everyone was always vying for the drink: the cartoon characters who came to life from sheer thirst, the ants – and most of all the children, of course, the ones from the “Punica” -Advertising strategists were picked as the most important target group.
But the business hasn't flourished for a long time.
Now the “Punica” era is coming to an end: the US beverage manufacturer Pepsi has stopped production – apparently some time ago.
The bottling of juices under the label apparently ended last fall.
This is reported by numerous media.
The "t-online.de" portal quotes from a Pepsi statement that "after reviewing the company's strategic priorities" the group made the "difficult decision to completely take the brand off the market (click here for the report).
»Punica« was first launched in 1977 by juice entrepreneur Rolf Dittmeyer.
In the 1980s and 1990s, »Punica« was heavily advertised on television.
Since then, many citizens have known the slogans of the »Punica oasis« and the »fruity thirst quencher«.
However, the beverage brand has recently had a few changes of ownership: In 2004, »Punica« went to a US investor, who, however, sold the brand to PepsiCo only a short time later.
Then last year, a private equity firm got into the business, popularly referring to such investors as "locusts."
The dream of the »cool brand«
According to »t-online.de«, Pepsi had tried in 2019 with a targeted advertising campaign to better position »Punica« on the market.
The logo and packaging were redesigned and the advertising drum was no longer beaten on television, but via Facebook and Instagram - i.e. there where the group now suspects the young target group.
A Pepsi manager at the time was quoted as saying that the aim was to become a “cool brand for teens”.
That didn `t work.
We understand the "disappointment that "Punica" will no longer be available in the future and we would like to thank you and our "Punica" fans for the years of product loyalty," says the company.
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