Kia Ora Drink
I remember drinking Kia Ora on days out during the summer when I was a child in the eighties. It was a popular, fruity-flavoured drink.
Who made Kia Ora and when was it popular?
The Kia Ora brand was created by Atlantic Industries, a subsidiary of the Coca-Cola company. But Kia Ora was actually first produced way back in 1903. Back then, it was a lemon squash drink sold in Australia by Arthur Gasquoine. Gasquoine sold the brand the same year to the Dixon family who went on to mass-produce the drink in a factory in Melbourne.
Kia Ora first hit the UK in 1917. It became really popular during the seventies when it was the drink of choice sold in cinemas across the UK. The drink was sold in handy little cartons, the perfect size for watching a film.
It was 1998 when the Coca-Cola Empire became the owners of the Kia Ora drink product.
What does Kia Ora mean?
The name Kia Ora comes from the Maori greeting which became commonly used in New Zealand as a way to greet people.
Advertising
The Kia Ora adverts were shown in cinemas and on TV screens and I can still remember them to this day.
A young boy with a straw hat and a bag strapped to a stick which he carries on his shoulder is taking a walk. His dog Fedora pops out of the straw hat holding a bottle of Kia Ora which he then pours into a glass. The boy is spotted and followed by a flock of crows dressed in suits who all want a taste of his delicious-looking drink. But the boy says “it’s too orangey for crows”.
Kia Ora was also advertised on brightly coloured posters and you can actually still buy Kia Ora posters online!
The Kia Ora song
Kia-Ora…
It’s too orangey for crows…It’s just for me and my dog
I’ll be your dog
– barks –
I’ll be your dog
Kia-Ora a doggy doggy doggy doggy
Kia-Ora… Arumba
We all adore a Kia-Ora
Kia Ora Flavours
In the very early days, Kia Ora was only available in lemon flavour. But, as the years went on, and ownership changed hands, different fruity drink flavours were released.
- Kia-Ora Orange, Pineapple and Passion Fruit
- Kia-Ora Orange (with added sugar)
- Kia-Ora Mixed Fruit
- Kia-Ora Pear & Blackcurrant
- Kia-Ora Raspberry
- Kia-Ora Orange (no added sugar)
- Kia-Ora Mixed Fruit (no added sugar)
- Kia-Ora Blackcurrant
Can you still buy Kia Ora today?
As soft drinks became more commonly made and sold, the competition increased. As well as this, parents started to become far more conscious of the amount of sugar in their children’s drinks and started to opt for sugar-free alternatives and cutting out carbonated drinks.
Kia Ora has been discontinued in recent years. Although it was still being sold in Ireland for a short while, the Coca-Cola Company confirmed it had been discontinued on their Twitter feed in 2019.
