The History of Sprite

Several sources assert that Sprite was not created in America, but was actually developed by Fanta in West Germany in 1959, where it was known as Fanta Klare Zitrone, meaning “clear lemon Fanta.” The name Sprite was chosen when the drink was introduced to the U.S. market in 1961. Sprite was an immediate success in America and by 1967, more than seventy-five percent of U.S. consumers were reportedly purchasing the soft drink. It was also doing well internationally. Early marketing efforts generally targeted adults, but soon began focusing on teenagers when it became clear that the soda was increasingly popular among younger consumers. The famous lemon-lime flavor hasn’t been changed significantly since Sprite’s debut, but the brand has created many limited edition and alternate flavor varieties over the years, including Cranberry, Tropical Mix, Peach, Cherry, Grape, Orange, Vanilla, and Winter Spice Cranberry. Sprite is not without the occasional controversy — for example, in 2018, Greenpeace asserted that Sprite was knowingly connected to deforestation in Argentina — but the soft drink remains one of the world’s most popular sodas today. In fact, Sprite is currently sold in around 200 different countries and is considered the third most consumed soda in the world.