Cockta (pronounced[ˈkòːkta][1]) is a soft drink from Slovenia. Its main ingredient comes from dog rosehip; the other ingredients come from 11 different herbs, lemon and orange. Its original variant contains neither caffeine nor orthophosphoric acid.[2]
The origins of the Cockta drink begin in the early 1950s. In 1952, Ivan Deu, the Director of the state-owned corporation Slovenijavino, came up with the idea of producing an original, refreshing Slovenian beverage which would be able to compete against soft drinks from abroad (particularly Coca-Cola), which were not yet being sold in Yugoslavia.[3] The chemical engineer, Emerik Zelinka, an employee of the Slovenijavino research labs, created the drink with a new, different taste, derived from a blend of eleven different herbs and spices; including the rose hip, a prominent flavour within Cockta's blend. The drink was introduced to the market for the first time on 8 March 1953 at a ski jumping competition at Planica.[4]
In the first year of production, four million Cockta bottles were sold in Slovenia alone, and ten years later, sales climbed to 71 million. From Slovenia, Cockta spread at the common market of other republics of Yugoslavia, but no dedicated bottling facilities were established[citation needed].
The initial Cockta launch and marketing campaign was carefully designed. The first bottle and label for Yugo Cockta was created by Sergej Pavlin, then a young architecture student. Pavlin also designed other aspects of the brand's visual image, including the design for Cockta delivery trucks and cardboard packaging for Cockta's bottles.[4]
Many older Slovenes still remember the posters which swept the entire country as part of the original Cockta marketing campaign: they featured a suntanned young woman, with a hairstyle considered trendy at the time[citation needed], in a ponytail, with blue eyes, holding in her hands a bottle of the new beverage.[6] The sports event at Planica where Cockta was launched was the earliest form of sports sponsorship in Slovenia.[7]
In 2006, Cockta sponsored the MaxCards World Championships, held in Ljubljana.
In 2013 a survey conducted by Valicon placed Cockta 6th in a list of the top 25 strongest brands in Slovenia. Brand strength was calculated based on brand awareness, experience and usage.[8]
In 2019, "Cockta free" came onto the market, with this variant containing no added sugar. Cockta is available in 275ml glass bottles, 330ml cans, 0.5 liter and 1.5 liter plastic bottles. Cockta free is available in 275ml glass bottles, 330ml cans, 0.5 liter and 1.5 liter plastic bottles.[citation needed]
