Type | Soft drink |
---|---|
Manufacturer | Hall & Woodhouse |
Country of origin | United Kingdom |
Introduced | 1980s |
Website | www |
Rio, formerly known as Rio Riva and Arriva is a British brand of soft drink made by Hall & Woodhouse.
The drink was created by a Dorset brewery Hall & Woodhouse in the 1980s and was originally named Arriva derived from the French ‘arriver’ which means to arrive.[1] In 1994, its name was changed to Rio Riva before being changed to simply Rio.[2] In 2013, Dragon Rouge redesigned Rio in response to research that showed consumers knew the Rio name but didn't know much about the drink itself.[3]
Rio was redesigned again in 2017 by Pearlfisher taking inspiration from Brazilian street art to target a younger demographic.[4][5] The logo was changed as well, with the ‘O’ being turned into a sun to emphasise their slogan of "Celebrate the Sunny".[6] In June of the same year, they introduced 500ml PET bottles.[7] Brand manager Danielle Obbard said the new bottles were an integral part of their "plan for continued growth".[8]
In 2018, Rio began sponsoring racing car driver Bobby Thompson.[9] In 2021, Rio entered a partnership deal with Boost Drinks, with the company overseeing the sales, marketing and distribution of Rio.[10][11]
In October 2023, it was announced Rio had been acquired from Hall and Woodhouse by British soft drink manufacturer, A.G. Barr for £12.3 million.[12]