Rio (British drink)

British soft drink brand

Not to be confused with Rio (Chinese drink).

Rio

Type| Soft drink
Manufacturer| Hall & Woodhouse
Country of origin | United Kingdom
Introduced| 1980s
Website| drinkrio.com

Rio Tropical Limited,[1] formerly known as Rio Riva and Arriva, is a British brand of soft drink made by Hall & Woodhouse.

## History

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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.[2] In 1994 its name was changed to Rio Riva before being changed to simply Rio.[3] In 2013, Dragon Rouge redesigned Rio based on market research.[4]

Rio was redesigned again in 2017 by Pearlfisher based on Brazilian street art to target a younger demographic.[5][6] The logo was changed as well, with the ‘O’ being turned into a sun to emphasise their slogan of "Celebrate the Sunny".[7] In June of the same year they introduced 500ml PET bottles.[8]

In 2021 Rio entered a partnership deal with Boost Drinks, with the company overseeing the sales, marketing and distribution of Rio.[9][10]

In October 2023, Rio was acquired from Hall and Woodhouse by British soft drink manufacturer A.G. Barr for £12.3 million.[11]

## References

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1. ^ "Rio Tropical Limited overview - Find and update company information - Gov.uk". Companies House. 19 July 2023. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
2. ^ "Rio About". Rio. Archived from the original on 9 January 2022. Retrieved 9 October 2021.
3. ^ "Rio". CTC. Retrieved 9 October 2021.
4. ^ "A new look for soft drink Rio, by Dragon Rouge". Design Week. 7 August 2013. Retrieved 9 October 2021.
5. ^ "Summer makeover for Rio soft drinks". Talking Retail. 17 April 2017. Retrieved 9 October 2021.
6. ^ "Pearlfisher Redesigns Tropical Soft Drink Brand, 'Rio'". Logo Designer. 9 May 2017. Retrieved 9 October 2021.
7. ^ "Redesign for juice in cans, bottles". Packaging World. 28 April 2017. Retrieved 9 October 2021.
8. ^ "Going grande with Rio". Scottish Grocer. 3 July 2017. Retrieved 9 October 2021.
9. ^ "Drinks producers sign exclusive distribution deal". thebusinessdesk.com. 18 January 2021. Archived from the original on 8 January 2022. Retrieved 9 October 2021.
10. ^ "Boost Drinks secures exclusive distribution rights with Hall & Woodhouse for Rio brand". lovebelfast.co.uk. 20 January 2021. Archived from the original on 8 January 2022. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
11. ^ "A.G. Barr Acquires Rio Soft Drinks Brand". ESM Magazine. 24 October 2023. Retrieved 25 October 2023.