Rivella brings back the yellow version – it’s different there

For years, fans of the Swiss cult drink Rivella had only one question: red or blue? In 1999 the portfolio was expanded with a green version with green tea. In 2008, the company based in Rothrist AG, Aargau, wanted to turn the trio into a quartet – followed by Rivella Yellow, based on soy serum instead of whey. Only: the customers didn’t like it enough. Rivella tried to relaunch it with a different recipe. But the opinions had already been made. It was withdrawn from circulation in 2012.

Now, 14 years later, Rivella Yellow is celebrating a comeback. This time, however, the focus is not on a new ingredient like soy serum at the time. “It is a purely vegan Rivella, so without milk-based ingredients and contains 40 percent less sugar than the red Rivella,” says Angelika Leemann, co-head of marketing at the company, which is still owned by the heirs of founder Robert. Barth.

But why should the yellow edition be a success this time? “Back then, hardly anyone talked about a vegan diet and lactose intolerance, but today it is very different,” says Leemann’s co-director Sara Jermann. Customer research has shown that there is a need for such a Rivella variant. And: “Apart from the color, the two products have nothing in common; the new one has nothing to do with the old Rivella Geel.” Besides, younger customers wouldn’t remember anyway.

The whey on which the other Rivella recipes are based has not been replaced by an alternative; the secret fruit and spice mix is ​​extensive. The new variant will be available in all major supermarket chains, Jermann and Leemann say, as well as in restaurants. The yellow Rivella will replace the “Rivella Refresh” with reduced sugar content, launched in 2018. The drink will also be launched in the foreign markets of France and Luxembourg.

The green Rivella will remain part of the range, the two marketing heads emphasize, but they do not reveal the sales share of the variants in question. Only the rankings are communicated. Red before blue, refresh and green.

A vegan version has been in the works for a long time, Leemann and Jermann say, when asked about Lidl’s version that will be launched in 2022. The German discounter suddenly sold its new own brand Livetta, the design of which was strongly reminiscent of Rivella Red and Blue, but was vegan. Shortly afterwards, however, the supplier went bankrupt and Livetta disappeared again.

Rivella is one of the best-known brands in the country. The classic in the range is Rivella Red, which came onto the market in 1952. In 1958, Rivella Blau appeared as the world’s first diet drink. The Michel fruit juices also come from Rivella. And since 2019, the vitamin waters of the Focuswater brand have also been part of the group. All drinks – around 100 million liters per year – are produced in Rothrist. Most recently, Rivella had more than 230 employees and generated a turnover of 138 million francs. (bzbasel.ch)