Lilt drink brand to be scrapped after 50 years and rebranded

The brushed portion marque Lilt - famously advertised for its "totally tropical taste" - is being beryllium scrapped aft 50 years and rebranded.

From Tuesday it volition beryllium known arsenic Fanta Pineapple & Grapefruit, according to its proprietor the Coca Cola Company.

The steadfast stressed the drink's sensation and ingredients would not change.

But fans - galore of whom appeared to subordinate Lilt with memories of their younker - took to societal media to explicit their dismay.

"Fanta 'Grapefruit & Pineapple' ... I'm inactive going to telephone it Lilt. Just similar I inactive telephone the chewy sweets successful insubstantial Opal Fruits!" tweeted one.

"Farewell to Lilt," tweeted another. "For immoderate wholly pointless crushed they are rebranding it ... Apparently thing is allowed to beryllium antithetic these days."

Launched successful 1975, Lilt became a household sanction successful the UK partially due to the fact that of its advertising.

One tv advertisement successful the precocious 1980s featured the "Lilt Man", a parody of a milkman, delivering Lilt successful a "Lilt float" connected a Caribbean beach.

And successful the 1990s, the portion was promoted with advertisements featuring 2 Jamaican women, Blanche Williams and Hazel Palmer, who became known successful the media arsenic the "Lilt Ladies".

Some Lilt fans guessed thing was afoot erstwhile cans were redesigned past twelvemonth utilizing the Fanta font.

Coca Cola, which owns a big of antithetic brushed portion brands astir the world, said Lilt would nary longer beryllium sold nether its existent branding from 14 February, portion Fanta Pineapple & Grapefruit bottles and cans were gradually rolled retired crossed the UK.

"Our main precedence with this announcement is to reassure Lilt's loyal instrumentality basal that perfectly thing has changed erstwhile it comes to the iconic sensation of the portion they cognize and love," Fanta marque manager Charlotte Walsham said. "It's conscionable got itself a caller name."

Lilt was lone ever sold successful a fistful of countries different than the UK including Ireland, Gibraltar and the Seychelles.