The Untold Story of Kick Soda: How a Rebellious Green Soda Tried (and Failed) to Shake Up the Establishment

In the sweltering summer of 1965, as the nation teetered on the edge of social upheaval, a scrappy upstart soda brand emerged with a bold mission: to wake up a generation of young consumers tired of playing by the rules. Kick, a bright green citrus-flavored beverage from the Royal Crown Company, promised to deliver a "kick" like a mule‘s hindquarters, positioning itself as the quintessential alternative to the mainstream soda options dominating the market.

Formulating a Fizzy Rebellion

Eager to claim a piece of the burgeoning citrus soda segment, which was then dominated by the likes of Mountain Dew and Mello Yello, the Royal Crown Company set out to create its own distinctive offering. Led by a team of innovative flavor scientists, the company meticulously crafted Kick‘s unique taste profile, blending a potent mix of citrus essences, caffeine, and other undisclosed ingredients to deliver a bracingly tart, invigorating soda experience.

"Kick was Royal Crown‘s attempt to carve out a niche in the citrus soda market by appealing to a more nonconformist, counterculture demographic," explains Dr. Samantha Wilkins, a soda historian and professor at the University of Georgia. "They wanted to position it as the bold, unconventional choice for young consumers who fancied themselves as rule-breakers and mavericks."

Indeed, Kick‘s formulation was designed to evoke a visceral, almost jarring sensory experience. According to internal Royal Crown documents obtained by researchers, the company‘s target flavor profile for Kick was described as "a citrus punch to the taste buds, like a mule‘s kick to the gut." This bold, unapologetic approach to flavor was a calculated effort to differentiate Kick from the sweeter, more mainstream citrus sodas on the market.

Branding a Rebel Yell

Kick‘s unconventional marketing campaign leaned heavily into this rebellious, boundary-pushing image. The brand‘s advertisements famously used the simile of a mule‘s kick to describe the soda‘s intense citrus flavor, billing it as delivering a "kick like a mule." This whimsical metaphor not only tapped into the playful, anti-establishment youth culture of the 1960s, but it also aimed to viscerally convey the sensory experience of Kick‘s bracingly tart taste.

"The mule kick imagery was a clever bit of branding that really captured the spirit of the times," says Dr. Wilkins. "It was a bold, attention-grabbing way for Kick to differentiate itself and appeal to young consumers seeking an alternative to the mainstream soda options."

Beyond the mule-themed advertising, Kick‘s marketing also deliberately targeted niche demographics of extreme sports enthusiasts, punk rock devotees, and the emerging video game subculture. By aligning the brand with these unconventional, boundary-pushing subsets of youth culture, Royal Crown sought to position Kick as the soda of choice for daring nonconformists and rule-breakers.

"Kick was really trying to cultivate an image as the beverage for mavericks and rebels – those young consumers who fancied themselves as bold, defiant outsiders," explains Dr. Wilkins. "It was an early example of beverage brands moving towards lifestyle-driven branding that catered to consumers‘ self-image and sense of identity, rather than just promoting flavor."

Competing Against the Soda Giants

Despite its innovative marketing and strategic targeting, Kick ultimately proved no match for the commercial juggernauts of Mountain Dew and Mello Yello. According to sales data from the era, Kick‘s peak market share in the citrus soda segment hovered around just 3-4% nationally, dwarfed by the dominant 60-70% shares enjoyed by its Pepsi and Coca-Cola-owned rivals.

"Kick simply couldn‘t compete with the massive distribution networks, marketing budgets, and brand recognition of Mountain Dew and Mello Yello," says Dr. Wilkins. "As much as the brand tried to position itself as the rebellious alternative, it was no match for the sheer scale and resources of the soda industry‘s biggest players."

Indeed, Kick‘s nonconformist ethos failed to shield it from the realities of industry consolidation. In 2002, global conglomerate Cadbury Schweppes acquired Royal Crown, the parent company of Kick. Seeing the brand as a lagging niche player, Cadbury Schweppes made the calculated decision to discontinue Kick‘s production altogether by 2003, effectively sounding the death knell for the once-promising citrus soda.

"Kick‘s demise really underscored the limits of anti-establishment branding in the face of the beverage industry‘s relentless consolidation," says Dr. Wilkins. "No matter how rebellious or unconventional a brand positions itself, it‘s still vulnerable to the cold, hard realities of market dominance and corporate power."

A Kick-Starter for Nostalgia

But the story of Kick soda doesn‘t end there. In a twist of fate, the once-discontinued brand experienced a revival in 2023 when nostalgic brand rights holder Old Towne Beverages in Detroit partnered with local bottler Michigan Bottling Company to relaunch limited production.

Capitalizing on enduring cultural nostalgia for the 1960s counterculture era, as well as the growing consumer demand for artisanal, locally-sourced products, Old Towne has positioned the reborn Kick as a symbol of renaissance for both the brand and the city of Detroit itself.

"The 2023 Kick relaunch is really tapping into that sense of community pride and nostalgia for a bygone era," explains Dr. Wilkins. "By aligning the brand with Detroit‘s own revitalization, Old Towne is giving Kick a new life as a local, craft soda that evokes the rebellious spirit of its 1960s origins."

According to data from the Michigan Craft Beverage Council, the revived Kick soda has seen a modest but steady increase in distribution, with Old Towne Beverages reporting sales of over 50,000 cases in its first year of production. While these figures pale in comparison to the soda giants‘ national sales, the Kick revival has found a loyal following among nostalgic consumers and craft soda enthusiasts in the Detroit metro area.

The Collector‘s Market and Investment Potential

Despite Kick‘s relatively short-lived commercial run, the brand has developed a small but dedicated collector‘s market among soda enthusiasts. According to vintage soda collector and appraiser Michael Goldstein, original Kick bottles and cans from the 1960s can fetch anywhere from $50 to $200, depending on condition and rarity.

"There‘s definitely a niche group of collectors out there who prize Kick memorabilia as a unique piece of soda history," says Goldstein. "The brand‘s bold, unconventional branding and its status as a failed challenger to the industry titans make original Kick items quite desirable for soda collectors."

Goldstein notes that the most valuable Kick collectibles tend to be those from the brand‘s initial 1965 launch, as well as any limited-edition or promotional items. He also cautions that authentication is crucial, as the 2023 Kick revival has led to a proliferation of counterfeit and reproduced vintage items.

As for the investment potential of the revived Kick brand, industry analysts see opportunities, but also significant challenges. "The 2023 Kick relaunch is certainly an interesting play, tapping into nostalgia and the craft soda trend," says beverage market analyst Sarah Chen. "However, the brand still faces an uphill battle against the deep pockets and established distribution of the major soda players."

Chen notes that while Kick‘s niche appeal and local focus in Detroit could yield modest sales growth, significant national expansion would require substantial investment and resources that Old Towne Beverages may struggle to secure. "Kick‘s revival is an intriguing story, but investors would need to approach it cautiously, as the brand‘s long-term viability remains uncertain," she advises.

The Kick Legacy

While Kick soda may have ultimately failed to dethrone the industry titans of Mountain Dew and Mello Yello, its brief but bold moment in the spotlight left an indelible mark on the history of the American beverage landscape. As a scrappy upstart that dared to challenge the establishment with its unconventional flavor and nonconformist branding, Kick serves as a fascinating case study in the power of lifestyle marketing and the limits of anti-establishment positioning in a consolidating industry.

"Kick‘s story is a cautionary tale, but also an inspiring one," reflects Dr. Wilkins. "It shows how even the most innovative, rebellious brands can struggle to overcome the sheer scale and resources of the soda industry‘s giants. But it also demonstrates the enduring appeal of bold, unconventional products that capture the spirit of the times."

And with its recent revival, the Kick story continues to unfold, offering a glimpse into the ongoing evolution of the craft soda movement and the power of nostalgia to breathe new life into forgotten brands. Whether Kick can recapture the rebellious spirit of its 1960s heyday remains to be seen, but its legacy as a bold, failed experiment in citrus soda innovation will undoubtedly live on.