Royal Tru (often referred to simply as Royal) is a
carbonated fruit-flavored
soft drink brand owned by
The Coca-Cola Company
The Coca-Cola Company is an American multinational beverage corporation founded in 1892, best known as the producer of Coca-Cola. The Coca-Cola Company also manufactures, sells, and markets other non-alcoholic beverage concentrates and syrups ...
that is only available in the
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
. The brand was introduced in 1922 by
the original San Miguel Brewery. Since being acquired by Coca-Cola's
Philippines unit in 2007, the brand has become the Philippine counterpart of Coca-Cola's
Fanta
Fanta is an American-owned German brand of fruit-flavored carbonated soft drinks created by Coca-Cola Deutschland under the leadership of German businessman Max Keith. There are more than 200 flavors worldwide. Fanta originated in Germany as ...
brand.
History
The Royal brand was first introduced in 1922 by
the original San Miguel Brewery as its first non-alcoholic, carbonated beverage. In 1927, San Miguel became the first international bottler of
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola, or Coke, is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company. Originally marketed as a temperance bar, temperance drink and intended as a patent medicine, it was invented in the late 19th century by John Stith Pembe ...
. The Royal brand became best associated with its orange-flavored soft drink, Royal Tru-Orange.
In 1981, San Miguel spun off its soft drink business (its Coca-Cola franchise and the manufacture of Royal beverages) to a new company known as Coca-Cola Bottlers Philippines, Inc. (CCBPI), a joint-venture with
The Coca-Cola Company
The Coca-Cola Company is an American multinational beverage corporation founded in 1892, best known as the producer of Coca-Cola. The Coca-Cola Company also manufactures, sells, and markets other non-alcoholic beverage concentrates and syrups ...
. The brand continued to be owned by San Miguel until 2007 when it sold the rights to the brand along with its entire interest in CCBPI to The Coca-Cola Company.
CCBPI was renamed Coca-Cola FEMSA Philippines, Inc. in January 2013 with the entry of Mexico-based Coca-Cola
FEMSA
Fomento Económico Mexicano, S.A.B. de C.V., doing business as FEMSA, is a Mexican multinational beverage and retail company headquartered in Monterrey, Mexico. It operates the largest independent Coca-Cola bottling group in the world and the ...
S.A. de C.V. Coca-Cola FEMSA Philippines was renamed
Coca-Cola Beverages Philippines, Inc. (CCBPI) in December 2018 after the acquisition of 50% interest in the company by Bottling Investments Group (BIG).
Products
Current
* Royal Tru-Orange
* Royal Tru-Grape
* Royal Tru-Lemon
* Royal Tru-Wattamelon
Discontinued
* Royal Lem-O-Lime
* Royal Root Beer
* Royal Soda Water
* Royal Tonic Water
* Royal Ginger Ale
* Royal Tru-Orange Light
* Royal Tru-
Dalandan
* Royal Tru-Strawberry (available in some Philippine
7-Eleven stores)
Marketing
The beverage targets teenagers as its consumers. The product was available during the 1970s in single-serve bottles and contained
orange "pulp bits" (pulp) "from California Valencia oranges".
When
San Miguel Corporation
San Miguel Corporation, abbreviated as SMC, is a Philippine multinational conglomerate headquartered in Mandaluyong, Metro Manila. The company is one of the largest and most diversified conglomerates in the Philippines. Originally founded ...
became one of the founding members of the
Philippine Basketball Association
The Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) is a men's professional basketball league in the Philippines composed of twelve company-branded franchised teams. Founded in 1975, it is the first professional basketball league in Asia and is the se ...
in 1975, its
basketball franchise played under the name "Royal Tru-Orange" from 1975 to 1980.
Royal Tru-Orange gained much attention in the mid-1980s following the restoration of democracy in the Philippines, after its logo and formulation (now without the orange pulp) were changed through an
advertising campaign that starred teen model RJ Ledesma (playing the role of "Joey"). The first
television advertisement
A television advertisement (also called a television commercial, TV commercial, commercial, spot, television spot, TV spot, advert, television advert, TV advert, television ad, TV ad or simply an ad) is a span of television programming produce ...
in the series, wherein Joey was being egged on by friends to introduce himself to a girl named Jenny, was directed by noted film director
Lino Brocka.
In 1992, Royal Tru-Orange released its slogan "Ito Ang Gusto Ko!" which is also a song of the late
Francis Magalona.
Slogans
* "''Pag-ibig kong Tunay!''" ("My Tru Love!") (1973–1982)
* "''Royal, natural!''" ("Royal, naturally!") (1982–1987)
* "''Ako at Royal, natural!''" ("Royal and I, naturally!") (1987–1992)
* "''Ito ang gusto ko!''" ("This is my choice!") (1992–1998)
* "''Yan ang tru!''" ("That is tru!") (2003–2007)
*"''Ilabas ang kulit!''" ("Bring out the crazy!") (2009–2019)
*"Generation Kulit" (2021-)
Controversy
Royal Tru-Orange was one of 300 products of the Philippines barred by the
U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2004 from entering the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
due to "failure to meet its requirements.
References
{{Coca-Cola brands
Coca-Cola brands
Philippine drinks
Orange sodas
Food and drink in the Philippines
Products introduced in 1922