Lilt fizzles out: Soft drink brand dropped after almost 50 years

Drink known for its 'Totally Tropical Taste' adverts will be replaced with Fanta Pineapple and Grapefruit

Lilt first went on sale in 1975, with the strapline 'The Totally Tropical Taste'. Alamy

Lilt, the pineapple and grapefruit soft drink known for the strapline "The Totally Tropical Taste", has been pulled from supermarket shelves after almost 50 years.

The fizzy drink first went on sale in 1975 and was only sold in the UK, Ireland, Gibraltar and the Seychelles but will be memorable to any child of the 1980s due to its frequent advertising campaigns.

Lilt became a feature of popular culture with its Lilt Man parody adverts in the late 1980s, while a decade later it was promoted by two Jamaican women known as the Lilt Ladies.

It will be replaced by Fanta Pineapple and Grapefruit.

Coca-Cola Europacific Partners confirmed the change, saying it is the same drink, just with a new name.

"Keen Lilt fans may have spotted a gradual transition as the drink has made its way into the Fanta family over the past few months, with changes to its packaging and logo,” it said.

"Some have even hypothesised on social media that Lilt may be becoming part of the Fanta brand, and one even went as far as producing their own news broadcast-style video."

Martin Attock, the firm's British Vice-President of Commercial Development, said: "Our main priority with this announcement is to reassure Lilt's loyal fanbase that absolutely nothing has changed when it comes to the iconic taste of the drink they know and love.

"It's still bursting with tangy tropical flavours, it's just got itself a new name."

Coca-Cola reduced the number of calories, sugar and artificial sweeteners in the soft drink between 2008 and 2014 as part of efforts to make healthier products in response to the Government's Public Health Responsibility Deal.

The new drink will be available from February 14.