Have you ever wondered why orange juice is the undisputed king of the breakfast table? It isn’t coffee, it isn’t milk; it is that brightly colored glass that seems to have always been there.
We tend to think that drinking orange juice is an ancient tradition or a natural instinct for health. But the reality is much more calculated. We don’t drink orange juice out of tradition; we do it because a company trained us to do so 100 years ago.
The problem of having too much fruit
In the early 20th century, California farmers were facing a crisis: their orange groves were producing too much fruit. By 1907, supply far exceeded demand. Oranges were considered a luxury or a dessert to be eaten in wedges, and nobody wanted that many. Farmers were desperate, going so far as to chop down their own trees to avoid losing money.
They needed a miracle, and that miracle arrived with a name: Albert Lasker, an advertising genius from the Lord & Thomas agency.
The campaign that changed the world: "Drink an Orange"
Lasker analyzed consumer behavior and discovered something simple yet powerful:
When a person eats an orange, they usually eat just one. But if they drink it, they need two or three oranges to fill a glass.
The solution wasn't to find more people to eat oranges, but to get the same people to consume triple the amount without realizing it. Under the new brand Sunkist, they launched a revolutionary campaign with the slogan: "Drink an Orange."
The Trojan Horse: The 10-cent Juicer
But there was a technical barrier: making juice at home was cumbersome. Sunkist eliminated that excuse with a masterstroke.
They manufactured a glass juicer (the classic one with the cone in the center) and launched a promotion: you could buy it for just 10 cents if you provided the wrapper from Sunkist oranges.
The strategy was a resounding success:
Millions of juicers were sold.
The "appliance" became a standard in American kitchens.
Orange consumption skyrocketed by 400% in the following years.
From Marketing to "Medicine"
The final move came with science. With the discovery of Vitamin C and the fear of flu pandemics in the following decades, Sunkist took the opportunity to position their juice not just as something delicious, but as a daily medical necessity to prevent illness.
So, the next time you pour yourself that glass of juice in the morning, remember: you are participating in one of the most successful marketing campaigns in history, designed to save California farmers in 1907.
Drink a Orange!