History of Jones Soda

THE UNKNOWN HISTORY OF JONES SODA

© History Oasis

Founded in 1995, Jones Soda started out producing uniquely flavored sodas in the Pacific Northwest region.

The company was created by Peter van Stolk in Vancouver, British Columbia aimed at offering an alternative to mainstream soda brands.

From its inception and history, Jones Soda set itself apart by featuring distinctive graphic designs on their bottles and cans which highlighted their creative soda flavors.

ORIGINS OF JONES SODA

© History Oasis

In 1995, Jones Soda launched as Urban Juice and Soda Company Ltd., a beverage distributor in Vancouver, Canada started by founder Peter van Stolk.

It originally focused on distributing other brands.

Urban Juice would transition to producing their own uniquely flavored Jones Soda line of drinks which became the main product.

THE FIRST FLAVORS

Source: Jones Soda

In its second year, Jones Soda debuted its first line of soda flavors, consisting of six varieties: Orange, Cherry, Lemon-Lime, Strawberry-Lime, Raspberry, and Grape.

These initial flavors showcased Jones' love for unconventional taste profiles.

MYJONES

Source: Jones Soda

Jones Soda launched its innovative "myJones" program in 1999.

The niche soda brand allowed customers to customize bottle labels with their own photos and messages.

This novel marketing campaign fostered a strong sense of brand community, as evidenced by the company receiving over 1 million photo submissions from fans eager to see their content featured on Jones bottles by that point.

The "myJones" concept was a pioneering example of user-generated content in advertising.

NAME CHANGE & NEW HEADQUARTERS

© History Oasis

In 2000, the company formerly known as Urban Juice and Soda Company Ltd. officially changed its name to Jones Soda Co. As the founders decided to call all in on soda.

This change also coincided with the company relocating its headquarters from Vancouver to Seattle.

TURKEY & GRAVY

Source: Jones Soda

Jones Soda produced a very odd flavor by releasing a limited-edition Turkey & Gravy Soda for Thanksgiving in 2003.

The bizarre flavor proved immensely popular, selling out in just two hours. This would kick off Jones' tradition of holiday and special edition sodas.

STARBUCKS & TARGET

Source: Jones Soda

In 2004, Jones Soda gained major distribution by being carried in over 3,900 Starbucks locations across the United States.

That same year saw Jones Soda debut their first line of canned sodas, exclusively distributed through Target stores.

SUGAR TOOTH

© History Oasis

Ahead of the growing health food trend, Jones Soda made the forward-thinking decision in 2006 to replace high-fructose corn syrup with cane sugar across all of its products.

NFL PARTNERSHIP

Source: Jones Soda

By 2007, Jones Soda landed a landmark deal to become the official soft drink of the Seattle Seahawks NFL team,

The Seahawks were the first NFL franchise to sign an exclusive beverage sponsorship with a brand outside of Coca-Cola or Pepsi.

NUKA-COLA

Source: Jones Soda & Fallout

Demonstrating their ability to creatively cross-promote, in 2009 Jones Soda released a limited-edition "Nuka-Cola" flavor.

Falling within a partnership with video game developer Bethesda Softworks, which was inspired by the popular Fallout game series.

This unique collaboration allowed Jones to tap into gaming culture.

Later in 2015, Jones Soda released "Nuka-Cola Quantum" soda tied to the release of the Fallout 4 video game.

WALMART

© History Oasis

In 2010, Jones Soda secured a deal to have its products carried in Walmart stores nationwide.

That same year, the company also received a major $10 million financing deal from investment firm Glengrove Small Cap Value Ltd.

GETTING INTO THE WEEDS

Source: Jones Soda

Staying on the cutting edge, in 2022 Jones Soda announced the launch of "Mary Jones," a new line of cannabis-infused sodas, syrups, and candies aimed at the legal marijuana market.

The "Mary Jones" brand initially rolled out in California as Jones Soda looked to capitalize on the growing cannabis edibles industry.

Collection

Tags

Next