Royal Crown Cola (sold as RC Cola ) is an American carbonated cola beverage owned by Keurig Dr Pepper and internationally by RC Global Beverages, Inc. [ 1 ] The Cole-Hampton-Hatcher Grocery Store was established in Columbus, Georgia in 1901. The Hatcher family took sole ownership and the name was changed to the Hatcher Grocery Store in 1903. The grocery store was located at what was 22 West 10th Street. Today's address (after house number changes) is 15 West 10th Street. [ 2 ] At the same time, the popularity of bottled soft drinks rose rapidly, and grocery store owners wished to maximize their profit. [ 3 ] As a grocery wholesaler, Claud A. Hatcher purchased a large volume of Coca-Cola syrup from the local company salesman, Columbus Roberts. Hatcher felt that the company deserved a special reduced price for the syrup since it purchased such large volumes. Roberts would not budge on the cost, and a bitter conflict between the two erupted. Hatcher told Roberts he would win the battle by never purchasing any more Coca-Cola, and was determined to develop his own soft drink formula. He started developing products in the basement of the store with a recipe for ginger ale. [ 4 ] Hatcher launched the Union Bottling Works in his family's grocery store. [ 5 ] The first product in the Royal Crown line was Royal Crown Ginger Ale in 1905, [ 6 ] followed by Royal Crown Strawberry, and Royal Crown Root Beer. Cherry-flavored Chero-Cola was introduced in 1907. [ 7 ] The company was later renamed Chero-Cola in 1912. [ 8 ] Its new fruit-flavored beverage, Nehi , was introduced in 1924; further, the company was renamed Nehi Corporation in 1928. [ 9 ] Founder Claud A. Hatcher died in 1933 and Chero-Cola was reformulated in 1934 by chemist Rufus Kamm. [ 8 ] The company reintroduced the "Royal Crown" to launch Royal Crown Cola, and went on to change its name from Nehi, Inc. to Royal Crown Cola Company in 1955. [ 10 ] Royal Crown Cola and Moon Pies were a popular "working man's lunch" in the American South in the 1950s. [ 11 ] Royal Crown was the first company to sell soft drinks in a tin can in 1954; later, it was also the first company to sell soft drinks in an aluminum can . [ 12 ] The company introduced the Diet Rite brand of dietetic beverages in 1954, with the cola variety being its flagship, however the product was dropped in 1969 after the sweetener cyclamate was banned. At the time it was the best selling diet soda, and accounted for about 25 per cent of Royal Crown sales and 30 per cent of its earnings. The product was reintroduced with a new formula and an advertising campaign designed to make people ask for Diet Rite because of its flavor instead of its lack of calories. The drink had climbed back to about 20 per cent of sales by 1971. [ 13 ] Royal Crown Cola Company developed their international presence during the 1970s, including countries in Asia and Europe. This included giving Tizer a licence to produce the drink within the United Kingdom. [ 14 ] [ citation needed ] The Raffel family sold Arby's to the Royal Crown Cola Company for $18 million in 1976. [ 15 ] Caffeine - and sugar-free cola RC 100 was launched in April 1980. RC Cola accounted for approximately 4–5% of soft drink sales in the United States, behind Coke, Pepsi, Dr. Pepper , and 7 Up in 1984. [ 16 ] Cherry RC would be introduced in July 1985, with Diet RC and its caffeine-free counterpart being announced that December, to debut in January 1986. [ 17 ] Ownership changes Royal Crown Cola Company was purchased by Triarc Companies, Inc. [ 18 ] adding approximately $25 million a year to the marketing budget in 1993. [ 7 ] The company was acquired by Cadbury Schweppes (which owned Dr Pepper) through its acquisition of Triarc's beverages business (which also included Snapple ) in 2000. [ 19 ] [ 20 ] Cadbury Schweppes' US-based beverage business (including RC) was spun off as "Dr Pepper Snapple Group (DPSG)" in 2008. [ 21 ] DPSG merged with Keurig Green Mountain in 2018 as Keurig Dr Pepper , the current owners of the RC Cola brand. [ 22 ] All non-US businesses were sold to Cott Beverages of Canada in 2001 and operated as Royal Crown Cola International. [ citation needed ] Cott sold Royal Crown Cola International to Refresco for US$50 million in 2021. [ citation needed ] Simultaneously, Refresco sold to Royal Crown Cola International to RC Global Beverages Inc. [ 23 ] In the Philippines, RC Cola was manufactured and distributed by Cosmos Bottling Corporation under a licensing agreement until 2001, RFM Corporation sold Cosmos to Coca-Cola Bottlers Philippines Corp. and San Miguel Corporation ending the license agreement in that year. During its production under Cosmos, RC Cola was only sold in some Visayan markets. [ 24 ] Philippine-based Macay Holdings announced in 2022 it would acquire all of RC Global Beverages Inc., subject to the finalization of a share purchase agreement and other closing conditions. [ 25 ] The transaction was completed in January 17, 2023 for approximately $47 million, comprising a $21.4 million cash payment for equity and the assumption of approximately $26 million of obligations. [ 26 ] Brand portfolio Advertising campaigns The RC Cola brand has been marketed through many campaigns. In the 1930s, Alex Osborn, with BBDO , made an ad campaign, including the slogan "The season's best." In 1940, a publicity campaign was run, which saw Hollywood celebrities, next to the slogan "Best By Taste Test". Actress Lizabeth Scott as the face, next to the slogan "RC tastes best, says Lizabeth Scott". In 1966, Royal Crown Cola collaborated with Jim Henson on an ad campaign for Royal Crown Cola which featured two birds called Sour Bird (performed by Jim Henson ) and Nutty Bird (performed by Henson and assisted by Frank Oz ) to promote the drinks. Nutty Bird would promote Royal Crown Cola by touting its benefits. [ 32 ] The puppet for Nutty Bird was designed by Jim Henson and built by Don Sahlin . Sour Bird appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show with the Rock and Roll Monster. Nancy Sinatra was featured in two Royal Crown Cola commercials in her one-hour TV special, Movin' With Nancy , which featured various singers and David Winters choreography [ 33 ] in December 1967. She sang, "It's a mad, mad, mad Cola...RC the one with the mad, mad taste!...RC!" [ 34 ] The company was the official sponsor of New York Mets on and off at times from the team's inception in 1962 until the early 1990s. A television commercial in the New York area featured Tom Seaver , New York Mets pitcher, and his wife, Nancy, dancing on top of a dugout at Shea Stadium and singing the tune from the Sinatra campaign. RC sponsored two Porsche 917/10 Can-Am race cars during the 1972–73 season. In the mid-1970s, Royal Crown ran the "Me & My RC" advertisements. [ 35 ] Others featured people in scenic outdoor locations. Louise Mandrell sang the jingle "Me and my RC / Me and my RC /'Cause what's good enough / For other folks / Ain't good enough for Me and My RC..." RC was introduced to Israel in 1995 with the slogan "RC: Just like in America!" During the Cola Wars of the 1980s, RC used the 'Decide for yourself' campaign and would remind people 'There's more to your life than Coke and Pepsi." In the Philippines, RC Cola released advertisements with artists popular in the country. In 2009, these had Maja Salvador and Kim Bum as celebrity endorsers. [ 36 ] The Philippine marketing of the brand also painted the front of sari-sari stores with slogans like "RC ng (insert municipality/city)" (RC of my [town/city]). In 2019, the advertisements tapped Joshua Garcia to be the year's celebrity endorser and launched the "RC ng Bayan" campaign. In 2020, RC Cola had a campaign Basta , which featured a boy confronting his mother if he is adopted due to glasses embedded on his back. This campaign led to numerous awards such as a bronze award for Film at the Cannes Lion 2021, a bronze award at the 2021 Asia Pacific Effie Awards for the Youth Marketing category, a silver award at the 2022 Asia Pacific Effie Awards for the Beverages, Non-Alcohol category and the Short Video Marketing category, and a bronze award for Film at the 2022 Clio Awards . [ 37 ] [ 38 ] [ 39 ] Andretti Autosport driver Marco Andretti had RC Cola as his primary sponsor during the 2012 and 2013 IndyCar Series . In 2022, RC Cola launched its WHY NOT? campaign, featuring three adults who upon taking a sip of RC Cola, would be transported to a world filled with endless imagination. ↑ "Our Brands: RC Cola" . Keurig Dr Pepper . Archived from the original on August 21, 2018 . Retrieved February 28, 2018 . ↑ "RC Cola – Soda Pop Bros Soda" . Soda Pop Bros . Retrieved November 26, 2023 . ↑ Winn, Bill (May 7, 1978). "R.C. Cola Gets Start in Basement" . Columbus Ledger-Enquirer . Archived from the original on November 9, 2016 . Retrieved February 28, 2018 . ↑ "History of Royal Crown Company, Inc" . FundingUniverse.com . Archived from the original on November 13, 2014 . Retrieved November 6, 2017 . ↑ Allen, Gary J.; Albala, Ken (2007). The Business of Food: Encyclopedia of the Food and Drink Industries . ABC-CLIO. p. 432. ISBN 9780313337253 . Archived from the original on April 23, 2023 . Retrieved February 28, 2018 – via Google Books. ↑ "Royal Crown Company History" . rccolainternational.com . Royal Crown Cola International. Archived from the original on June 24, 2013 . Retrieved November 6, 2017 . 1 2 "About" . RC Cola International . Archived from the original on April 5, 2023 . Retrieved April 5, 2023 . 1 2 "From Union Bottling Works to Nehi to Royal Crown: the history of the Royal Crown Cola Company" . Historic Columbus . April 1, 2021. ↑ Liberman, Sherri (August 31, 2011). American Food by the Decades . ABC-CLIO. p. 64. ISBN 978-0-313-37698-6 . ↑ "The Chero-Cola Story" . Columbus Collective Museums . Retrieved May 1, 2026 . ↑ Duke, Jan. "The Souths Fascination with RC Colas and Moonpies" . About.com . Archived from the original on December 16, 2007 . Retrieved January 12, 2008 . ↑ "Royal Crown Cola Company" . New Georgia Encyclopedia . September 15, 2006. Archived from the original on October 12, 2012 . Retrieved October 21, 2012 . It is now Filipino after being sold in 2022 ↑ "Royal Crown Bounces Back" . New York Times . December 26, 1971. ↑ John M Stopford; Derek F Channon; David Norburn (1975). A Casebook. British business policy . Macmillan Press. p. 1-22. ISBN 333-17718-5 . {{ cite book }} : Check | isbn= value: length ( help ) ↑ "Royal Crown To Buy Arby's" . Pittsburgh Post-Gazette . July 27, 1976. p. 23. Archived from the original on November 13, 2020 . Retrieved June 25, 2022 – via Google News. ↑ "The Innovative Royal Crown" . The New York Times . January 14, 1984. Archived from the original on December 19, 2018 . Retrieved December 18, 2018 . ↑ Lazarus, George (December 20, 1985). "RC's a soft drink battler" . New York Daily News . New York, New York . Retrieved August 8, 2025 . ↑ "Inc. Triarc Companies" . Encyclopedia.com. Archived from the original on June 25, 2022 . Retrieved June 25, 2022 . ↑ "Cadbury sells Royal Crown Cola" . The Irish Times . June 13, 2001. Archived from the original on March 14, 2023 . Retrieved January 20, 2022 . ↑ "Company News; Cadbury Sells Part of RC Cola to Canadian Company" . The New York Times . Associated Press. June 14, 2001. Archived from the original on January 20, 2022 . Retrieved January 20, 2022 . ↑ "Corporate Information" . Dr Pepper . Retrieved June 6, 2026 . ↑ "Keurig Dr Pepper Announces Successful Completion of the Merger between Keurig Green Mountain and Dr Pepper Snapple Group" . Keurig Dr Pepper. 2018 . Retrieved June 6, 2026 . ↑ Cott Corporation. "Cott Announces the Sale of its Soft Drink Concentrate Production Business and RCI International Division to Refresco in an All-Cash Transaction" (Press release). PR Newswire. Archived from the original on January 4, 2022 . Retrieved January 14, 2021 . ↑ "Cosmos Products List (RFM) - Archived" . February 2001. Archived from the original on February 20, 2001. ↑ Loyola, James (September 7, 2022). "Alfredo Yao's Macay to buy RC Cola global rights for $46 M" . Manila Bulletin . Archived from the original on September 7, 2022 . Retrieved September 7, 2022 .

↑ Table, Justine Irish (January 19, 2023). "Macay Holdings buys RC Cola firm for $21.4 million" . BusinessWorld . Retrieved January 10, 2025 . ↑ "Yet Another New Cola From Innovative RC" . Chicago Tribune . December 18, 1985. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016 . Retrieved November 6, 2017 . ↑ "Decaffeinated RC to be offered here" . Tucson Citizen . Tucson, Arizona. March 15, 1982 . Retrieved August 8, 2025 . ↑ "Royal Crown's New Cola" . Albuquerque Journal . Albuquerque, New Mexico. August 4, 1985 . Retrieved August 8, 2025 . ↑ "RC Cola UK" . Rccola.co.uk . September 7, 2012 . Retrieved October 21, 2012 . {{ cite web }} : CS1 maint: deprecated archival service ( link ) ↑ "Dr. Pepper Snapple Group Product Facts" . dpsgproductfacts.com . 2013. Archived from the original on October 18, 2013 . Retrieved May 29, 2013 . ↑ "Jim Henson RC Commercial" . June 2, 2007. Archived from the original on December 11, 2021 . Retrieved September 15, 2012 – via YouTube. ↑ "David Winters" . IMDb.com . Archived from the original on April 23, 2023 . Retrieved November 6, 2017 . ↑ "Nancy Sinatra RC Cola Ad" . March 4, 2008. Archived from the original on December 11, 2021 . Retrieved September 15, 2012 – via YouTube. ↑ "Me and My RC Commercial" . October 3, 2010. Archived from the original on December 11, 2021 . Retrieved September 15, 2012 – via YouTube. ↑ "Kim Bum And Maja Salvador For RC Cola CF" . allkpop . Archived from the original on December 9, 2019 . Retrieved December 9, 2019 . ↑ "Awards: GIGIL's RC Cola 'Family' wins a Bronze Film Lions at Cannes" . adobomagazine.com . June 29, 2021. Archived from the original on January 8, 2023 . Retrieved January 9, 2023 . ↑ "Local Ad Agency Gigil Wins 3rd Year in a Row at Asia Pacific Awards for Marketing" . wheninmanila.com . October 25, 2022. Archived from the original on January 8, 2023 . Retrieved January 9, 2023 . ↑ "GIGIL Agency wins a bronze in 2022 Clio Awards" . mb.com.ph . April 23, 2022. Archived from the original on January 8, 2023 . Retrieved January 9, 2023 . Official RC Cola International site Keurig Dr. Pepper website Hires Root Beer RC Cola Diet Rite Nehi Stewart's Fountain Classics Diedrich Coffee Gloria Jean's Coffees Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Timothy's World Coffee Nantucket Nectars ReaLemon/ReaLime 1905 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state) American cola brands Caffeinated soft drinks Keurig Dr Pepper brands Products introduced in 1905 Articles with short description Short description is different from Wikidata Wikipedia indefinitely move-protected pages Use American English from April 2026 All Wikipedia articles written in American English Use mdy dates from June 2021 Articles with hRecipes Articles with hProducts All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from October 2025 CS1 errors: ISBN Articles with unsourced statements from December 2025 Articles needing additional references from February 2020 All articles needing additional references CS1 maint: deprecated archival service Articles needing additional references from April 2008 Commons category link is on Wikidata