Tizer
Encyclopedia
Tizer is a red-coloured soft drink
sold in the United Kingdom
. The name originally comes from the phrase 'Tizer the Appetizer'. It was launched in 1924 by Fred Pickup of Manchester
when it was known as 'Pickup's Appetizer'. After the death of Pickup it was owned by the Armour Trust before being sold to the Scottish drinks company A.G. Barr plc for £2.5 million in 1972. As is the case with Barr's other famous drink Irn-Bru
, Tizer's exact recipe has not been made public, although a list of ingredients and nutritional data is given on the product's packaging. In the late 1990s, Tizer decided to sale other-flavoured versions of Tizer, such as "Purple" and "Green" versions There was also a brief "fruitz" varation of Tizer. From 1996 to 2007, Tizer was stylized as T!zer.
In 2007 Tizer was re branded with the slogan 'Original Great Taste' and a classic Tizer recipe with fewer additives and no E numbers. It was also given classic style packaging without the "Ed The Head" character. However, despite the relaunch making great play of the addition of real fruit juice and the absence of artificial flavourings, colourings and sweeteners, the recipe was reverted in 2009 to remove the real fruit juice and reintroduce natural flavourings, natural colours and sweeteners (Acesulfame-K). Tizer was rebranded in 2011 with a new logo and the slogan "The Great British Pop".
Tizer sponsored a roller coaster
in Southport
called the 'Traumatizer'. The ride was closed with the park in 2006 and relocated to Blackpool
, where it became known as Infusion
.
, giving it the sensation of tasting cold, even at room temperature. Later branded "Ice by Tizer", the product did not sell well and was removed from sale.
A 1999 print advertisement which showed children with their faces pressed against a glass surface with the slogan "How many kids can you get in your fridge?" was criticised as "inappropriate" by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents
, which had recorded deaths of children trapped inside refrigerators.
bearing the Tizer Diet logo, designed to make the viewer appear thinner.
wearing star-shaped sunglasses at a disco, the advert finishing with the slogan "You can tell it's Tizer when your eyes are shut". A 1986 campaign used the slogan, "I'se got the Ize". A campaign in the early 1990s featured a character filmed in black in white against a bubbly red backdrop, who would say word fragments such as 'appe', 'adver', 'depu' and 'chaz' - words which could be completed with 'tizer' as a suffix.
In the mid-1990s, Tizer was rebranded, and the cans and bottles were redesigned to feature a new logo and a mascot, known as "Tizer Head" and later "Ed the Head". Ed appeared as a red-coloured human head, the top of which was opened so that Tizer could be poured in.
In 1997, Tizer sponsored The Chart Show
. Short Tizer adverts would be used at the start of all episodes of the programme, which would segue into the opening titles for The Chart Show. For these adverts viewers would send in pictures of their heads, the best one being chosen to be the new Tizer head. The opening advert featured a head laughing maniacally. The adverts received some criticism, as they were intentionally played at random moments during the titles and end credits, interrupting the show. The slots were eventually dropped, and as part of 'The Vault' repeats, the sponsorships were either blurred or edited out of the title sequences and end credits.
From 1999-2003, Tizer sponsored the CD:UK
music show. Short advertisements were used at the start and end of the programme, with bumper adverts during commercial breaks. The first set of idents showed a fridge automatically open to reveal Ed the Head. During 2001 and 2002, the ads featured the Tizer Head asking questions to contestants in a style similar to the quiz show Mastermind
. In mid-2002, the sponsor ad showed Ed the Head singing about being "your bestest buddy", in various situations. This ran until November 2003 when the "itzred" campaign launched.
As part of a rebranding process in 2003, the cans were changed to red and Ed the Head's expression was changed to that of a smiling face. The ads featured a chef battling a lobster, a bunch of gorillas and monkeys drawn in the style of the Gorillaz
artwork. In 2004, Tizer aired a campaign depicting a red chameleon
remaining the same colour despite a number of different coloured backgrounds - the campaign's slogan was "No, we're not changing colour." The television adverts ended with Ed the Head appearing from the bottle and saying "Tizer, it's a red thing".
Tizer are known for their distribution of drink fridges, both full-sized ones for restaurants, shops and cafés, and smaller "mini-fridges" for public sale. Their full-sized, illuminated drink fridges from 1997-2003 were blue, whilst 2003-2007 fridges were red. They also distribute mobile can coolers, normally for usage in shops, and vending machine
s.
Tizer was also sold at the discontinued Pizza restaurant chain, Pizzaland
. In 1995, cans of Tizer offered that the specific can was "worth £1 at Pizzaland
" when £4 or more was spent. That same year, Tizer were responsible for the "£150,000 worth of hi-tech prizes" competition, one of the biggest soft drink competitions at the time.
For the slogans "Refresh Your Head" and "Freeze Your Head", the 'R' in Red, and the 'E' and 'D' in Head, are highlighted so they spell out the word "Red".
mentions the soft drink, as does the 1983 song "Party, Party" by Elvis Costello
and the 1991 song "King Leer" by Morrissey
. In Billy Connolly
's "Casual Vomit" Sketch, found on The Best Comedy Album Ever; Bacardi
and Tizer is mentioned as the ingredients in a vomit inducing pint. Ant & Dec
's music video for their song "We're on the Ball" features a sticker-advert for Tizer at the start of the video on a fridge.
Soft drink
A soft drink is a non-alcoholic beverage that typically contains water , a sweetener, and a flavoring agent...
sold in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. The name originally comes from the phrase 'Tizer the Appetizer'. It was launched in 1924 by Fred Pickup of Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
when it was known as 'Pickup's Appetizer'. After the death of Pickup it was owned by the Armour Trust before being sold to the Scottish drinks company A.G. Barr plc for £2.5 million in 1972. As is the case with Barr's other famous drink Irn-Bru
Irn-Bru
Irn-Bru is a carbonated soft drink produced in Westfield, Cumbernauld, Scotland. It is made by A.G. Barr of Glasgow since moving out of their original Parkhead factory in the mid-1990s and at a second manufacturing site in Mansfield, England...
, Tizer's exact recipe has not been made public, although a list of ingredients and nutritional data is given on the product's packaging. In the late 1990s, Tizer decided to sale other-flavoured versions of Tizer, such as "Purple" and "Green" versions There was also a brief "fruitz" varation of Tizer. From 1996 to 2007, Tizer was stylized as T!zer.
In 2007 Tizer was re branded with the slogan 'Original Great Taste' and a classic Tizer recipe with fewer additives and no E numbers. It was also given classic style packaging without the "Ed The Head" character. However, despite the relaunch making great play of the addition of real fruit juice and the absence of artificial flavourings, colourings and sweeteners, the recipe was reverted in 2009 to remove the real fruit juice and reintroduce natural flavourings, natural colours and sweeteners (Acesulfame-K). Tizer was rebranded in 2011 with a new logo and the slogan "The Great British Pop".
Tizer sponsored a roller coaster
Roller coaster
The roller coaster is a popular amusement ride developed for amusement parks and modern theme parks. LaMarcus Adna Thompson patented the first coasters on January 20, 1885...
in Southport
Southport
Southport is a seaside town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in Merseyside, England. During the 2001 census Southport was recorded as having a population of 90,336, making it the eleventh most populous settlement in North West England...
called the 'Traumatizer'. The ride was closed with the park in 2006 and relocated to Blackpool
Blackpool
Blackpool is a borough, seaside town, and unitary authority area of Lancashire, in North West England. It is situated along England's west coast by the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre estuaries, northwest of Preston, north of Liverpool, and northwest of Manchester...
, where it became known as Infusion
Infusion (roller coaster)
Infusion is an inverted steel roller coaster at Pleasure Beach, Blackpool in Blackpool, Lancashire, England. It is the first inverted coaster to be suspended entirely over water...
.
Tizer Ice
'Tizer Ice' was launched in the late 1990s. The drink included mentholMenthol
Menthol is an organic compound made synthetically or obtained from peppermint or other mint oils. It is a waxy, crystalline substance, clear or white in color, which is solid at room temperature and melts slightly above. The main form of menthol occurring in nature is -menthol, which is assigned...
, giving it the sensation of tasting cold, even at room temperature. Later branded "Ice by Tizer", the product did not sell well and was removed from sale.
A 1999 print advertisement which showed children with their faces pressed against a glass surface with the slogan "How many kids can you get in your fridge?" was criticised as "inappropriate" by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents
Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents is a British charity which aims to promote safety. It is particularly known for its vocal campaigns on issues of road safety, including Tufty the road crossing squirrel, the Cycling Proficiency Test and the Green Cross Code, as well as on issues of...
, which had recorded deaths of children trapped inside refrigerators.
Tizer Diet
Tizer Diet was a short lived low-calorie alternative to Tizer. Its 2001 advertising campaign included a bus shelter advertisement in the form of a funhouse mirrorCurved mirror
A curved mirror is a mirror with a curved reflective surface, which may be either convex or concave . Most curved mirrors have surfaces that are shaped like part of a sphere, but other shapes are sometimes used in optical devices...
bearing the Tizer Diet logo, designed to make the viewer appear thinner.
Advertising
Tizer has been advertised under various slogans. One 1982 television advertisement for the drink featured dwarf actor David RappaportDavid Rappaport
David Stephen Rappaport was an English actor, probably one of the best known dwarf actors in television and film...
wearing star-shaped sunglasses at a disco, the advert finishing with the slogan "You can tell it's Tizer when your eyes are shut". A 1986 campaign used the slogan, "I'se got the Ize". A campaign in the early 1990s featured a character filmed in black in white against a bubbly red backdrop, who would say word fragments such as 'appe', 'adver', 'depu' and 'chaz' - words which could be completed with 'tizer' as a suffix.
In the mid-1990s, Tizer was rebranded, and the cans and bottles were redesigned to feature a new logo and a mascot, known as "Tizer Head" and later "Ed the Head". Ed appeared as a red-coloured human head, the top of which was opened so that Tizer could be poured in.
In 1997, Tizer sponsored The Chart Show
The Chart Show
The Chart Show is a music video programme which ran in the UK on Channel 4 between 1986 and 1988, then on ITV between 1989 and 1998. The production company was Video Visuals, and was credited as "A Yorkshire Television Presentation" from 1993 and 1998...
. Short Tizer adverts would be used at the start of all episodes of the programme, which would segue into the opening titles for The Chart Show. For these adverts viewers would send in pictures of their heads, the best one being chosen to be the new Tizer head. The opening advert featured a head laughing maniacally. The adverts received some criticism, as they were intentionally played at random moments during the titles and end credits, interrupting the show. The slots were eventually dropped, and as part of 'The Vault' repeats, the sponsorships were either blurred or edited out of the title sequences and end credits.
From 1999-2003, Tizer sponsored the CD:UK
CD:UK
CD:UK was a British music television programme. Originally run in conjunction with SMTV Live, the programme was first aired on ITV on 29 August 1998 to rival the BBC's Live & Kicking and was the replacement for The Chart Show, which had been airing on the network for nine and a half years.In...
music show. Short advertisements were used at the start and end of the programme, with bumper adverts during commercial breaks. The first set of idents showed a fridge automatically open to reveal Ed the Head. During 2001 and 2002, the ads featured the Tizer Head asking questions to contestants in a style similar to the quiz show Mastermind
Mastermind
-In psychology:* Genius* Mastermind , one of the 16 role variants that the Keirsey Temperament Sorter is based on* INTJ , a Myers-Briggs Type Indicator-In games:* Mastermind, classic board game...
. In mid-2002, the sponsor ad showed Ed the Head singing about being "your bestest buddy", in various situations. This ran until November 2003 when the "itzred" campaign launched.
As part of a rebranding process in 2003, the cans were changed to red and Ed the Head's expression was changed to that of a smiling face. The ads featured a chef battling a lobster, a bunch of gorillas and monkeys drawn in the style of the Gorillaz
Gorillaz
Gorillaz is an English musical project created in 1998 by Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett. This project consists of Gorillaz music itself and an extensive fictional universe depicting a "virtual band" of cartoon characters...
artwork. In 2004, Tizer aired a campaign depicting a red chameleon
Chameleon
Chameleons are a distinctive and highly specialized clade of lizards. They are distinguished by their parrot-like zygodactylous feet, their separately mobile and stereoscopic eyes, their very long, highly modified, and rapidly extrudable tongues, their swaying gait, the possession by many of a...
remaining the same colour despite a number of different coloured backgrounds - the campaign's slogan was "No, we're not changing colour." The television adverts ended with Ed the Head appearing from the bottle and saying "Tizer, it's a red thing".
Tizer are known for their distribution of drink fridges, both full-sized ones for restaurants, shops and cafés, and smaller "mini-fridges" for public sale. Their full-sized, illuminated drink fridges from 1997-2003 were blue, whilst 2003-2007 fridges were red. They also distribute mobile can coolers, normally for usage in shops, and vending machine
Vending machine
A vending machine is a machine which dispenses items such as snacks, beverages, alcohol, cigarettes, lottery tickets, consumer products and even gold and gems to customers automatically, after the customer inserts currency or credit into the machine....
s.
Tizer was also sold at the discontinued Pizza restaurant chain, Pizzaland
Pizzaland
Pizzaland was a UK chain of pizza restaurants which was owned by United Biscuits and then by Associated Newspapers....
. In 1995, cans of Tizer offered that the specific can was "worth £1 at Pizzaland
Pizzaland
Pizzaland was a UK chain of pizza restaurants which was owned by United Biscuits and then by Associated Newspapers....
" when £4 or more was spent. That same year, Tizer were responsible for the "£150,000 worth of hi-tech prizes" competition, one of the biggest soft drink competitions at the time.
Slogans
- "You Can Tell It's Tizer When Your Eyes Are Shut" (1980, 1982)
- "I'se Got The Ize" (1986)
- "Refresh Your Head" (1996–2003)
- "!tz a Red Thing" (2004–2007)
- "Live the Red Life" (2004, for Ringtones site)
- "The Great British Pop" (2011–present)
- "Freeze Your Head" (1998, for Tizer Ice)
- "Don't Just Taste It. Feel It" (1999, for Ice from Tizer)
For the slogans "Refresh Your Head" and "Freeze Your Head", the 'R' in Red, and the 'E' and 'D' in Head, are highlighted so they spell out the word "Red".
Music
The 1974 song "Back in Judy's Jungle" by Brian EnoBrian Eno
Brian Peter George St. John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno , commonly known as Brian Eno or simply as Eno , is an English musician, composer, record producer, singer and visual artist, known as one of the principal innovators of ambient music.Eno studied at Colchester Institute art school in Essex,...
mentions the soft drink, as does the 1983 song "Party, Party" by Elvis Costello
Elvis Costello
Elvis Costello , born Declan Patrick MacManus, is an English singer-songwriter. He came to prominence as an early participant in London's pub rock scene in the mid-1970s and later became associated with the punk/New Wave genre. Steeped in word play, the vocabulary of Costello's lyrics is broader...
and the 1991 song "King Leer" by Morrissey
Morrissey
Steven Patrick Morrissey , known as Morrissey, is an English singer and lyricist. He rose to prominence in the 1980s as the lyricist and vocalist of the alternative rock band The Smiths. The band was highly successful in the United Kingdom but broke up in 1987, and Morrissey began a solo career,...
. In Billy Connolly
Billy Connolly
William "Billy" Connolly, Jr., CBE is a Scottish comedian, musician, presenter and actor. He is sometimes known, especially in his native Scotland, by the nickname The Big Yin...
's "Casual Vomit" Sketch, found on The Best Comedy Album Ever; Bacardi
Bacardi
Bacardi is a family-controlled spirits company, best known as a producer of rums, including Bacardi Superior and Bacardi 151. The company sells in excess of 200 million bottles per year in nearly 100 countries...
and Tizer is mentioned as the ingredients in a vomit inducing pint. Ant & Dec
Ant & Dec
Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly , known collectively as Ant & Dec, are an English comedy and TV presenting duo from Newcastle upon Tyne, England...
's music video for their song "We're on the Ball" features a sticker-advert for Tizer at the start of the video on a fridge.
Cultural references
- Tizer is mentioned in the penultimate episode of One Foot in the GraveOne Foot in the GraveOne Foot in the Grave is a BBC television sitcom series written by David Renwick. The show ran for six series, including seven Christmas specials, two Comic Relief specials, over an eleven year period, from early 1990 to late 2000...
(aired 13 November 2000), The Dawn of Men, in which one character jokes about drinking 6 pints of Tizer.
Variants
- Tizer (1924–present)
- Tizer Lemon (1995–1996)
- Tizer Ice (1998–1999)
- Ice by Tizer (1999) (Same as Tizer Ice, replacement)
- Diet Tizer (2001)
- Tizer Blue (2003)
- Tizer Green (2003)
- Tizer Yellow (2003)
- Tizer Fruitz (2004)