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Iconic ‘Lilt Ladies’ go viral as Coca-Cola axes brand in favour of Fanta remake – do you remember them?
AS FIZZY drink Lilt vanishes from UK shelves many are paying tribute to the Lilt Ladies - the faces of the tangy drink in the 1990s.
The soft drink has been scrapped by The Coca Cola Company after nearly 50 years.
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It was announced that the beverage would be rebranded as new flavours of Fanta - and tomorrow the refreshed name and packaging will roll into stores.
Launched with the alliterative strapline "the totally tropical taste", the fruity can of pop was sold in the UK, Ireland, Gibraltar and Seychelles from 1975.
The public have had a long standing affinity with the drink through its colourful and humorous television adverts.
One such ad featured the 'Lilt man' distributing cans of the tangy drink to beach revellers in 1988.
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Lilt was then promoted by two Jamaican women - Blanche Williams and Hazel Palmer - who become known as the unmistakeable 'Lilt Ladies' in the 1990s.
A feature of popular culture, the pair's hearty cheer and charisma endeared them to the public.
Both received a MOBO award for Best TV Advert Actress.
On Twitter, Lilt enthusiasts assembled to mourn the discontinuation.
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One said: "Aww, that's a shame. The Lilt Ladies were iconic."
Another fumed: "Personally, I want to know what the Lilt Ladies think about this nonsense."
One user quipped: "Hasn't tasted good since the Lilt Ladies stopped making it."
Some Lilt fans are fearful that the beverage's remarketing will lead to a radical shift in the drink's flavour.
But Martin Attock, CCEP GB VP of commercial development, stepped forward 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".
He said: “It’s still bursting with tangy tropical flavours. It’s just got itself a new name."
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