The Rise, Fall, And Resurgence Of Snapple Elements

When it comes to iconic drink companies, few are able to reach the popularity and status that Snapple has. Known for its juices, teas, and trivia-branded caps, Snapple has earned its way into the hands and hearts of customers worldwide.

In 1999, Snapple entered new territory with a bold drink product line: Snapple Elements. Named after elements of the Earth, this drink line became a huge hit amongst young customers due to its unique flavors and innovative product design. However, just 6 short years after its initial launch, Snapple Elements were pulled from production altogether.

17 years later in 2022, fans of Snapple Elements were delighted to hear that the company was bringing back the product. The announcement ignited an online frenzy for this nostalgic revival, with many debating whether or not the return met the standards and audience appeal of the original line. So what happened to this once-abandoned product, and what led to its ultimate return? Let's dive into the rise, fall, and eventual resurgence of Snapple Elements.

In 1972, Arnie Greenberg, Leonard Marsh, and Hyman Golden, joined forces to create an American drink company that would go on to forever change the industry. Originally named Unadulterated Food Products, Snapple became the new company name when the founders combined the words "snappy" and "apple."

This trio of childhood friends dreamed of creating a beverage that was delicious and all natural. From the backrooms of Greenberg's family pickle store in Queens, they worked to create Snapple's first product. Their first drink, an apple-flavored soft drink, struggled in production after early batches exploded due to pressure buildup from the fermentation of the fruit drinks. Thankfully, the group did not give up, and instead steered their sights towards non-carbonated packaged juice drinks instead.

It wasn't long before they began selling to their first Snapple customers, health food stores in New York City. Despite the drink industry being oversaturated and competitive, the company stood out thanks to the eclectic appearance of the bottles.

By 1992, Snapple had grown into a massive success, with drink lines available in supermarkets nationwide. In 1994, Snapple earned a colossal $674 million dollars in sales, making it clear that Snapple was not to be underestimated.

Capitalizing on their blossoming success in 1994, Greenberg, Marsh, and Golden added on Quaker Oats as an owner in hopes of further expanding their company's reach. Unfortunately, a series of product changes and marketing failures under this new leadership led to Snapple's sales taking a dramatic dip. After plunging to $440 million in sales in 1997, Quaker Oats sold its part of the brand Triarc Beverages.

The sale of Snapple to Triarc reportedly brought fresh life and excitement back into the Snapple brand. Triarc's marketing director, Ken Gilbert, shared with HBR: "We started out loving the brand the first day. I don't think that there was anyone at Quaker who had loved that brand, and it takes passion to get behind a brand and turn it around... We had respect and admiration for it, and now it was ours to run."

In its first few years of ownership, Triarc focused on bold marketing campaigns that capitalized on the original quirky essence of Snapple. In 1999, the company decided to push boundaries once again with the release of Snapple Elements, a line of teas inspired by earthly elements. The product line was a huge success amongst younger customers, and within months it accounted for 15% of Snapple's sales.

The initial launch of Snapple Elements featured flavors like Earth (grape cranberry), Rain (agave cactus), Fire (dragonfruit), and Sun (starfruit orange). The line eventually expanded to include flavors like Meteor (tangelo), Spark (mandarin carrot), Turbulence (shredded lemon), Atomic (jacked apple), Diet Air (prickly peach), Diet Ice (ruby tangelo), Velocity (grapefruit cranberry), Volcano (indigo grape), Voltage (citron), Sky (passion fruit), Gravity (carrot infusion), and Altitude (persimmon), as well as a tea line with flavors like Moon (green tea), Lightning (ginseng black tea), and Infusion (mango tangerine).

The line also added an Aluminum Energy Line, with flavors like Fire (dragonfruit with energy), Rain (agave cactus with energy), Meteor (tangelo with energy), Metal (blood orange), Venom (citrus), and Subzero (Siberian cherry). However, it was more than just the unique flavors that made this product line so popular.

The innovative glass bottle became an iconic symbol of the decade and was the defining feature of this drink line. It even earned a Beverage World's Globe Design Gold Award for best overall product design. In an interview with Packaging World, Mary Ellen Reis, VP of Triarc packaging at the time, shared: "We have tried to be on the leading edge of not only things that look good, but also taking advantage of new technologies."

The bottles became collectable for many of Snapple's younger customers. One Redditor recalled: "I remember saving these bottles in jr high as room decoration. I tried to get 1 of every flavor to display on my dresser." Eventually, the glass bottles were replaced with aluminum cans.

Despite their initial popularity, the Snapple Elements line was discontinued in 2005, likely due to a decline in sales. After 6 years on shelves, Snapple had moved on to new drink lines, leaving the once-beloved Snapple Elements in the past.

Despite the company ending production, a select group of dedicated fans continued to fight for this drink's return. A petition created in 2011 was even started on Change.org by some fans eager to bring this drink line back to life. It earned over 10,000 signatures, with the creator saying: "The Snapple Elements drinks (Earth, Rain, Sun, Fire) were some of the most amazing beverages around. Let's send a message to the Snapple Beverage Corp that they should bring these drinks back, recyclable glass bottle and all."

As with many other drinks and snacks from this time period, Snapple Elements likely benefited from '90s nostalgia. Nearly two decades later, Snapple Elements fans would finally get their wish.

In 2022, Snapple shocked fans by announcing that the drink would return in a new way. The line was limited, only including Elements Earth (Cherry and Fig Black Tea), Elements Air (Prickly Pear and Peach White Tea), Elements Fire (Dragon Fruit), and Elements Rain (Agave Cactus).

The package of the revived line is also notably different, with Snapple opting for a plastic bottle in a different shape and design. Also changed are the flavors of this new line, which are reportedly less sweet than the original releases.

In April of 2024, Snapple added another product to the Elements line, Elements Sun (Starfruit, Orange, and Nectarine). This flavor was promoted during the Eclipse, capitalizing on the exciting solar celebrations happening worldwide. This new product line was given a massive release, with the Snapple Elements line sold in grocery stores, drugstores, and pretty much anywhere you can buy packaged beverages.

The initial revival of the Snapple Elements line (which we tasted and ranked) came as a thrill to many fans due to the popularity of the original line. However, the relaunch did receive some pushback due to the fact that Snapple altered the flavors and design. One fan shared on Reddit: "I tried to support the initial three that were released, but they just taste so wildly different from what I remember."

The new line was also criticized for not bringing back the glass bottles, which aligned with a company-wide move to phase out its glass packaging beginning in 2017. The new plastic packaging, which is made of 100% recycled plastic, has been criticized by some fans who dislike plastic for environmental and aesthetic reasons. One commenter on Instagram wrote: "Wake up, Snapple! We need #bringbacktheglass now. Your plastic bottles are just greenwashing. With the whole world buzzing about plastic pollution at INC-4, it's high time for a change back to glass."

However, other customers enjoy the revived line and commend Snapple for listening to the desires of fans. One 5-star review of Elements Rain says: "Best flavor in Snapple history! I have been begging Snapple to bring this flavor back for at least 10 years. It is hands down the best flavor they've ever made, and a taste you never forget. THANK YOU, SNAPPLE!!." While this product's revival may be somewhat divisive, it is fascinating to see how the Snapple Elements line has evolved over the past 26 years to become what it is today.