It was designed by Newcastle pharmacist called William Owen as a way of delivering quick, digestible energy and fluids to anyone made sick by a host of common illnesses such as the common cold and influenza. It is made out of glucose syrup to provide a source of energy to people who were ill. Lucozade original name was Glucozade until 1929, when the removed the first letter from Glucozade.
Lucozade was a big hit and the Beecham Company (who merged with SmithKline many years later) acquired the brand in 1938 and sold as Lucozade, an energy drink for the sick.
It wasn't until the mid-1980s that the manufacturer realized that it could sell Lucozade as more than just a drink for sick people. The distinctive sweet citrus-flavored drink underwent significant rebranding in 1983, when the slogan ‘Lucozade aids recovery’ was replaced by ‘Lucozade replaces lost energy’ to change its association with illness to good health and wellbeing.
The company re-positioned the brand as a drink to replace lost energy, developed new flavors, and tripling their sales to £75 million in the process.
History of Lucozade, the first sports drink
History of Lucozade, the first sports drink
