Drinks giant Asahi has quietly scrapped its plans to release Alcopop-Tops after the heat Hard Solo has copped since releasing its 4.5% lemon squash.
After complaints from the public, Hard Solo, also owned by Asahi, has been forced to change its name. With many thousands of angry do-gooders also vowing to boycott the soft drink over its release.
A spokesperson for Asahi told The Times that it heard the public’s concerns over marketing alcohol to kids “loud & clear” and upon reflection perhaps Alcopop-Tops were a step in the wrong direction. Adding,
“We didn’t really expect the backlash to Hard Solo, after all, most memories people have of pub squash is getting a middie bought for you while your parents neglected you at the pub growing up. We thought it was a natural fit but yeah Pop Tops are pretty much the domain of school lunchboxes”
We spoke to a marketing expert who said the AlcoPop-Tops were likely to be a success but attract the “wrong kind of market”. Adding,
“Solo is obviously a grey area as plenty of adults love that sweet nectar but how many adults do you see buying Pop Tops? Parents or paedos mate, no real in-between”
Asahi has promised to focus on its core line of drinks clearly made for children – Cruisers. With many in the industry saying they nailed it with that drink and there was simply no need for make AlcoPop-Tops when they basically exist in Cruiser form anyway.
We spoke to a 7 year old boy who said he was “disappointed” Asahi bowed to cancel culture and scrapped the line. Adding,
“My parents told me that they used to rub a bit of brandy on my gums to help me sleep as a kid! So an AlcoPop-Top could really help me sleep but probably won’t help my bed-wetting much”
So there you have it, the 8% alcoholic Pop Top in a range of delicious fruit flavours will not be released this summer. Truly devastating news.
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