Corona
In the early 1920s, Evans decided to rebrand his soft drinks and chose the name Corona.[3] A logo was devised consisting of seven wire topped bottles fanned to represent a crown over the new name (corona is Latin for crown). The brand was extremely successful and expanded across South Wales and at its peak, the company had 82 distribution depots and five factories, at Porth, Tredegar, Pengam, Maesteg and Bridgend. Although a common and popular sight throughout Wales, the horse-drawn wagons were phased out during the early 1930s and replaced by a fleet of motor vehicles. These vehicles, recognizable by their red and gold livery and Corona logo, were serviced and repaired by the company's own engineering shop attached to the Porth factory.[5] By 1934 the Porth depot had 74 vehicles and three years later that number had risen to 200.[6]
In 1934, William Evans died and the role of chairman and managing director was taken over by his brother Frank, a role he would maintain until 1940.[3] Under Frank Evans' management the company continued to grow and by the end of the decade the factories of Wales were producing 170 million bottles a year.[6] With the outbreak of war in 1939, many of Thomas and Evans motor vehicles were commandeered by the government for war service. This, along with petrol rationing, saw a brief reintroduction of the horse and wagon delivery service. With the end of the war in 1945, the company went back into full production and reintroduced a motorized fleet. In 1950, the firm launched Tango, an enduring brand that is still in production.[7]
In 1958, the company was bought by the Beecham Group who kept the Corona brand. Although production continued to be centralised in South Wales, depots began to appear all over the United Kingdom. Under new management Corona reached a new audience and during the 1960s was promoted by a series of television advertisements starring British singer and comedian Dave King.[8] With the rise of supermarkets in the late 1960s and 1970s, the public's shopping habits changed and the door-to-door sales reduced. During the 1970s, one of Corona's most memorable advertising campaigns used the slogan Every bubble's passed its FIZZical![9] In 1987 the company again changed hands, coming under the ownership of Britannia Soft Drinks, owners of Britvic.[9] The Welsh Hills plant in Porth was closed in 1987, with production being transferred to Bolton in Lancashire, England.[3][10]
