Fanta was created in wartime Germany in 1940.
During the Second World War, Coca-Cola’s German operation could no longer reliably obtain the ingredients needed for Coca-Cola syrup because of trade restrictions. Its managers developed a different soft drink using available materials, including fruit by-products and whey. The drink was named Fanta, derived from the German word “Fantasie,” meaning imagination.
The original wartime beverage was not identical to the bright orange Fanta sold internationally today. After the war, Coca-Cola reintroduced and developed Fanta as a global brand, with formulas and flavors varying by country. Orange became its best-known flavor in many markets.
Fanta is therefore a Coca-Cola brand, but its origin is separate from the creation of Coca-Cola in the United States. The wartime product was an example of local adaptation under supply constraints, not a rival brand later purchased by Coca-Cola.