Fanta was created in Germany in 1940 when wartime restrictions limited Coca-Cola syrup supplies.
During World War II, Coca-Cola’s German operation could not obtain the syrup used for the original Coca-Cola formula because of trade restrictions. Max Keith, who managed Coca-Cola’s German business, authorized a locally produced substitute using available ingredients.
The resulting beverage was named Fanta, derived from the German word “Fantasie,” meaning imagination. Its early formulation differed from the modern orange-flavored Fanta familiar in many countries. The brand later became part of Coca-Cola’s international portfolio after the war.
Fanta is sometimes incorrectly described as having been launched first as a standard orange soda. Its wartime origin was more complicated: the original German drink was a substitute product made under severe supply constraints. Coca-Cola later developed and marketed Fanta in multiple flavors around the world.