For Mexican juice producer and beverage maker Jumex, the return of Odwalla is about more than reviving one of premium juice’s pioneering brands.
Five years after it was discontinued by Coca-Cola and sold to PE firm Full Sail in 2020, Odwalla is back through a licensing deal with Jumex that sees the Mexican company taking over brand development and production. Its comeback begins this spring with the launch of smoothies in 13.9 oz. glass bottles — Mango, Strawberry-Banana and Berries varieties — alongside three 100% juices in 16 oz. and 34.2 oz. cartons. The camper bus at the brand’s Expo West booth was a nod to the original company’s roots in jazz, a sign that Odwalla is leveraging high awareness and affinity for its storied past.
In this interview from the show, Carlos Madrazo, country manager for Jumex’s growing U.S. division, explained how Odwalla reflects the parent company’s ambitions to develop and expand beyond its core business in nectars.