Keen Soft Drink Mix

In the early 1960s, Americans were guzzling up soft drinks made from instant mixes to the tune of $80 million annually. footnote Thirsty consumers—mostly children—had plenty of options to choose from, with products like Twist, Tang, Jolly Aid, Fla-Vor-Aid, Funny Face, and Kool-Aid.

Keen was Nestlé's attempt to take a sip of that market share, initially introduced in 1960 as a lemonade mix. Additional flavors soon followed, to fairly positive reviews. Said one:

The orange is [...] a strong contender and a successful product. It has a sharp flavor, high color and mouth-feel. It doesn't have that fizz that provides the novelty for the young consumer." footnote

Similar to Kool Aid's anthropomorphic pitcher mascot, Keen's branding featured a cast of fruit-headed characters, one for each flavor: cherry, grape, lemon, orange, and tahiti punch. Unlike Kool-Aid, which was unsweetened until 1964, Keen was sold with sugar already added. (So croons the label: "Contains pure, wholesome sugar.")

In an attempt to compete next with Pillsbury's flourishing Funny Face drink mix, Nestlé rebranded the product in 1966 as Keen Chillers, packaged in envelopes alongside collectible trading cards. Keen's original fruity mascots were replaced by playful cartoon monsters, and children were invited to join the "Keen Chiller Club," which would entitle them to an official membership card, iron-on patches, and even "a secret Chiller sign." footnote Still, Keen never managed to find its hold in the market, and advertisements largely diminished by the end of the decade.