FAMOUS ALL OVER THE WORLD
“We’re not trying to do something new, we’re just trying to do something right.”
This simple statement epitomises
exactly what Michael Pillon, Julie
Pillon and Robbie Ellis founders of
Famous Soda Co have achieved.
If you haven’t yet heard about
Famous Soda then what you are about
to read may one day be for you what
the moon landing was for me, a very
momentous event!
Both Michael, Julie and Robbie have
impressive business pedigrees which
have more than equipped them to make
Famous Soda, um well famous, but that
was not what motivated and inspired
them to enter the highly competitive
soda market.
They yearned for a soda brand
that everyone could enjoy one that
tasted good, and would not harm
you. Julie explains “As a nation and
also as members of the greater global
community, we are facing a huge
diabetes and obesity epidemic that
has been widely ignored. Sadly soft
drinks are typically loaded up with
preservatives and refined sugars to
create flavour and longer lasting shelf
life. We felt this wasn’t really fair. How
could we continue to watch the big
players in the market gamble with the
health and longevity of their customer’s
lives?”
So they took them on! “We decided
it was time to take matters into our
own hands and take the gamble at
creating our own range of sodas that
were far beyond a sugary soft drink but
something that tasted incredible and a
little bit naughty but didn’t compromise
on quality or health. Famous Soda
Co was born from the need to create
something that was far bigger than us,
something that lived on forever and was
always remembered.”
An exhaustive 18 months of research
followed, as they collaborated with the
finest industry specialists developing
their first range of sodas. “We knew
from the start it was going to be very
tough to create a product that had zero
sugar, made in Australia, and natural.
We managed to obtain all 3 objectives
as well as keeping our calories down to
only 8. Yes 8 calories.”
Not wanting to sugar coat things
Robbie says “Don’t worry, there were
plenty of hiccups along the way from
wrong labelling, ingredient issues, too
many to list. But like all good things, we
34 Complete Health
got there in the end and the result was
jaw dropping.”
In May 2018 Famous Soda went to
market with 3 sensational flavours,
Blood Orange, Lemon and Ginger Beer.
Their first batch was a resounding
success with both retailers and
customers falling head over heels in
love with Famous Soda Co. Michael and
Robbie’s gamble had paid off!
Far from resting on his laurels
Michael hit the road harnessing strong
support across the country with retailers
quickly jumping on board to stock the
brand.
In September 2018 they launched
their iconic Pink Lemonade which
Robbie describes as “an absolute
showstopper from the minute inception.
We both remember the day we first
tasted it and knew instantly it would be
a real game changer. We were right, it
was welcomed with open arms across
the nation, shared daily on Instagram as
the drink of choice by so many.”
Fame does of course come with
its own inherent problems, as their
success saw them quickly outgrow
their factory necessitating moving their
manufacturing to Melbourne. The upside
was they got the chance to produce with
the very best in the business!
By January of 2019 Famous Soda
Co was sold in every state in Australia,
and offers were coming in for them to
launch in the USA, Middle East and Asia,
but they remained focussed. “It was
important for us to get it right here first
before we even contemplated jumping
the gun and launching overseas. It was
important to create the best possible
product we could first, and then look at
international markets. So many brands
that have come before rush this process
and end up failing, Famous isn’t willing
to fail.”
In October they launched their 5th
flavour passionfruit, “we knew it was
going to be special. Thankfully we were
right and the first batch sold out on our
first week, well beyond our forecasts.
Passionfruit has quickly become a fan
favourite in our community, the perfect
soda for a long hot Aussie summer.
What is next for Famous Soda
Co? “We are always working on new
flavours which honestly take up a big
part of our time, perfecting recipes,
creating a strong flavour that enhances
our current range and offers our
customers a healthy alternative. We
never want to lose focus on the mission
we set out to achieve and make sure
we take everyone along with us on this
journey. We want to remain humble and
grateful but always having fun to the
very end.
We never want to compromise on
quality to save a dollar; Famous is and
always will be the best quality soda on
the market regardless of our bottom line.
We hope that Famous will be our
legacy, something that will outlive us all
and grow into a timeless classic loved
the world over.”