Lipton® Celebrates 125th Anniversary With First-Ever Be More Tea™ Festival In North Charleston

ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J. and PURCHASE, N.Y., May 21, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- What was once a rare luxury took a revolutionary turn in 1890 when Lipton® (www.LiptonTea.com) made tea available to everyone. Now, 125 years later, billions of Lipton drinks are consumed each year in more than 150 countries, which translates to millions of Lipton drinks being consumed per day.

"Sir Thomas Lipton was a true pioneer when he began selling affordable, high-quality tea in 1890, which ultimately grew Lipton into a trusted household name across the globe," said Alfie Vivian, Vice President Refreshment and Foods at Unilever U.S. "We continue to embrace this spirit of ingenuity and commitment to quality as we reach this iconic milestone, and we look forward to celebrating our heritage with exciting partnerships that'll kick off the next 125 years."

Lipton is celebrating its 125th anniversary milestone with a number of activities that pay homage to the brand's rich past while introducing innovations that shape the future of tea. From new products, like the recent introduction of Lipton Sparkling Iced Tea, to consumer sampling activations, the brand continues to invest in quality to refresh and enhance the way tea lovers experience Lipton products.

Last year, Lipton introduced a secure box that is sturdier and easier to store with "Stay Fresh" packs that help preserve the natural aroma and taste of the tea bags. Coupled with the bright new look, the brand is using thousands of fewer trees and reducing millions of gallons of water in the paper making process. Lipton is also innovating with its anniversary in mind and will introduce a special 125-count bonus pack, which offers 25 extra tea bags of America's favorite classic blend later this month.

Be More Tea Festival Brings Brand Philosophy to Life
Lipton will celebrate its iconic anniversary all year, building up to the first Be More Tea Festival on Oct. 24, 2015, at the Riverfront Park at Naval Yard in North Charleston, South Carolina. This festival will feature live music, food, games, attractions – and, of course, tea -- that will inspire people to live life the tea way.

The festival will invite fans to experience a tea wonderland that celebrates the brand's past, present and future and will feature live music from today's most popular artists including Passion Pit, The Roots, Walk the Moon and St. Lucia.

The one-day event hopes to inspire attendees to Be More Tea, the brand's philosophy that encourages people to take time to engage with others and enjoy the world around them. With Lipton tea, people can unlock experiences, creativity and inspiration, whether it's playtime, mealtime, travel time or any time in between.

"The epic Be More Tea Festival will help bring fans together for an exceptional celebration with music, food, fun and a few surprises – everything a festival should be about," said Melanie Watts, Director of Marketing at Pepsi Lipton Partnership. "The festival will bring to life exactly what it means to Be More Tea, and we can't wait for our fans to celebrate our 125th anniversary right along with us."

Fans nationwide can enter for a chance to win a trip to the festival at www.BeMoreTeaFestival.com. 

Celebrating 125 Days of Be More Tea
Lipton also welcomes tea drinkers to share their Be More Tea moments this summer. In honor of its anniversary, for 125 days from May 18 to Sept. 19, Lipton will host the Be More Tea Sweepstakes and will award 125 tea drinkers and guests with trips to attend the Be More Tea Festival. For information about how to enter the Be More Tea Sweepstakes, visit www.BeMoreTeaFestival.com.  

Join the Lipton conversation on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Tumblr.

About the Be More Tea Sweepstakes

• Fans who follow Lipton are invited to post a photo, video or GIF of any Lipton product or logo and tag @Lipton and #BeMoreTeaSweeps on Twitter and Instagram.
• Alternatively, consumers can enter the sweepstakes via an online form at www.BeMoreTeaFestival.com and sharing their name, phone number, email and date of birth. Consumers can also send these details and their favorite Lipton product via email to [email protected] to enter to win.
• Each day from May 18 to Sept. 19, one winner will be randomly selected.
• Consumers are eligible to submit one entry per day, per individual account, per social network.
• For full rules and details visit www.BeMoreTeaFestival.com.  

Media Contacts:
Stephanie Sternberg, Pepsi Lipton Partnership Communications 
914-253-2358
[email protected]

Jennifer Davis, Golin on behalf of Lipton
312-729-4248 
[email protected] 

About Unilever United States, Inc.
Unilever is one of the world's leading suppliers of Food, Refreshments, Home and Personal Care products with sales in more than 190 countries. In the United States, the portfolio includes brand icons such as: Axe, Ben & Jerry's, Breyers, Caress, Clear Scalp & Hair Therapy, Consort For Men, Country Crock, Degree, Dove personal care products, Fruttare, Good Humor, Hellmann's, I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!, Just for Me!, Klondike, Knorr, Lever 2000, Lipton, Magnum, Motions, Nexxus, Noxzema, Pond's, Popsicle, Promise, Q-tips, Simple, St. Ives, Suave, Talenti Gelato & Sorbetto, TIGI, TONI&GUY Hair Meet Wardrobe, TRESemme and Vaseline.  All of the preceding brand names are trademarks or registered trademarks of the Unilever Group of Companies.

Unilever employs approximately 8,000 people in the United States – generating approximately $8.5 billion in sales in 2014.

Unilever's Sustainable Living Plan (USLP) aims to double the size of its business, while reducing its overall environmental footprint and increasing positive social impact. The USLP is Unilever's strategic response to the challenges businesses face operating in an uncertain and volatile world. See more on the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan at http://www.unileverusa.com/sustainable-living/.

Unilever ranked number one in its sector on the 2014 Dow Jones Sustainability Index.

All of Unilever's global factory network, as well as its US non-manufacturing facilities, have achieved zero non-hazardous waste to landfill status.

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About PepsiCo
PepsiCo products are enjoyed by consumers one billion times a day in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. PepsiCo generated more than $66 billion in net revenue in 2014, driven by a complementary food and beverage portfolio that includes Frito-Lay, Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola, Quaker and Tropicana. PepsiCo's product portfolio includes a wide range of enjoyable foods and beverages, including 22 brands that generate more than $1 billion each in estimated annual retail sales.

At the heart of PepsiCo is Performance with Purpose – our goal to deliver top-tier financial performance while creating sustainable growth and shareholder value. In practice, Performance with Purpose means providing a wide range of foods and beverages from treats to healthy eats; finding innovative ways to minimize our impact on the environment and reduce our operating costs; providing a safe and inclusive workplace for our employees globally; and respecting, supporting and investing in the local communities where we operate. For more information, visit www.pepsico.com.

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SOURCE Lipton

Related Links

http://www.LiptonTea.com