It markets beverages under its flagship brand, Polar Beverages, and under the brands Adirondack Beverages, Polar Seltzer, and Cape Cod Dry. In addition to its own drinks, Polar bottles and distributes national brands for companies such as Keurig Dr Pepper. The company has two bottling plants and six distribution facilities; it also offers corporate water services and beverage vending equipment.[2]
It is a fourth-generation, family-owned business that traces its roots to 1882;[3] and is run by Ralph Crowley Jr.,[4] the great-grandson of founder Dennis M. Crowley.
History
Polar was founded by Ralph’s great-grandfather, Dennis Mark "Boss" Crowley.[5] The business began in the 1880s as the J. G. Bieberbach Company, a liquor company. In 1916, the company took on the Polar name. The company stopped selling whiskey during Prohibition and began selling carbonated beverages like waters, ginger ales and drys.[4] The company sits as a member of the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce.[1]
Products and Flavors
Polar Beverages produces drinks flavored with natural fruit flavors. An in-house drink mixologist creates 5 limited edition varieties at two separate times of year to incorporate new flavors.[6]
In July 2020, Polar partnered with Keurig Dr Pepper to expand their market nationwide. Under the partnership, the Crowley family retains company ownership with direct access to Keurig's delivery and marketing network.[8]
Mascot
Orson the Bear
A polar bear named Orson has been the company's mascot since 1902.[9] Next to the company's billboard near I-290 in Worcester, there is a large inflatable version of Orson, which can be seen smiling and "waving" to passersby. The oversized bear is tied down by wire, to keep the bear in place during rough weather, and to prevent theft. Orson has sometimes been stolen by local fraternities as a prank.[10]
Sponsorships
Polar Beverage's Seltzer line is an official drink of the US Sailing under a 3 year marketing partnership signed in 2024.[11]
Controversy
Conflict with Coca-Cola
In 1994, Polar made a TV commercial where a polar bear considers drinking a Coca-Cola, but throws it into a recycling bin marked, "Keep the Arctic pure." The polar bear then reaches down into the freezing Arctic water and pulls out a can of Polar Seltzer and drinks from it contentedly.[12] Coca-Cola filed a motion for an injunction against Polar in United States District Court in Boston, contending that the commercial made Coke's product appear impure.[13]
The court granted Coca-Cola's motion because the commercial "implied that Coke [was] not pure" and misrepresented the nature and quality of Coke, thereby potentially harming the soft drink irreparably.[12] The injunction required Polar to revise the ad. According to Polar, the judge's ruling affirmed the right of Polar to use a polar bear in its ads, but limited them from discarding the Coke can.[13]
