Miss Indian Tonic Water may have been inspired by Elizabeth Taylor.
I'll never be sure, of course, as the knowledge behind the picture has been lost to the ages, but it could be her.
It's not often that packaging really grabs my eye. I certainly don't collect things. But the limited edition Schweppes bottles are pretty. Really, really pretty.
Created as a vehicle to showcase Schweppes's history, the limited edition range certainly captures attention and imagination, engaging consumers in a creative way.
Acknowledging an existing trend towards vintage already in the market place, Schweppes brand manager Hanan Eissa told All Eaten Up that while it's not the first time Schweppes has showcased its 'Schweppicure girls', "it is the first time we've brought them to life in a packaging format in this way."
There are two lines in the range - the Vintage Range using vintage images on bottles of the traditional drinks of lemonade, Indian tonic water and soda water; and the Fashion range, created recently for the Agrum drinks of Blood Orange, Citrus Blend and White Grape & Passionfruit.
"With the Vintage Range, the intriguing fact is we do not know who the artists of these images are; they have long been lost, which adds the mystery and intrigue of these images," Eissa said. " All I can say that they are original Schweppes girls that were painted from the early 1920’s through to the 1950’s.
"With the Fashion Range, the artist is Toni Maticevski - the brief given to Toni was to create a modern version of the Schweppicure girls. His talent and intimate knowledge of the female form has added a contemporary twist to our Schweppes Agrum Collection."
Both trade and consumer uptake has been positive Eissa said, with various bars, restaurants and cafes that stock the range actually using the bottles as displays.
"They look fantastic, and consumers are also collecting them to display in their homes, so the response has been very positive," she said.
Now 225 years old, Schweppes has had a rich history since its inception in 1783, with numerous campaigns being held over the years. The one constant in the campaigns however, has been that Schweppes is a drink for grown ups.
"Schweppes has always been an adult drink, appealing to the stylish entertaining occasion," said Eissa. "Some campaigns have been cheeky, others have been stylish. Some of the most popular memorable campaigns are, of course, ‘the Secret is Schweppervescence’ - which was developed in 1831. The ‘Are you a Schweppicure’ was also a popular print campaign which used the images of the Schweppes pin-up/ Schweppicure girls in the 1920’s-1950’s, as well as the campaign ‘Schweppes lasts the whole drink through’. In the 1960’s it was the conspiratorial ‘Schhh… You know who’, which was revived again in the 1990’s.
"The current Schweppes campaign running in Australia is ‘a moment of Schweppervescence’ with the beautiful balloons bursting."
The campaigns appear to have done their jobs - Schweppes is still here. That alone is remarkable, however Eissa chalks down the brand's enduring relevance for more than two centuries to two simple things: it is loved, and it is highly perceived.
"Australian’s have memories of their parents drinking Schweppes, or of Schweppes lemonade, and associate the brand not only with their (childhood) but also with quality and sophistication. This has been a consistent theme throughout the history of Schweppes in Australia and overseas... It is a brand that is often integrated with various memories that people have of parties, occasions and even family dinners where Schweppes has been a part of that; so really, it is part of many histories. As a brand, Schweppes is timeless and can relate to various generations and drinkers."