Snapple Tries to Cap the Rumors

Snapple Beverage Co. started an advertising campaign Wednesday against local rumors that the manufacturer of brewed iced teas and soft drinks supports the Ku Klux Klan and Operation Rescue, the militant anti-abortion group.

“We are not involved in any way whatsoever with the KKK, Operation Rescue or any other type of pressure group or organization, period,” said the ad appearing in major Northern California newspapers.

Rumors about KKK involvement began circulating almost a year ago in the San Francisco Bay area, but the Valley Stream, N.Y.-based company had decided not to respond immediately.

One rumor suggests a small letter K on Snapple labels stands for the KKK. But the symbol means that Snapple, like Coca-Cola and thousands of other famous products, meets kosher dietary standards.

Another story says an illustration on the label of Snapple iced tea portrays ships bringing black slaves to America. But the illustration, from the Bettmann Archive, is a drawing of the Boston Tea Party.