I have never tasted an Orbitz soft drink. What are those little balls made of, anyway? But I have to say I was amazed when I first saw them lined up in the convenience store, a tiny fruit colored universe in each one. They seemed so surreal. They were so beautiful, I thought, why would anyone want to drink them? That Orbitz existed at all seemed like a true subversive victory. I love it when some really crazy idea somehow makes it through the defenses of those used to making more sensible decisions, like when the CIA tried to off Castro with an exploding cigar. Plus, the mere fact that Orbitz existed meant that someone, somewhere, was getting paid to sit around and come up with goofball ideas. As someone who sat around coming up with goofball ideas for free, this appealed to me a great deal.
Orbitz also struck me as a rare application of imagination in a world increasingly cluttered with disposable crap, created without a second thought to any sort of aesthetic whatsoever. Not that Orbitz were not disposable crap, but at least they were imaginatively designed disposable crap. The funny thing is, they stand the test of time surprisingly well. I bought my first bottle of Orbitz to compliment my roommates snowglobe collection. It was the red and white Orbitz, and it looked lovely with the sun shining through it. The yellow, and then the orange Orbitz followed. I received my final pink Orbitz as a gift, to round out the collection. Shortly thereafter, they disappeared from the
market.
