Akron soft drink Norka pops up in Peacock series ‘The Paper’
Mark J. Price, Akron Beacon Journal
Sat, October 18, 2025 at 6:05 AM EDT
You can’t buy advertising like this.
Akron soft drink maker Norka Beverage Co. is positively fizzy after making a high-profile appearance on “The Paper,” a Peacock original series that will join NBC’s schedule of fall comedies Nov. 10.
Norka’s soda pop is clearly visible in the pilot episode and official trailer for the mockumentary spinoff of “The Office.”
The documentary crew that formerly chronicled the Dunder Mifflin Paper Co. in Scranton, Pennsylvania, has relocated to Ohio, where its new focus is a struggling fictional newspaper called the Toledo Truth Teller.
During a lunch break, Editor Ned Sampson (played by Domhnall Gleeson) and reporter Mare Pritti (Chelsea Frei) discuss local coverage over 12-ounce bottles of orange Norka.
“It has been awesome exposure for us, to be honest,” Norka President Michael Considine acknowledged. “We’ve seen our online sales skyrocket since being on the show.”
Created by Greg Daniels and Michael Koman, the 10-episode series premiered Sept. 4 on Peacock and became a major hit for the streaming service. NBC will rerun the season in edited form at 8:30 p.m. Mondays beginning Nov. 10, which means millions more viewers will see it. Peacock has already ordered a second season.
NBCUniversal producers reached out to Considine in July 2024 to inquire about purchasing a variety of Norka sparkling beverages for a new series. The creators wanted to stock the set with Ohio-made products to lend authenticity to the show.
“I signed a release and shipped several cases out to Universal studio in California but at the time all they could really say was that it was a continuation of ‘The Office’ universe in a new setting,” he said.
“The Office” is one of Considine’s favorite TV shows so the mere possibility of glimpsing his product in a spinoff series was exciting.
“Then when they released the trailer for ‘The Paper’ this past September, I couldn’t believe it when we spotted Norka,” he said. “So cool.”
European immigrant Jacob Paquin founded Norka — Akron spelled backward — in 1924 and the bottling company operated on Spicer Street until 1962. Considine revived the brand in 2015.
Norka’s drinks are made with cane sugar and natural flavors. The current lineup includes cherry-strawberry, root beer, orange, ginger ale, lemon lime and natural spring water.
Locally, the beverages are sold at Acme, DeVitis Italian Market, the Peanut Shoppe and more than 80 locations, including restaurants, wineries, clubs and museums. The products are also available for purchase at https://www.norkabeverage.com/online/.
Considine said the TV show’s producers have been wonderful to work with and he’s already looking forward to the second season of “The Paper.”
There’s a chance that Norka could make cameos in future episodes.
When filming resumes, he’ll ship more cases to California.
Mark J. Price can be reached at mprice@thebeaconjournal.com