"Drink Fix, it does good." This is one of the most successful slogans in product advertising, which succeeded easily - and with the brown Aliki Vougiouklaki in a leading role - to pass into the consciousness of the Greek, half a century and more ago. After all, she herself beer Fix was associated more than any other with the history of Greece, since here the idea for its creation was born.
A few days ago, Charles Fix passed away at the age of 92, descendant of the famous dynasty in Greek brewing. An emblematic businessman, who did not put it down in difficult times. Instead, he stood up and made plans for the next day, looking ahead to his life.
It did so in 1982, when the company collapsed under the weight of debt and its brand passed to the National Bank. Karolos Fix leaves Greece and moves with his family to Switzerland, tired - as the reports report - from the political-economic disputes he has been facing for a long time. He puts forward for his new professional plans, but also for the new life away from home.
And in these plans is the establishment of the investment company, Fix Asset Management (FAM). However, years later, in 2008, the biggest financial fraud (many called it the "stock market fraud of the century") came to light, starring Wall Street stockbroker Bernie Madoff, who had convinced thousands of investors and businessmen. and celebrities to hand over their savings to him, promising steady and high profits. Among his famous victims was the company of Karolos Fix, who had entrusted him with 400 million euros.
The history of the first brewery in Greece
The story begins in the distant 1850, starring John Fix (Fuchs, in German), the eldest son of George John. Fix John was born on January 3, 1832 in Mϋhldorf, Bavaria, where he studied the science of brewing. On a trip from Munich to see his father, who was a mining engineer in the lignite mines of Kimi and Lavrio, the young and shrewd 18-year-old Giannis, was heading to his paternal home, located on the outskirts of Athens, in the area where today it is New Heraklion and then it was called Magoufana. Fate, however, was to stigmatize him for the rest of his life.
So, as he approached, he heard gunshots in the street. In the area, as it was later informed, undisturbed robbers were circulating. He noticed that a man was found dead on the road. As he approached, he immediately recognized his father. The shock for young Giannis is huge. After the unfortunate death of his father, he makes the big and decisive decision to stay in Greece and to be active in various companies.
Giannis Fix, despite the economic situation that prevailed in Greece at that time, as well as the criticality of the time, takes the risk to proceed with an unknown product, for the country at that time. He founded the FIX brewery in 1864 and as the official supplier of the royal court, he was considered to have a monopoly position in the market and was recognized by the rest, who were then active in the newly established Athenian market.
The brewery is located in Kolonaki, which was a nearby suburb and the beer Fix soon won over the Greeks, became fashionable and spread throughout Athens. Fix opens his first large brewery on the slopes of Arditto. From the name of the brewery, "Mets" then took its name the area and keeps it to this day. The clientele is growing, the space is not enough and Ioannis Fix decides to move his house and shop to Syggrou Avenue. The small handicraft is growing day by day and in a few years it is evolving into a steam factory, equipped with the most perfect brewing machines of the time. In fact, it gave its name to the wider area.
In 1922 Karolos Fix dies, leaving the factory to his two sons, Giannis and Antonis. The two brothers worked to make the business even bigger. In the mid-1950s, a time of industrial reconstruction of the country, it is decided the radical renovation-reconstruction of the factory and the design of this project is commissioned by the Fix family to the architect Takis Zeneto, a pioneering representative of post-war modernism in Greece.
Alice drinks Fix beer and political unrest
It is the late 50's and Aliki Vougiouklaki has already taken her first steps in Greek cinema, with all the conditions to become a big star. At that time, she was still brown and in all her fresh face, the Fix family saw the perfect girl to advertise her beer.
In the ad, which is now collectible, the young Aliki called on the audience to give in to a glass of beer, with the slogan "Drink Fix, it does good". Until then, Fix was the market leader, but it was not long before the first problems that turned out and the beginning of the end of the historic beer by the family came.
Previously, Antonis Fix separated from the family, founding his own beer (Alpha). In the 60's, however, the political adventures began, which brought the fall. George Papandreou abolishes the monopoly, following the complaints of retailers, that the company was adopting extortionate practices, in order to promote its new line of carbonated drinks.
The government gives permission for the release of new products and so Heineken and Amstel enter the Greek market with a bang, almost throwing a century after Fix from the top.
And it was not just that. Ioannis Fix's widow, Marianthi, was married to Petros Garoufalias (best man in their marriage was George Papandreou), but his involvement in the Apostasy in '65 was fatally linked to the negative consequences of brewing. In fact, at that time the citizens paraphrased the slogan "Drink Fix, it does good" to "Drink Fix, it does harm". All these political upheavals, as well as the boycott, accumulated financial problems to bring about the bankruptcy in 1982. The signal passed the National, but not the prescription. As Karolos Fix had confessed in an interview with Christos Zambounis, she remains locked in a safe in Bavaria, being a family secret.
The Madoff scandal
In Switzerland, where the family settles, Karolos Fix devises his next business plans, founding Fix Asset Management. Things are going great, until the outbreak of 2008 the Madoff scandal, the "biggest scam of the century", as it is characterized.
Bernard Madoff was a "reputable" stockbroker who served as chairman of the board in the early 90s. on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange. And he had persuaded thousands of investors (including businessmen and Hollywood stars such as John Malkovich) to trust him with their savings, promising consistently high profits.
This financial fraud is the largest in American history and lasted for 17 years, when it was revealed in 2008 with Madoff sentenced to 150 years in prison. In fact, the size of the fraud is estimated by the US authorities at 65 billion dollars. Then it is revealed that one of the victims of the stockbroker was Karolos Fix, through the company of Fix Asset Management, which he had founded in collaboration with Giannis Empirikos, a descendant of the well-known shipping family.
The company had entrusted 400 million euros to Madoff and the revelation of the scandal leaves them surprised. After all, through Fix, Greek businessmen and not only, had collaborated with Madoff's "pyramid", investing their money in the high-risk economic program. However, FAM made it clear from the outset that it would claim the restoration of all of their assets associated with Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities by hiring a leading law firm.
Years after the collapse of the pyramid, Madoff's victims have taken back about 75% of their money. The Fix family, although they lost a lot of money, stressed that the damage was not catastrophic.
Today, Fix beer is released by "Olympic Brewery", while the historic Fix building in Syggrou is the museum of modern art.