Diet Coke, also known as Coca-Cola Light or Coca-Cola Light Taste in some markets, is a sugar-free and low-calorie diet soda produced and distributed by the Coca-Cola Company. Introduced on July 8, 1982, it was the first new brand since the company's creation in 1886 to use the Coca-Cola trademark. Diet Coke quickly gained popularity and became a cultural symbol for some.
Origins and Development
When diet colas first entered the market, beginning with No-Cal in 1958, the Coca-Cola Company had a long-standing policy to use the Coca-Cola name only on its flagship cola. Its diet cola was named Tab when it was released in 1963. Rival Pepsi had no such qualms, and after the long-term success of its sugar-free Diet Pepsi (launched in 1964) became clear, Coca-Cola decided to develop a competing sugar-free brand under the Coca-Cola name that could be marketed more easily than Tab. Launched in 1982, Diet Coke was a groundbreaking beverage for Coca-Cola. The market for diet drinks was booming, and their original sugar-free option, Coca-Cola Tab, had declining sales. Sugar-free alternatives were the rage in the early 80s as "health consciousness" and "weight management" were gaining momentum and knowledge linking sugar consumption to health problems was growing. The company began developing a different diet cola to replace Tab from 1975, which would have a renewed brand image and respond to the demand for a diet drink with better taste.
Through “Project Kansas,” scientists at the Atlanta headquarters refined TaB’s formula, replacing saccharin with Aspartame to eliminate the metallic aftertaste. The team packaged its new creation in distinctive silver cans with red lettering-the first use of the Coca-Cola brand name on a new product since 1886. The use of artificial sweeteners as a cheaper substitute for cane sugar saved the company around $100 million a year.
Coca-Cola unveiled Diet Coke as a strategic expansion of its low-calorie drinks portfolio, building on its earlier success with TaB. Until that point, extending the Coca‑Cola Trademark to another brand had been a no-no. Diet Coke was pegged a top priority. Goizueta green-lighted the Diet Coke project, which shifted quickly from planning to implementation.
Rise to Prominence
In the United States, Diet Coke held a market share of 11.7% in 1991, compared to 20.0% for Coca-Cola Classic and 18.4% for Pepsi-Cola. By 1992, the product was available in 117 markets worldwide with a unit case volume of 1.25 billion. By the end of 1983, Diet Coke was the No. and the top soft drink brand among women. At the end of 1984, Diet Coke displaced 7UP as the No. behind Coca‑Cola and Pepsi - a position it held until the end of 2010 when it overtook Pepsi.
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International Variations
Since its inception in 1982, Diet Coke has been the product name in Coca-Cola's home country, the United States, and a number of other countries. Other countries, such as Germany (then West Germany), have used the Coca-Cola Light name since the beginning. This name is now most common in most of Europe, the Middle East, Latin America, and Asia. In many countries including Italy, Mexico and the Netherlands, the product originally launched in 1983-84 under the "Diet Coke" name, but would later switch to the "Coca-Cola Light" name in the early 1990s.
Ingredients and Sweeteners
Diet Coke is a cola drink containing artificial sweeteners, primarily aspartame, instead of sugar. It was sweetened with aspartame, an artificial sweetener that became available in the United States in 1983. Early on, to reduce costs, this was blended with saccharin. After Diet Rite cola advertised its 100 percent use of aspartame, and the manufacturer of NutraSweet warned that the NutraSweet trademark would not be made available to a blend of sweeteners, Coca-Cola switched the formula to 100 percent aspartame. Other than sweeteners, Diet Coke differs from Coca-Cola by having a higher amount (approximately 33% more) of caffeine.
In 2005, under pressure from retailer Walmart (which was impressed with the over-the-counter popularity of Splenda sweetener), the company released a new formulation called "Diet Coke sweetened with Splenda". Sucralose and acesulfame potassium replaced aspartame in this version. Diet Coke with Splenda contained 2.83 mgs of caffeine per fluid ounce.
Marketing and Advertising
Coca-Cola has used various slogans throughout Diet Coke's history to advertize the product, both in the United States and internationally. Coca-Cola used the slogan "Just for the taste of it!" for almost all years between its 1982 launch and at least 1997, and has been accompanied with an iconic jingle. A version of the song was also performed by Elton John and Paula Abdul in an ad at Super Bowl XXIV. A famous advert of the brand was "Diet Coke Break" in 1994 featuring Lucky Vanous, from which point on the brand became targeted primarily at women. The drink's all-silver can color, which has been in use since 1997, has been considered iconic and a distinctive design.
The first-ever Diet Coke commercial was filmed in 1982 at Radio City Music Hall in New York after a gala event for bottlers and key customers. The commercial looked like the Oscars and the Rockettes danced on stage in front of a giant can of Diet Coke. A year after its launch, Diet Coke was the most popular diet soft drink in the United States, and the most popular soft drink amongst women. As any good company would do, their marketing department decided to lean heavily into their key audience: women.
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From 2010 to 2014, "Stay Extraordinary" was the main slogan in use. Coca-Cola launched the "You're on" campaign in 2014. However it was soon dropped after it was mocked, due to its unintentional drug reference (cocaine). Later that year, "Get a Taste" was introduced, asking the question "what if life tasted this good?". This campaign lasted until 2018. In 2018, Diet Coke launched the "Because I can." slogan and campaign at the same time as a major rebrand and the addition of new flavors.
Cultural Impact and Endorsements
Diet Coke has had a significant cultural impact, including links with healthiness and wellness but also negative connotations in regards to body image. It has achieved high popularity in certain circles with loyal fans, including in popular culture. Victoria Beckham, Dua Lipa and Bill Clinton are known fans of the drink, and Donald Trump notably has a dedicated button for Diet Coke in his presidential office. The drink has been known to be the choice of "it girls", and has been popular in the fashion scene. There is a distinct societal divide between those who love Diet Coke and those who do not. Its distinct taste and aura placed the soda at the top of the American beverage hierarchy. Diet Coke elicits images of Americana, frivolity, and glamour.
Health Concerns and Benefits
Diet Coke (and rivals like Diet Pepsi) have capitalized on the markets of people who require low sugar regimens, such as diabetics and people concerned with calorie intake. As one of the most intensively scrutinized food additives, the safety of aspartame has been studied since its discovery. Aspartame has been deemed safe for human consumption by the regulatory agencies of many countries. Nevertheless, since its inception the drink has been scrutinised by some with claims that it is harmful in various ways, such as that it can dehydrate and increase food cravings.
Research on Diet Coke has revealed a mix of health concerns and benefits. Although the drink offers zero calories and doesn’t spike blood sugar, studies have linked its consumption to several health concerns, including metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular issues, dental erosion, decreased bone density, and potential gut microbiome disruption. The drink does aid in calorie control and sugar reduction; however, its artificial sweeteners may paradoxically contribute to weight gain by altering hunger signals and sweet food cravings.
Variations and Flavors
Diet Coke has expanded into many different flavors while maintaining its iconic silver-and-red design. The following variations have been introduced over the years:
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- The original variety
- Diet Coke without the caffeine
- Diet Coke with a vanilla flavor
- Diet Coke with Splenda
- Diet Coke with a combination of Ginger and Lime flavors
- Diet Coke with a Mango flavor
- Diet Coke with a Blood Orange flavor, similar to Coca-Cola Light Sango
- Diet Coke with a combination of Ginger and Lemon flavors
- Diet Cherry Coke
- Diet Coke with Lemon
- Diet Coke with Lime
- Diet Coke Plus
- Diet Coke Feisty Cherry
- Diet Coke Twisted Mango
- Diet Coke Zesty Blood Orange
- Diet Coke Strawberry Guava
- Diet Coke Blueberry Acai
The Launch
Diet Coke existed only on paper for months, but mock-ups of the initial packaging graphics gave the brand a visual identity. The team built a makeshift grocery aisle inside an abandoned syrup plant next to company headquarters to see how the designs would look on the shelf alongside other brands. The core Diet Coke demographic was baby boomers who were getting 20 years older and 20 pounds heavier. SSC&B’s extensive consumer research revealed several key insights that steered the brand’s marketing strategy.
Six lead markets - New York, Jacksonville (Fla.), San Diego, Minneapolis, Denver and Baltimore - were selected to debut the brand. Coca‑Cola held a high-profile press conference in New York City on July 8, 1982. A week later - before the first case had been delivered - 75 percent of the area population was aware of Diet Coke’s imminent introduction. Diet Coke’s first TV commercial had to define the character of the brand and make a bold statement. The spot was filmed on July 29, 1982 at Radio City Music Hall in New York after a gala event for bottlers and key customers.
Diet Coke in Germany
Coca-Cola Light in the 0.33 L can has not been part of their product range in Germany since the end of March 2022. Coca-Cola Light will continue to be available in PET single-use, PET reusable, and glass reusable bottles.
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