Wikipedia

Coca-Cola Zero Sugar

Not to be confused with Diet Coke.

Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, commonly known as Coke Zero, is a diet cola produced by the Coca-Cola Company.[1]

Coca-Cola Zero Sugar
TypeDiet cola
ManufacturerThe Coca-Cola Company
Country of origin United States
Introduced2005
reformulated 2017
reformulated 2021
ColorCaramel E150d
FlavorCola
Variants
List
  • Coca-Cola Zero Cherry
  • Coca-Cola Zero Vanilla
  • Coca-Cola Zero Cherry Vanilla
  • Coca-Cola Zero Lemon
  • Coca-Cola Zero Lime
  • Coca-Cola Zero Raspberry
  • Coca-Cola Zero Peach
  • Coca-Cola Zero Orange
  • Coca-Cola Zero Orange Vanilla
  • Coca-Cola Zero Cinnamon
  • Caffeine Free Coca-Cola Zero
  • Coca-Cola Zero Starlight
Related productsDiet Coke
Websitecoca-cola.com/zerosugar

The drink was introduced in 2005 as Coca-Cola Zero as a new no-calorie cola.[2] In 2017, the formula was modified and the name updated, the announcement of which led to some backlash from consumers.[3] Another formula change occurred in the United Kingdom in July 2021, in the United States in August 2021, and in Canada in September 2021.[4]

History

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Coca-Cola Zero Sugar was Coca-Cola's largest product launch in 22 years. The new product was ideated at the Spanish branch, turning Marcos de Quinto into one of the key people of the company.[citation needed] The global campaign was developed by creative agency Crispin Porter + Bogusky.[5] It was marketed as having a taste that is indistinguishable from standard Coca-Cola, as opposed to Diet Coke, which has a different flavor profile.[6][7]

2017 reformulation

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Can with former "Coca-Cola Zero" branding

In 2017, despite increasing sales in the United States, the Coca-Cola Company announced that Coca-Cola Zero would be reformulated and rebranded as Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, intended to taste more like standard Coca-Cola while emphasizing the lack of sugar content.[8][9][10] The new formula was first tested in the United Kingdom in June 2016, with plans to roll it out in other countries in the following months.[11][12][9]

The announcement caused some vocal backlash from consumers.[13][14] The Washington Post noted Coke Zero is very popular, and that fans compared the planned change to the launch of New Coke in 1985.[3] However, Beverage Digest executive editor Duane Stanford noted that it was very similar in flavor, and that the formula likely was tweaked only slightly as the ingredients list is the same. He noted that the rebranding was the main emphasis.[15]

In Australia, the soda was relaunched as "Coca-Cola No Sugar" in 2017 but had trouble gaining initial acceptance.[16]

In July 2018, it was confirmed that the original formula would continue to be sold under the original Coke Zero branding in New Zealand alongside the Coke Zero Sugar product.[17] The original Coke Zero branding was finally phased out in 2022 alongside the local launch of the 2021 reformulation.[18]

2021 reformulation

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In July 2021, the Coca-Cola Company announced that another reformulation of Coca-Cola Zero Sugar would be released throughout the U.S. in August and then throughout Canada in September.[4][19] The reformulation would be the same recipe that was already available in Europe and Latin America.[20][21] The company said the recipe would "optimize existing...flavors and existing ingredients" without requiring a change in the listed ingredients or nutritional information.[4] Along with the reformulation, the labeling was updated.[4]

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The original Coca-Cola Zero logo generally featured the Coca-Cola logo in red script with white trim, with the word "zero" underneath in lower case in the geometric typeface Avenir (or a customized version of it). These words appeared on a black background. Some details varied from country to country. Later packagings swapped the colors of the "Coca-Cola" script and "Zero", leaving the former in white and the latter in red.

The first Coca-Cola Zero Sugar logo featured the Coca-Cola logo in white script, with the words "zero sugar" in black underneath; the word "zero" in lower case in the geometric typeface Avenir (or a customized version of it) and the word "sugar" in upper case. These words appeared in a red disc on a black background. In European markets, the packaging instead matches the classic Coca-Cola red design with the addition of a black band around the top of the label with the text "zero sugar".[22] After the 2021 reformulation, the red disc was removed and the logo was changed to black text on a red background, the color of the background changing for certain flavors.

Ingredients

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All versions of Coca-Cola Zero Sugar sold in various countries are based on the same flavoring formula, and all are carbonated. One liter of Coca-Cola Zero Sugar contains 96 mg caffeine.[23] Additionally, artificial sweeteners are used. In the U.S., this includes aspartame and acesulfame potassium.[24] However, the exact combination of sweeteners and preservatives used varies from market to market.

Scientific studies consistently confirm aspartame and acesulfame potassium can be safely consumed.[citation needed]

Marketing

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A Coca-Cola Zero Sugar billboard in Hudson Yards, Manhattan in 2017

Coke Zero was originally specifically marketed to men, who are shown to associate "diet" drinks with women.[25] It was primarily marketed towards young adult males[26][27] and it has been nicknamed "Bloke Coke" in the UK.[5] In the U.S., advertising has been tailored to its targeted market by describing the drink as "calorie-free" rather than "diet", since young adult males are said to associate diet drinks with women.[27] U.S. marketing also emphasized its similarity in taste to sugared Coca-Cola; an advertising campaign for the beverage focused on Coca-Cola executives who were so angry over the drinks' similarities, they were considering suing their co-workers for "taste infringement".[27] Continuing the theme, a Coca-Cola Zero ad aired during Super Bowl XLIII parodied Coke's iconic "Hey Kid, Catch!" commercial, which is interrupted by two Coca-Cola "brand managers" accusing Troy Polamalu of "stealing" their commercial.[28][29]

In Australia, the product's launch was promoted by a fake front group; the campaign included outdoor graffiti and online spamming that mentioned a fake blog.[30][31] Once exposed, consumer advocates assailed the campaign as misleading and established the Zero Coke Movement[32] to comment on the ethics of Coke's activities.[33]

Coca-Cola Zero sponsors Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund, the NASCAR Cup Series Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway in August, and also the Suzuka 8 Hours in Japan, a motorcycle endurance race.[34]

In 2013, Coca-Cola swapped the logo on Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, and Coke Zero bottles and cans in many European countries with 150 of the most popular local names for a summer-long "Share a Coke" campaign.[35] The same campaign was used in North America the following summer.

For Christmas 2013, Coke Zero launched an interactive website that allowed people to customize the designs of their Christmas sweater,[36] which have a significant role in United Kingdom Christmas traditions.[37] On the website, people could detail the cut, pattern, and icons for their sweater,[38] and join a popularity contest.[39] Users could choose designs from Christmas trees and Santa's head to reindeer, sleighs, and turkeys.[40] This initiative was tied to a social media campaign,[41] where the top 100 sweater designs with the most votes were manufactured and shipped to the contest winners.[42] According to the Coca-Cola Company, the website generated nearly 42,000 sweater designs in its first four days.[43]

Variants

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Standard

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Name Launched Notes Photo
Coca-Cola Cherry Zero Sugar 2007 Coca-Cola Zero Sugar with cherry flavor. The drink was first introduced in the United States in Late-January 2007 prior to its official debut which occurred on February 7, 2007, at New York Fashion Week.[44] It was launched in the UK in 2014. In 2017, it was launched along with Coca-Cola Lemon Zero Sugar in Luxembourg, Poland and Belgium.  
Coca-Cola Vanilla Zero Sugar 2007 Coca-Cola Zero Sugar with additional vanilla flavor. Introduced in the US in June 2007[45] concurrently with the relaunch of Coca-Cola Vanilla, and was later introduced in the UK in 2017. It has also been sold in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Belgium, and Hungary.
Coca-Cola Zero Sugar Zero Caffeine 2010 Coca-Cola Zero Sugar without caffeine (formerly marketed as "Caffeine-Free Coca-Cola Zero Sugar"). First released in France in February 2010 as Coca-Cola Zero Sans Caféine[46] It was later released in Japan as Coca-Cola Zero Free in April 2010.[47] In Israel, The Netherlands, Belgium, Greece and Luxembourg as Coca-Cola Zero Caffeine Free since the start of 2011 and in the US since July 2013. In Great Britain it is referred to as Coca-Cola Zero Zero.[48]  
Coca-Cola Lemon Zero Sugar 2017 Coca-Cola Zero Sugar with additional lemon flavor. It has been sold since 2017 in Italy, Luxembourg, Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Netherlands, Sweden, Poland, Israel, Croatia, Czech Republic, and Serbia.  
Coca-Cola Peach Zero Sugar 2018 Coca-Cola Zero Sugar with peach flavor. Released in the United Kingdom in 2018,[49] Australia and Lithuania in 2019[50][51]
Coca-Cola Clear 2018 A 'clear' version of Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, with a hint of extra lemon. Released in Japan in 2018.  
Coca-Cola Raspberry Zero Sugar 2018 Coca-Cola Zero Sugar with raspberry flavor. Released in Norway in 2018, Denmark and UK in 2019 and Australia in 2023.
Coca-Cola Cinnamon Zero Sugar 2018 Coca-Cola Zero Sugar with extra cinnamon flavor. Released in the United Kingdom, Poland, Lithuania and Estonia in 2018 for the Christmas period.[52][53]
Coca-Cola Stevia No Sugar 2018 Coca-Cola Stevia No Sugar was a variant that used stevia as its sole sweetener. Replaced Coca-Cola Life in New Zealand on 7 May 2018.[54] Product lineups of Coke No Sugar and the still-lingering-in-this-region original incarnation of Coke Zero were both phased out completely in New Zealand as of June 2022, and replaced with the reformulated & rebranded Coke Zero Sugar product line.[55]
Coca-Cola Orange Vanilla Zero Sugar 2019 Coca-Cola Zero Sugar with orange and vanilla flavors. Made available nationwide in the United States on February 25, 2019. Available in Romania since 2020[56]
Coca-Cola Energy Zero Sugar 2019 Coca-Cola Zero Sugar with ingredients found in other Energy Drinks. Originally launched in Hungary and Spain,[57] it is now also available in the United Kingdom[58] and Australia.[59] Coca-Cola confirmed October 2019 it will be launching the variety in the United States in 2020, along with a Cherry variant of Coca-Cola Energy.[60]
Coca-Cola Cherry Vanilla Zero Sugar 2020 Coca-Cola Zero Sugar with cherry and vanilla flavors. Released in the United States on February 10, 2020.
Coca-Cola Orange Zero Sugar 2020 Coca-Cola Zero Sugar with orange flavor. Available in Poland, Hungary, Serbia and Russia.[61]
Coca-Cola Zero Mango 2020 Coca-Cola Zero Sugar with mango flavor. Available only in Israel.[62]
Coca-Cola Zero Calories Lemon-Lime 2021 Coca-Cola Zero Sugar with a Lemon and Lime flavor. Available only in Jordan.

Coca-Cola Creations

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See also: Coca-Cola Creations
Name Launched Notes Photo
Coca-Cola Starlight Zero Sugar 2022 Coca-Cola Zero Sugar with the mysterious "space-inspired" flavor. Limited edition, available in North America.[63] Branded alternately as Coca-Cola Intergalactic in the UK and other select markets.  
Coca-Cola Marshmello Zero Sugar 2022 Coca-Cola Zero Sugar flavored with watermelon and strawberry. Created in collaboration with electronic music producer/DJ Marshmello.  
Coca-Cola Dreamworld Zero Sugar 2022 Coca-Cola Zero Sugar with a mystery "dreams-inspired" flavor.  Romanian Coca-Cola Creations cans.
Coca-Cola Movement Zero Sugar 2023 Coca-Cola Zero Sugar with a mystery "transformation" flavor. Created in collaboration with Rosalía. Branded alternately as Coca-Cola Movement in the UK and other select markets.
Coca-Cola Ultimate Zero Sugar 2023 Coca-Cola Zero Sugar with a mystery "+XP" flavor. Created in collaboration with League of Legends developer Riot Games.[64]  
Coca-Cola 3000 Zero Sugar 2023 Coca-Cola Zero Sugar with a "future-inspired" flavor co-created with AI.
Coca-Cola Zero Sugar OREO® 2024 Coca-Cola Zero Sugar with an OREO® flavor. Available in the United States for a limited time only, in collaboration with OREO®.

See also

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References

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  57. ^ "First Coca-Cola branded energy drink to launch this month". Inside FMCG. April 1, 2019. Retrieved October 3, 2019.
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  64. ^ "Game On: Coca-Cola and Riot Games Team Up for 'Ultimate' Flavor and Experiences Celebrating Every Player's Journey". www.coca-colacompany.com. Retrieved June 26, 2023.
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