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How Diet Coke Became the World's Liquid Crack of Choice
Jezebel.com ^ | AUG 8, 2012 1:30 PM | Katie J.M. Baker

Posted on 08/11/2012 1:09:41 PM PDT by thecodont

Diet Coke turns 30 this year, and despite health concerns and an rocky advertising trajectory (remember Paula Abdul dancing with dead celebrities?), the Thank-God-It's-Not-Sugar-But-Hopefully-Aspartame-Won't-Kill-You beverage is doing better than ever. Diet Coke has held the title of second most popular soda in the world (after regular Coke) for two years running — 40% of colas currently sold are either Diet Coke or Coke Zero — and it seems like more people are now drinking it for the taste instead of as a diet aid. But it wasn't always this way.

When Diet Coke was introduced in 1982, "it was too new to be cool," Zoe Williams recalls. "So it was very uncool not to drink it, but it wasn't totally cool to drink it either." While most people in the 80s were busy making horrible decisions regarding leg warmers and cocaine, the brand made headway with two genius moves. The first was buying Columbia Pictures as champions of product placement, guaranteeing that actors would be chugging Diet Coke for decades to come. Second, it differentiated itself from TaB, a title so associated with "diet" drinks that even literally putting Diet in its new moniker made the beverage more successful.

The brand has tried to experiment over the past decade with little success; the public knows what it wants, and it wants its Diet Coke. There was 2005's Coke Zero, which was practically the same as Diet Coke but meant to appeal to men who were too embarrassed to drink a sissy weight loss beverage like all those weight-obsessed ladies out there. Apparently, though, those men don't actually exist, because no one bought Coke Zero, despite its sleek packaging and uber-manly, throw-caution-to-the-wind "Enjoy everything" tagline. Oops.

(Excerpt) Read more at jezebel.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Food
KEYWORDS: cocacola; dietcoke; tab
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To: unlearner

Thanks, unlearner. The Diet Rite might be worth checking out.


61 posted on 08/11/2012 4:58:27 PM PDT by CatherineofAragon (Time for a write-in campaign...Darryl Dixon for President)
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To: unlearner

Thanks, unlearner. The Diet Rite might be worth checking out.


62 posted on 08/11/2012 4:58:50 PM PDT by CatherineofAragon (Time for a write-in campaign...Darryl Dixon for President)
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To: POWERSBOOTHEFAN

I don’t know how old the bottle is, I just snagged the photo and moved on.

My impression was that it is a totally modern bottle, designed to be stylish and look old.


63 posted on 08/11/2012 4:59:00 PM PDT by ansel12 (Massachusetts Governors,,, where the GOP goes for it's "conservative" Presidential candidates.)
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To: peggybac; Disambiguator

I agree it was/is? nasty, I tried it many times trying to figure out what the deal was, looking for a key, but I remain totally baffled, many women were devoted to it.

I was also baffled by rice cakes, I tried them several times looking a clue, and again, it seemed to be something along the lines of self-abuse, or punishment.


64 posted on 08/11/2012 5:07:26 PM PDT by ansel12 (Massachusetts Governors,,, where the GOP goes for it's "conservative" Presidential candidates.)
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To: AEMILIUS PAULUS

Google it, I did earlier and saw that it is still sold, but I did not note where, or how to find it, I think coke handles it, but wants it to die, or something.


65 posted on 08/11/2012 5:09:40 PM PDT by ansel12 (Massachusetts Governors,,, where the GOP goes for it's "conservative" Presidential candidates.)
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To: PJ-Comix; Charles Henrickson

I ate at the first McDonald’s in Illinois way back in the 60’s. I don’t visit McDonald’s anymore, and only Wendy’s once a month because my Kiwanis club has a program with them for a fundraising project. I’m on a diet, and just can’t handle eating out much, let alone fast food. That building looks a little like that early McDonald’s I patronized.


66 posted on 08/11/2012 5:47:52 PM PDT by bcsco
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To: thecodont

pure poison


67 posted on 08/11/2012 7:00:08 PM PDT by databoss
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To: ansel12

Thanks for the information. I have not seen it in Southern California.


68 posted on 08/12/2012 10:12:19 AM PDT by AEMILIUS PAULUS (It is a shame that when these people give a riot)
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To: AEMILIUS PAULUS; ansel12
Thanks for the information. I have not seen it in Southern California.

If you're in Los Angeles, you might try Ralph's.

http://home.epix.net/~tjwagner/tab.html

69 posted on 08/12/2012 10:16:02 AM PDT by thecodont
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To: USFRIENDINVICTORIA

Yes, I have always hated Diet Coke, but I adore Coke Zero. I especially like it with bourbon. :D


70 posted on 08/12/2012 10:19:36 AM PDT by Marie Antoinette (:)
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To: thecodont

yuk


71 posted on 08/12/2012 10:27:08 AM PDT by mowowie
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To: AEMILIUS PAULUS; ansel12; thecodont
Ack! Sorry, I thought you guys were talking about TaB.

Regarding Hires: information here:

http://www.drpeppersnapplegroup.com/brands/hires/

http://www.sodafinder.com/products/hires-root-beer

(My personal favorite root beer is Sprecher's, which is made with honey.)

72 posted on 08/12/2012 10:41:51 AM PDT by thecodont
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To: Ronin

Same here.
It seems all i drink nowadays is Polar flavored seltzer water.....and beer.

Got a cold rasberry lime sitting in front of me as i type.


73 posted on 08/12/2012 10:43:35 AM PDT by mowowie
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To: thecodont

BEER

Accept no substitute!

TT


74 posted on 08/12/2012 5:32:20 PM PDT by TexasTransplant (Radical islam is islam. Moderate islam is the Trojan Horse.)
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