I always thought the ‘new coke’ thing was just a successful marketing tactic. I presumed they were hoping for exactly the response they got - having their customers clamor for their product and have widespread publicity.
Yeah, New Coke did wonders for the sales of not New Coke, in the long run it was a great marketing move. But it was an accident, if that had actually been the goal it would have been a brilliant move, as it really went down it’s at best an excellent recovery.
I always wondered if it was the only way they could change the formula of their original Coke. Taking it off the market for several months and replacing it with that horrible New Coke allowed them to change the types of sugar used.
When Coke Classic came back it never tasted the same. To get the original flavor we buy the stuff made in Mexico.