Wednesday, June 15, 2005

The Latest Marketing Scam

Me, I was a marketing major in college. I once had a dream of finding a position that allowed me to do product placement in movies. I've worked for a baseball team in which we would sell just about anything out for a sponsorship opportunity. Would the world be a more peaceful place without all this marketing being slammed down our throats? Yeah, probably. But I like it when people have jobs, and in order to have jobs businesses need to operate, and in many instances for businesses to continue to operate they need to market their products to people. It's all part of the circle of life.

But I'm sorry, it's gone too far. Coca-Cola has been marketing a new product in our store. Coca-Cola Zero. It's quite ingenious, actually. They took Coke. They removed the calories. Now people on diets can still have a Coke and a smile.

Except I seem to recall something similar that may have been available previously. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe it is known as Diet Coke.

Now recently Diet Coke has been marketing a product sweetened with Splenda instead of your standard aspartame-y goodness. I, myself, have not tried the Splenda version yet, as I've been perfectly happy with my Diet Coke old-school, so don't feel a need to go changing. When I first encountered Coca Cola Zero at the store I thought, perhaps, that they were going to brand this new variety of Diet Coke under this brand name. That way there'd be no confusion for those of us who lived through the whole New Coke/Classic Coke fiasco of the late 1980's and don't want to go through that whole battle with our diet soft drink of choice. But no, Coca-Cola Zero is also sweetened with aspartame.

I'm perplexed. Yet intrigued. I haven't yet caved and bought a bottle of the stuff. I almost did today, but it wasn't in the cooler, just on floor display, and neither drinking it warm nor waiting for it to chill were viable options for me this evening.

Next up: Coca-Cola Zero Squared. It will have zero calories AND zero caffeine. I mean, no one's thought of that yet.

6 Comments:

Blogger Joe said...

Is anyone else humming the old Tab jingle right now? "Just one calorie, waaater has zee-ro!"

7:17 AM  
Blogger lemming said...

I too fail to grasp this "zero" concept. I wonder what sort of demographic the company has in mind?

I did notice that coca-cola is using the same color scheme to package "diet coke with Splenda" that they used for "diet coke with lemon." Am I the only diet coke drinker who also liked it with lemon? Guess so.

"Just for the taste of it!"

11:08 AM  
Blogger Swankette said...

Yes, Lemming, you are the only person who likes Diet Coke with Lemon.

I like to put real lemon in my diet coke, but the stuff they came out with just tastes nasty. But Joe's comment has me missing Pepsi Light. That was good stuff.

Now Diet Coke with Lime is another story.

11:35 AM  
Blogger Alison said...

How is Coke with Lime? I haven't had the guts to try it yet, because of just the problem Swankette had with Diet Coke with Lemon. Real lemon in a Coke or Diet Coke is lovely, as is real lime, but the fake stuff tends to be icky.

Great - now I have that stupid song stuck in my head. "Put the lime in the coconut and drink em both up..." Argh!

12:14 PM  
Blogger Swankette said...

Alison -

Diet Coke with Lime is yummy. I was in the same situation as you, but on recommendation from a friend I tried it and now split my allegiances between the standard and with lime varieties.

And the line from the song is now "Put the Lime in the Coke you nut and drink 'em both up." Haven't you seen that commercial? :)

1:11 PM  
Blogger lemming said...

Can no longer get diet coke with lime, either. Only available opion with "with vanilla" with just sounds too vile to try.

10:54 AM  

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