[Drew]

Is anyone else in a test market for Coke Zero? I assume it hasn't gone nationwide yet because I haven't seen any ads. I can't see that it's any different than Diet Coke. Both use Nutrasweet and have almost the same ingredients. Coke Zero tastes slightly different that Diet Coke, but in blind taste tests conducted by yours truly, no one could pick it out from the crowd.

So what's the point? All I can guess is that Diet Coke is going to use Splenda as a sweetener, and Coke Zero will be the Nutrasweet variant. But that makes no sense. Why not just make the new product the one with Splenda?

[Cyncie]

Hey, Drew

I think Coke Zero has gone national, though I couldn't swear to it because I'm right smack in the middle of a test market area, too. My understanding was that the Coke people wanted to provide variety of choice for the "diet cola" crowd by giving options other than the established Diet Coke taste. I personally prefer the Diet Coke with Splenda, and according to a holistic doctor I know, Splenda is a much more healthy sweetener option than Nutra Sweet.

As to the taste, to me there is a slight difference in Coke Zero and Diet Coke, but not enough to make me seek it out.

Oh, and a belated welcome back to ExIsle.

~Cyn

[Themis]

I haven't tasted a diet thing yet that uses any artificial sweetner/sugar substitute/whatever that I can actually stand. If I want a diet drink I'll stick to water or unsweetened iced tea... Obviously millions of people can stand or actually like the taste but I've never been able to tolerate it.

I think the product is national...I've seen commercials and I think I've seen it in stores here.

Themis

[Shoshana]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7257920/

Quote

Updated: 4:22 p.m. ET March 21, 2005

ATLANTA - The Coca-Cola Co. said Monday it will launch a no-calorie version of its trademark soft drink called Coca-Cola Zero in the United States in June.

The drink will be sweetened partly with a blend of aspartame and acesulfame potassium. Aspartame is a key ingredient in Diet Coke, but a spokesman for the Atlanta-based company said Coca-Cola Zero will have a unique taste.

The new drink will have its own marketing campaign.
Story continues below ↓ advertisement

With the rollout of Coca-Cola Zero, there will be a half-dozen different versions of trademark Coca-Cola on the market. There are also several different varieties of Diet Coke, including the recently announced rollout of Diet Coke sweetened with Splenda.

Purchase, N.Y.-based PepsiCo Inc. also has several different varieties of Pepsi and Diet Pepsi, including a one-calorie cola called Pepsi One, which is sweetened with Splenda. Spokesman Dave DeCecco said Pepsi does not have any current plans for a zero-calorie version of Pepsi.

Officials at both companies have said they believe consumers are increasingly interested in variety and they are not worried about market confusion by all the different drinks.

http://en.wikipedia..../Coca-Cola_Zero

Quote

Coca-Cola Zero is a product of the Coca-Cola company, released in June 2005. It is a sugar-free variation of Coca-Cola Classic, sweetened with a blend of aspartame and acesulfame potassium. This product is different from Diet Coke because of the sweeteners it uses (Diet Coke only uses aspartame), and because, unlike Diet Coke, this product is based on the original Coca-Cola formula. Diet Coke was an entirely new formula which would eventually become the basis for the controversial New Coke (later renamed Coke II).

Coca-Cola Light

Contrary to popular belief, Coca-Cola Zero is not a new product. The same blend of aspartame and acesulfame potassium along with the Coca-Cola Classic formula has been available for quite some time in many European countries which were never exposed to New Coke. Commonly called Coca-Cola Light or Coca Light in Europe, the Coca-Cola Zero formula is identical to that used in foreign countries.

In addition to never having been introduced to New Coke, part of the basis for the decision to market this different product was determined by health regulations in the various countries. In 1970 both the United States and the United Kingdom placed a ban on cyclamates due to fears of possible carcinogenic effects. The ban on acesulfame potassium was lifted in the mid 1980's in all countries except Canada, which approved its use in 1994.

The lifting of the ban and new studies refuting the carcinogenic nature of acesulfame potassium paved the way for a more broad use of the compound across the globe, and allowing for the long standard European version of Diet Coke to come to North America.


Controversy

Despite current studies indicating the safety of aspartame and acesulfame potassium there are still wide concerns amongst consumers about the safety of these compounds. More information about this controversy can be found in the main article on diet Coca-Cola products, or the articles on the compounds in question.




This product is not to be confused with "Diet Coke sweetened with Splenda," which is based on the Diet Coke/New Coke/Coke II formula and is sweetened with sucralose (under the trademark Splenda). It is also not to be confused with Coke C2, a 45-calorie variant of Coca-Cola Classic.

'shana

[Enkanowen]

let's hope this is better than Coke C2, half the sugar and carbs and worse taste than Diet Coke which has no sugar or carbs. *shudders at the memory*

[Shoshana]

I tried Pepsi One, which I think has Splenda. Less than a quarter of a can and I was queasy. Dunno why, but it didn't agree with me. Havn't tried anything with Splenda since.

And Nutrasweet gives me a headache ... so I stay away from that.

I stick to regular soda - but less than one a day - in other words, I don't have soda every day anymore.

Just looked up Pepsi One:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pepsi_One

Quote

Pepsi ONE (so named because it contains one calorie per eight-ounce serving) is a sugar-free cola, marketed by PepsiCo in the United States as an alternative to regular Pepsi and Diet Pepsi.

On June 30, 1998, the artificial sweetener acesulfame potassium was approved for use by the Food and Drug Administration. PepsiCo responded within one hour, announcing the introduction of Pepsi ONE (which reached store shelves the following October). This new variety was based upon an earlier product (sold in other countries) called Pepsi Max, but featured a formula and flavor profile developed specifically for the US market.

The launch of Pepsi ONE included an advertising campaign featuring actor Cuba Gooding Jr. and the slogan "just one calorie." Subsequently, comedian Tom Green appeared as the spokesperson.

Formula

As in Pepsi Max, the aforementioned acesulfame potassium was combined with aspartame to provide the beverage's sweetness. Some consumers claimed that this resulted in a better taste than that of other diet colas (most of which are sweetened with aspartame alone).

After several years of declining sales, a new formula was introduced in early 2005, replacing aspartame with Splenda brand sucralose. (Acesulfame potassium remained the secondary sweetener.) This change was accompanied by new packaging and a new advertising campaign.

I'll just avoid em all..

'shana

This post has been edited by Shoshana: 10 August 2005 - 03:34 AM

[EChatty]

To me, there isn't much difference between Coke Zero and Diet Coke. I do like Zero a little better.

Pepsi 1 was the nastiest stuff I ever put in my mouth, I bought a bottle to try it, took one swig, spit it out and threw it away, never bought another one.

[Delvo]

Didn't Diet Coke have a huge commercial campaign advertizing that it had only one calorie? Zero is actually a change from one...

[Drew]

Well, I figgered that Coke Zero was a direct response to Pepsi One.

Interesting that it's supposedly based on the original Coca Cola formula. The big difference between that and "New Coke" was that originally Coke used sugar as a sweetener, and now it's corn syrup.

It's interesting, however, that I still have seen no ads for it, which is why I figured it was still being test marketed.

Was anyone else in a test market for Pepsi AM? This would have been about 15 years ago . . . it was essentiall Pepsi with more caffiene . . . a morning cola.

And does anyone else remember 7up Gold, which was clove flavored? Never knew if that went nationwide either. Our Fair City always seems to be a test market for some reason.

[QueenTiye]

Sprite Zero is a market success. I believe Coke Zero is coming out to create a line of "zero" products. SO even if there's nothing different about the taste, the goal may not be to produce a different taste, as much as to extend the success of a marketing line.

QT

[Drew]

Sprite Zero? . . . not a Sprite drinker so that just doesn't ring a bell for me.

[QueenTiye]

Probably why they started with that one... Coke is the brand staple, and I'd bet that they'd try it on another, more flexible inventory than the main inventory. In NY we have Sprite, Sprite Remix (a couple of versions) and Sprite Zero. I'll look forward to the Zero Remixes if they come out with them. So Sprite as a brand is really flexible to all this experimentation - Coke, as they found out with the 'New Coke" debacle, isn't really all that flexible, and I'm betting Diet Coke isn't all that flexible either.

For the record - has anyone ever looked at the entire Coca-Cola brand list? Its pretty remarkable. http://www2.coca-col.../brandlist.html

If you follow that link and then on the right choose "Fact sheets" you can see where the various brands are being offered. Amazing.

On an entirely GMD note, I really love the new Coca-cola commercial - way to "remix" the brand song...

QT

[Flechette]

I thought that the Coke Zero was made w/ splenda as well but was based on the orginial coca cola formula vs the diet -

I'll check when I get home

I've always detested the diet colas, the C2 was just plain nasty - the Coke Zero is - alright. Tastewise I still like the reg Coca Cola better but the Coke Zero is the first low cal soda that I actually like. It has nowhere near the aftertaste that diet coke has.

Based on my very small test group of friends I thnk Coke Zero is more likely to appeal to the male demographic who don't like "diet" things but are looking for less calorie drinks.


okay a short answer to the OP - it tastes different

[LaughingVulcan]

To me, Coke Zero has a wholly different taste from Diet Coke, much more similar to what I think of as Coca-Cola. I suppose that I'm in the hyper-minority of people who liked the original Enterprise theme song, and also like Coke Zero. Maybe there's a causal connection.

[Enkanowen]

Splenda gives me migraines. At first i thought I was odd but then several other people who used it complained about the same. Icky. I'd rather drink less pop and enjoy the full sugary goodness of it

[bodynotincluded]

Coke Zero is not even the latest in the Zero line from The Coca-Cola Company. Now we're seeing Pibb Zero on the shelves, which is using the same aspartame/ace-k blend used in Coke Zero for sugar-like taste without the distinctive chemical aftertaste of 100% aspartame. Stay tuned for more additions to the Zero line, including Fanta Zero, and Barq's Zero Root Beer.

My personal favorite of these is the Pibb Zero, which I would highly reccommend to all the Dr. Pepper fans out there. Pibb itself is too sugary-sweet, but the Zero version is actually really good!

[Smitty]

Coca Cola Zero's okay, but it pales next to Diet Coke.
I live and die by Diet Coke.
CCZ made me nauseated a bit.

-cs™

[Ascendant Angel]

I've not come across coke Zero yet, though I'm not a fan of diet drinks so it's possible it's been around, and I just don't know.

I have seen other zero drinks though i think fanta is the main one. I once found a bottle of Dr Pepper zero which I was surprised to find tasted pleasant, haven't seen it since though, and that odd bottle was an import so I doubt its on sale in the UK.

One of the posts above said Zero coke is the same as coco-cola light, I only had that once many years ago as thats not sold in the UK, but from what I recall at the time I thought it was just diet coke renamed for Europe because I really couldn't taste the difference.

The only diet cola or any diet fizzy drink at all really that I like is Pepsi Max I actually prefer that to the regular Pepsi version.

[Captain Jack]

Quote

The drink will be sweetened partly with a blend of aspartame and acesulfame potassium. Aspartame is a key ingredient in Diet Coke, but a spokesman for the Atlanta-based company said Coca-Cola Zero will have a unique taste.

Aspartame, mmmmm.... Acesulfame potassium, double mmmmm.... Chemicals good.... I don't need my stomache lining...it's overrated anyway.

[Drew]

"Pepsi Max" -- Never heard of it
"Coca-Cola Light" -- Never heard of it
"Fanta" anything -- not available in this region.

Anyone know where they sell "Apollo" candy bars?