Diet Coke

For the Pusha T song, see Diet Coke (song).

Not to be confused with Coca-Cola Zero Sugar.

Diet Coke

Logo used since December 25, 2017
A can of Diet Coke
Type	Diet cola
Manufacturer	The Coca-Cola Company
Country of origin	United States
Introduced	August 9, 1982;42 years ago (1982-08-09)
Color	Caramel
Variants	See below
Related products	Coca-Cola Coca-Cola C2 Coca-Cola Zero Sugar Tab Diet Pepsi Pepsi Max
Website	dietcoke.com

Diet Coke (also branded as Coca-Cola Light, Coca-Cola Diet or Coca-Cola Light Taste) is a sugar-free and low-calorie soft drink produced and distributed by the Coca-Cola Company. It contains artificial sweeteners instead of sugar. Unveiled on July 8, 1982, ^[1] and introduced in the United States one month later, ^[2] it was the first new brand since Coca-Cola's creation in 1886 to use the Coca-Cola trademark, although Diet Coke is not listed as a Coca-Cola variant on the Coca-Cola Company’s website. The product quickly overtook the company's existing diet cola, Tab, in sales.

History

First Diet Coke logo, used from 1982–88

An inflatable Diet Coke can in the 1980s

When diet colas first entered the market, beginning with No-Cal in 1958, the Coca-Cola Company had a long-standing policy to use the Coca-Cola name only on its flagship cola, and so its diet cola was named Tab when it was released in 1963. Its rival Pepsi had no such qualms, and after the long-term success of its sugar-free Diet Pepsi (launched in 1964) became clear, Coca-Cola decided to launch a competing sugar-free brand under the Coca-Cola name that could be marketed more easily than Tab. Diet Coke was launched in 1982 and quickly overtook Tab in sales by a wide margin, though the older drink would remain on the market for decades until Coca-Cola discontinued Tab during the COVID-19 pandemic along with other of the company's slower-selling drinks in 2020. ^[3]

Diet Coke is not based on the Coca-Cola formula, but instead on Tab.^{[ citation needed ]} The controversial New Coke, introduced in 1985, used a version of the Diet Coke recipe that contained high-fructose corn syrup and had a slightly different balance of ingredients. In 2005, the company introduced Coca-Cola Zero (renamed Coca-Cola Zero Sugar in 2017), a sugar-free formula more closely based on original Coca-Cola.

In 2005, under pressure from retailer Walmart (which was impressed with the over-the-counter popularity of Splenda sweetener), the company released a new formulation called "Diet Coke sweetened with Splenda". ^[4] Sucralose and acesulfame potassium replaced aspartame in this version. As the formulation was done to mollify one retailer, this variety had little advertising and promotion, as the company preferred to market Coca-Cola Zero instead. By late 2009, most distributors had stopped distributing the Splenda-formulated Diet Coke.

English and Hebrew Coca-Cola labels

In 2018, in an effort to be more appealing to millennials, Diet Coke was packaged in a taller, more slender can (of the same volume) and introduced four new flavors. ^[5] The cans reverted to the conventional shape a year later.

Sales

Diet Coke and Diet Pepsi have capitalized on the markets of people who require low sugar regimens, such as diabetics and people concerned with calorie intake. In the UK, a 330 ml can of Diet Coke contains around 1.3 kilocalories (5 kJ) compared to 142 kilocalories (595 kJ) for a regular can of Coca-Cola. ^[6]

Sweeteners

Diet Coke in the U.S. was sweetened with aspartame, an artificial sweetener that became available in the United States in 1983. ^[7] Early on, to reduce costs, this was blended with saccharin. After Diet Rite cola advertised its 100 percent use of aspartame, and the manufacturer of NutraSweet (then G. D. Searle & Company) warned that the NutraSweet trademark would not be made available to a blend of sweeteners, Coca-Cola switched the formula to 100 percent aspartame. Diet Coke from fountain dispensers still contains some saccharin to extend shelf life. ^[8]

According to the Coca-Cola Company, the sweetener blend is "formulated for each country based on consumer preference". ^[9] Cyclamates were banned in the U.S. in 1970; ^{[10] [11]} in countries where they are permitted Diet Coke or Coca-Cola Light may be sweetened with a blend containing aspartame, cyclamates, and acesulfame potassium.

Brand portfolio

Name	Launched	Discon­tinued	Notes
Diet Coke	1982	—	The original variety. It was the first variant of Coca-Cola to be produced without sugar.
Caffeine-Free Diet Coke	1983	—	Diet Coke without the caffeine. It was the first extension of the Diet Coke formula. It is sold in the United States, Canada, Spain and the United Kingdom. It has also been sold in Benelux territories, Puerto Rico, Japan, Bermuda, Cyrus, France, Germany, Portugal, Australia and New Zealand.
Diet Cherry Coke/Diet Coke Cherry	1986		Diet Coke with a cherry flavor. It was originally sold in the United States and was later made available in Canada, and eventually in the United Kingdom in 2006. It was replaced in both territories with Diet Coke Feisty Cherry in 2018, although remained available for a limited time in the former country via Amazon.com during the time of the new flavor rollout, [12] but has since been discontinued. It still currently remains available from Coca-Cola Freestyle machines. The drink will return to Canada as a permanent variety in 2025, and in the United States under its original Diet Cherry Coke name during the summer. [13]
Diet Coke with Lemon	2001		Diet Coke with a lemon flavor. Available in several territories.
Diet Vanilla Coke/Diet Coke Vanilla	2002		Diet Coke with a vanilla flavor. It was sold in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Australia and Belgium. It was discontinued as a physical product in 2006 in the US, and is currently only available as a selection in Coca-Cola Freestyle machines.
Diet Coke with Lime	2004		Diet Coke with a lime flavor. It was sold in many territories including the United States, United Kingdom, Benelux territories, France, Mexico, Fiji, Sweden and Canada.
Diet Coke Raspberry	June 1, 2005	End of 2005	Diet Coke with a raspberry flavor. Only Available in New Zealand. Also available through Coca-Cola Freestyle machines.
Coca-Cola Light Citra/Diet Coke with Citrus Zest	2005	2018	Diet Coke with a lemon and lime flavor. Only available in Mexico and the United Kingdom.
Diet Coke Sweetened with Splenda	2005	2024	A version that was sweetened with Splenda. Diet Coke with Splenda contained 2.83 mgs of caffeine per fluid ounce. The drink contained acesulfame potassium and sucralose; aspartame was used previously as sweetener.
Diet Coke Black Cherry Vanilla	2006	2007	Diet Coke with a combination of black cherry and Vanilla flavors. Only available in the U.S.
Coca-Cola Light Sango	2005	2010's	Coca-Cola Light with a blood orange flavor. Only available in Belgium, France and Luxembourg.
Diet Coke Plus Vitamins	2007	2011	Diet Coke with a combination of vitamins and minerals. Sold in many international territories including Mexico, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Belgium and Japan.
Diet Coke Plus Antioxidant	2007	unknown	Diet Coke with a combination of antioxidants and a Green Tea flavor. Sold in many international territories including Mexico, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and Japan.
Diet Coke Plus	2007	2011	Diet Coke with a combination of vitamins and minerals. Sold in the United States, it differs from the variants used overseas.
Coca-Cola Light Lemon-C	2008	2017	Lemon-flavored Coca-Cola Light with a combination of vitamins and minerals. Sold in Germany, originally under the name of Coca-Cola Light Plus Lemon-C. The original formula would replace it in 2017.
Diet Coke Feisty Cherry	2018	2020	Diet Coke with a "spicy" cherry flavor. Available in the UK, U.S. and Canada, replacing the former Diet Coke with Cherry flavor.
Diet Coke Ginger Lime	2018	2020	Diet Coke with a combination of Ginger and Lime flavors. It was sold in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Italy, Benelux territories and Germany. In the U.S. and Canada, it replaced the former Diet Coke with Lime flavor.
Diet Coke Twisted Mango	2018	2020	Diet Coke with a Mango flavor. It was sold in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Italy, Benelux territories, Sweden and Germany. It is called "Exotic Mango" outside North America.
Diet Coke Zesty Blood Orange	2018	2020	Diet Coke with a Blood Orange flavor, similar to Coca-Cola Light Sango. It was sold in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.
Diet Coke Ginger Lemon	2018	2020	Diet Coke with a combination of Ginger and Lemon flavors. Exclusively sold in the United States from Coca-Cola Freestyle machines.
Diet Coke Strawberry Guava	2019	2020	Diet Coke with a Psidium cattleyanum flavor. Available in the United States.
Diet Coke Blueberry Acai	2019	2020	Diet Coke with an Açaí Blueberry flavor. Available in the United States.
Diet Coke Twisted Strawberry	2019	2020	Diet Coke with a Strawberry flavor. Available in the United Kingdom.
Coca-Cola Light Taste Pineapple	2019	2020	Coca-Cola Light with a Pineapple flavor, only sold in Benelux territories.
Coca-Cola Light Taste Goji Berry Lime	2019	2020	Coca-Cola Light with a Goji and lime flavor, only sold in Benelux territories.

Product timeline

Main article: History of Coca-Cola

• 1982 – Diet Coke is introduced, becoming the largest-selling low-calorie soft drink in America.
• 1983 – Diet Coke is introduced in the UK.
• 1986 – Diet Cherry Coke is introduced in American markets.
• 1994 – Diet Coke changes logo.
• 1999 – Diet Cherry Coke changes logo.
• 2001 – Diet Coke with Lemon is introduced.
• 2002 – Diet Vanilla Coke is introduced.
  • Diet Coke and Diet Cherry Coke change logo.
• 2004 – Diet Coke with Lime is introduced.
  • Diet Coke with Lemon changes logo.
• 2005 – Diet Coke sweetened with Splenda is introduced.
  • Diet Cherry Coke and Diet Vanilla Coke change logos and are renamed.
• 2006 – Diet Coke Black Cherry Vanilla is introduced.
  • Diet Coke with Lemon and Diet Coke Vanilla are discontinued.
• 2007 – Diet Coke Plus is introduced. ^{[14] [15]}
  • Diet Coke Black Cherry Vanilla is discontinued.
  • Diet Coke and its six flavors changes logo.
• 2011 – Diet Coke surpasses Pepsi in sales for the first time to become the second most popular soda in the United States after Coca-Cola. ^[16]
• 2013 – In the UK, Coca-Cola swapped the logo on Coca-Cola, Diet Coke and Coke Zero bottles and cans in the UK with 150 of Britain's most popular names for a summer-long "Share a Coke" campaign. ^{[17] [18]}
• 2014 – In the U.S. Coca-Cola swapped the logo on Coca-Cola, Diet Coke and Coke Zero bottles and cans in the US with 150 of America's most popular names for a summer-long "Share a Coke" campaign
• 2014 – Diet Coke invites consumers to 'Get A Taste' of the good life. This campaign asks the question "what if life tasted this good?". Television commercials debuted September 24. The first commercial take place on an airplane when a woman is surrounded by crying babies but takes a sip of Diet Coke and opens her eyes into a speak-easy party.
• 2018 – On January 22, Diet Coke introduced Ginger Lime, Feisty Cherry, Zesty Blood Orange and Twisted Mango flavors in a skinny can, targeting millennials. ^[19]
• 2019 – Diet Coke added two new flavors, Blueberry Acai and Strawberry Guava to their "Because I Can" Campaign line. ^[20]

Advertising slogans

• "Just for the taste of it!" (US 1982, ^[21] 1986, 1991, 1995, 2000, 2009, 2014)
• "The one of a kind" (US 1984) ^[22]
• "Taste it all!" (US 1993) ^[22]
• "This Is Refreshment" (US 1994) ^[23]
• "You are what you drink" (US 1998) ^[24]
• "Live Your Life" (US 2001) ^[25]
• "Do what feels good" (US 2002) ^[26]
• "Must be a Diet Coke thing" (US 2004) ^[27]
• "Life is how you take it" (US 2005) ^[28]
• "Light it up!" (US 2006) ^[29]
• "Yours" (US 2007) ^[30]
• "Enjoyment" (US 2007)^{[ citation needed ]}
• "What life should be like." (US 2008)^{[ citation needed ]}
• "Open Happiness" (Worldwide 2009–present) ^[31]
• "Hello You..." (UK 2009) ^[32]
• "I light it" (Spain 2010) ^[33]
• "Stay Extraordinary" (US 2010–2014) ^[34]
• "You're On" (US 2014) ^[35]
• "Get a Taste." (US 2014–2018) ^[21]
• "Because I can." (US 2018–present) ^[36]

• "Give yourself a Diet Coke break." (UK 2020)
• "Just because." (Worldwide 2021)

Health assessment

See also: Aspartame

Further information: Aspartame controversy

The most commonly distributed version of Diet Coke uses aspartame as a sweetener. As one of the most intensively scrutinized food additives, the safety of aspartame has been studied since its discovery. ^[37] Aspartame has been deemed safe for human consumption by the regulatory agencies of many countries. ^[37]

See also

• Diet Coke and Mentos eruption
• Diet Coke Break
• Coca-Cola Zero Sugar
• Diet Pepsi

References

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External links

• Media related to Diet Coke at Wikimedia Commons
• Official website