Old "New Coke" Tries Again

[mso489]

Some of us remember the big campaign in the 1980's for "New Coke" that met with vast resistance from the public and was eventually discontinued, one of the few huge marketing fiascos by the Coca Cola company. Now it seems there is a product placement effort to revive it in a retro television series about the 1980's. It could be just a temporary pop-up offering, but presumably it's hoped it will come back and succeed as it didn't before, zombie-like. As a food writer, in the plumby days of newspapering, my wife was sent to Texas to write about distinctive food of that state. One of her stops was at a Coke bottling plant, where the local manager allowed that Coke had sent a VHS tape to instruct them how to formulate New Coke, but he had thrown it in a drawer, since, as he explained, no one had a VHS player. Classic Coke was their product. I think the son or grandson of the supervisor may have similar technological difficulties coming up.

 

[verporchting]

I also saw that Hershey Bars will now replace their classic chocolate bar format with emojis to replace the word "Hershey" on each square.
That has disaster written all over it. "Hey, I've got a brilliant new plan! If it's good and not broken and has made us world famous, beloved by our customers and earned us billions, let's screw it up to appeal to ______."
What a fantastic "new" idea. :roll:

 

[anthonyrosenthal74]

I've always said... if it ain't broke, don't fix it, because then your just F%#@ it up.

 

[timelord]

I stopped drinking Coke (in any form) when they replaced Coke Zero with the undrinkable Coke No Sugar. I did try the stuff but every time I ended up pouring the vile liquid down the drain after a couple of sips.

 

[mikethompson]

Or, New Coke was a huge success because everyone wanted to drink regular coke again. I'm too young to remember all of that though.
There will always be some gimmick to push product, whether it be a new recipe of a toy inside the box type thing.

 

[unkleyoda]

I think soda companies are feeling a marketshare pinch and are trying to do anything to sell more product and stay relevant. I think the next big marketing move will be glass bottles. Since the major target groups are worried about plastics, glass will become more viable. Maybe the big boys, Coca-Cola and Pepsi, will setup local bottling plants with returnables again. The major target groups are willing to pay more for 'green' products.

 

[redglow]

I remember the New Coke fiasco and how "important" it seemed back then just from a tradition standpoint.
Now, I may drink about 4 or 5 diet cokes a year and if it disappeared tomorrow I wouldn't care.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Imagine someone telling you 50- even 30 years ago that you'd be buying water in bottles in 2019 for more than you were paying for a bottle of beer then.

(Acknowledging that not everyone buys or drinks bottled water. But what a biz!!)

 

[pappymac]

I stopped drinking sugar sweetened soft drinks when I developed Type II diabetes about 20 years ago. I pretty much stopped drinking "Diet" soft drinks about 10 years ago because I found out what the artificial sweeteners could do to your kidneys and other internal organs. (I do occasionally have one, but usually no more than once a week.)
I also found I like my whiskey, rum or tequila either straight up or over ice.

 

[onestrangeone]

Old "New Coke" Tries Again

Because it was such a success the first time?

I average about 3 sodas a year (of any kind) so I doubt it will have much of an impact on my life on way or the other.

 

[prndl]

I didn't even like the "old" Coke.

 

[mso489]

I've gone for years without soft drinks. Now I have them occasionally, one or two a month, and my favorite is Classic/Original Coke, especially the Mexican version with cane sugar. I am alarmed at how good it tastes well iced, with a finish like wine. It sure feels like substance abuse.

 

[josephcross]

I always thought when they pushed "new coke" it was to distract the public. When the campaign fizzled and they brought Classic back but had changed the original recipe. I could be wrong but always thought the campaign was a success in that regard.

 

[fishnbanjo]

Just think of those way back when when Coke actually had Cocaine in it!

banjo

 

[bnichols23]

The idea of taking a 30+-yr-old classic [sic, extremely!] failure & remarketing it for nostalgia??? Gawd help us. -blech-
Bill

 

[mso489]

My late wife's late mom used to call any cola drink a dope, as in, "Don't you want a dope?"

 

[kcghost]

Man, I loved old Coke and still do but drink diet Dr. Pepper to keep the weight down.

 

[brian64]

I always thought when they pushed "new coke" it was to distract the public. When the campaign fizzled and they brought Classic back but had changed the original recipe. I could be wrong but always thought the campaign was a success in that regard.

I'd be surprised if you're not correct about that.

 

[davet]

I think the next big marketing move will be glass bottles.

That's the only way I buy Coke, the old style, small bottles :D

the Mexican version with cane sugar.

Great tasting and in a glass bottle too :clap:

 

[bnichols23]

And for $.06 too, Dave!