Buzz
In 1963, Coca-Cola introduced TaB, a diet soda with just one calorie, packaged in a pink can, and marketed as the beverage that would give women the ‘chance’ to ‘have a shape he can’t forget.’ The ad’s famous jingle promoted it as ‘for beautiful people,’ suggesting that drinking it might just make you one of them.
While TaB started losing its appeal after Diet Coke debuted in 1982, a small but loyal fanbase continues to enjoy it. There’s even a site, ilovetab.com, that tracks where the soda is available and which celebrities have been seen with a can.
Sadly for fans, the Coca-Cola Company has made the final call to retire TaB just shy of its 60th birthday. It’s not alone in this: ZICO coconut water, Odwalla juices, Diet Coke Feisty Cherry, and Coca-Cola Life (a reduced-sugar Coke sweetened with stevia leaf extract) are also being discontinued, alongside various regional and international products.
While many businesses have had to reduce their offerings or shut down completely due to the coronavirus pandemic, Coca-Cola insists that these changes were part of a long-standing plan. That said, the company noted that ‘the ongoing COVID-19 supply chain challenges and changing shopping habits pushed the company to expedite its plan,’ according to a press release.
TaB has become more of a nostalgic favorite than a profitable product. As The New York Times reported, Coca-Cola sold around 3 million cases of TaB in 2011—less than half a percent of the Diet Coke cases produced that year. Still, people will undoubtedly feel the loss of this iconic soda.
‘We’re forever thankful to TaB for paving the way for the diet and light soda category, and to the loyal fans who’ve supported the brand for nearly 60 years,’ said Kerri Kopp, Diet Coke’s group director for North America, in a press release. ‘Without TaB, there would be no Diet Coke or Coke Zero Sugar. TaB fulfilled its purpose.’
