Coca-Cola launched another ‘slightly spicy’ soda in 1993 but no one’s ever heard of the brand because it was quietly discontinued just two years later.
Coca-Cola is so deeply embedded in human consciousness that it is often cited as the second-most recognised words in the world – just after the universally understood ‘OK.’
According to some studies and brand historians, the name Coca-Cola is understood by 94 per cent of the world’s population.
However, in a bold Noughties experiment, the soda giant tried to recreate its success and launched OK Soda in a bid to own both of the world’s most recognised terms – but it didn’t go to plan.
Launched in 1993, OK Soda wasn’t your typical sugary drink as Coca-Cola crafted it with one target in mind, the Gen X teen (or those people born between the late 1960s and the early ’80s)
Generation X were often described as independent, self-reliant, skeptical and disillusioned with the status quo, so Coca-Cola wanted to try something new to appeal to their tastes.
The idea was to be anti-marketing to an audience that hated being marketed to. Unsurprisingly, however, the audience saw right through what was essentially still advertising and the brand never took off.
OK Soda’s cans were designed to look deliberately strange; they came in muted grayscale tones and featured drawings by legendary alt cartoonists Charles Burns and Daniel Clowes.
Coca-Cola launched another soda brand in 1993 but just two years later it was quietly pulled from shelves
Clowes later said he used cult leader and serial killer Charles Manson’s face as a model for one of his designs.
The grey cans featured cryptic, existential slogans like ‘Everything is going to be OK’ and ‘Don’t be fooled into thinking there has to be a reason for everything’.
Even the hotline printed on the cans (1-800-I-FEEL-OK) delivered absurd recorded messages rather than actual customer service.
OK Soda’s flavor was equally underwhelming as it was described as ‘slightly spicy’ and likened to a combination of orange soda and flat Coca-Cola.
When they were looking to introduce a new beverage, Coca-Cola’s special projects manager Brian Lanahan told Time Magazine that they chose the name ‘OK’ because it didn’t sensationalise the product.
It was supposed to be the marketing world’s greatest reverse psychology triumph, but it was a flop.
OK Soda never made it past the test markets, after launching in about a dozen US cities, and sales were lukewarm at best.
By 1995, two years after its debut, OK Soda was quietly pulled from shelves and officially discontinued.
Coca-Cola is so deeply embedded in human consciousness that it is often cited as the second most recognised words in the world- just after the universally understood ‘OK’
Launched in 1993, OK Soda wasn’t your typical sugary drink as Coca-Cola crafted it with one target in mind, the Gen X teen (people born from the late 1960s to the early ’80s)
The grey cans featured cryptic, existential slogans like: ‘Everything is going to be OK’
Generation X were often described as independent, self-reliant, skeptical and disillusioned with the status quo, so Coca-Cola wanted to try something new
Even the hotline printed on the cans (1-800-I-FEEL-OK) delivered absurd recorded messages rather than actual customer service
Since then, the drink has become a case study in marketing classes around the world of how authenticity can’t be engineered.
While OK Soda failed to resonate with consumers, Coca-Cola continues to stand as one of the most iconic and globally recognised brands in history.
A key driver of Coca-Cola’s success is its ability to continually evolve its marketing campaigns and advertising strategies to stay relevant across generations.
The very first print advertisement for Coca-Cola was launched in the United States back in 1905,with actress Hilda Clark sipping the fizzy black drink from a tea cup.
The advertisement, which resembled a postage stamp of sorts with its floral design and portrait style, marketed the now global soft drink for just five cents.
It is in stark contrast to the bold and colourful footage used to market the soft drink’s famous curved bottle on television, social media and in magazines in 2015 where a 600ml bottle of drink can set consumers back a minimum of $3.50.
Coca-Cola advertising was launched in Australia in 1943 and among one of the first marketing posters was artist Haddon Sundblom’s ‘Yes Girl’ pin-up, which remains a hallmark in design today.
The poster features a smiling woman sitting down in her vintage swimwear as a man passes her a bottle of Coca-Cola.
The very first print advertisement for Coca-Cola was launched in the United States back in 1905 with actress Hilda Clark sipping from a tea cup
Coca-Cola targeted women in the 1950s with slogans like ‘refresh yourself while shopping’ and ‘take some home for the family’
They were pictured lazing on the beach, typing on typewriters and pushing shopping trolleys in their 1950s-style dresses while they sipped from the soft drink bottles
The 70s drew on simple advertising with slogans like ‘things go better with coke’ and the 1980s often relied on sports to showcase the bran
The changing face of the soft drink advertising sheds light on just how much social attitudes, trends and fashion have shifted in the past eight decades.
Coca-Cola targeted women in the 1950s with slogans like ‘refresh yourself while shopping’ and ‘take some home for the family’.
They were pictured lazing on the beach, typing on typewriters and pushing shopping trolleys in their 1950s-style dresses while they sipped from the soft drink bottles.
The 70s drew on simple advertising with slogans like ‘things go better with coke’ and the 1980s often relied on sports to showcase the brand.
The iconic Coca-Cola bottle, which was first sold back in 1938 from a factory in Sydney, is marking its 100 anniversary this year.
It was designed in 1915 for a mere $500 with manufacturers being told to create something that could be recognised by touch alone and could be identified when shattered on the ground.
The bottle has become steeped in pop culture history having been the muse for artists and designers like Andy Warhol, Dolce & Gabbana and Uniqlo.
