Company officials said on Tuesday that the plan was to change the drink in such a way that it would “deliver an even more iconic Coke taste.” Anxious Americans, or at least the ones who regularly quaff Coke Zero, will be the judge.
Already, on social media, worry and apprehension greeted the impending change. Some consumers vowed to switch to other drinks, like Diet Dr. Pepper, or threatened to turn to the drink of Coca-Cola’s archrival, Pepsi. Others recalled the marketing debacle of 1985 when Coca-Cola unveiled “The New Coke,” a sweeter version of the original soft drink that was rejected by many consumers.