Coca-Cola Vanilla facts for kids
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1.25 litre bottle of Coca-Cola Vanilla
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| Type | Vanilla-flavored cola |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | The Coca-Cola Company |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Introduced | May 15, 2002 (first run) May 25, 2007 (second run) |
| Discontinued | 2005 (first run) except Australia and Hong Kong |
| Variants | Diet Vanilla Coke, Coke Vanilla Zero |
| Related products | Coca-Cola Diet Coke Coca-Cola Black Cherry Vanilla Coca-Cola Cherry Coca-Cola with Lime |
Coca-Cola Vanilla, often called Vanilla Coke, is a popular version of Coca-Cola that has a vanilla flavor. It first came out in 2002. It was stopped in North America and the United Kingdom in 2005, but you could still find it at some soda fountains. Later, it was brought back to the US in 2007, Denmark in 2012, the UK in 2013, and Canada in 2016. Australia has had Vanilla Coke since it first launched in 2002. Even though it was meant to be a special limited edition in the UK, it became a regular drink for several years. However, Vanilla Coke was stopped again in the UK in Summer 2018. But, Diet Vanilla Coke and Coke Vanilla Zero are still available there.
In 2003, Pepsi launched Pepsi Vanilla to compete with Vanilla Coke. Before Vanilla Coke appeared, Virgin also released its own vanilla cola in the UK in 2002.
Contents
How Vanilla Coke Was Created
Did you know that regular Coca-Cola already has a tiny bit of vanilla in it? People have been adding extra vanilla to Coca-Cola for a long time, even back in the 1940s. In those days, workers at soda fountains, sometimes called "soda jerks," would add a "shot" of vanilla syrup to a Coca-Cola drink if customers asked for it. This was a common practice in ice cream shops where both vanilla syrup and Coca-Cola were available.
The Coca-Cola Company first tried out a Coca-Cola with extra vanilla flavor at the 1982 World's Fair in Knoxville, Tennessee. They also tested Cherry Coke at the same time. After Cherry Coke became popular and New Coke didn't do so well in 1985, the company was careful about launching new flavors.
It wasn't until April 2002 that rumors started spreading that Coca-Cola was planning a new drink. The company didn't say much, only that they "always had a number of things in development." This made people wonder what was coming next. Later, it was revealed that they had finished testing a vanilla flavor. The new drink, Vanilla Coke, would be available in just a few months. By late April 2002, the company announced that Vanilla Coke would start being made as early as May.
How Vanilla Coke Was Advertised
The marketing for Vanilla Coke was designed to appeal to people of all ages. Yolanda Ball, a brand manager for Coca-Cola Classic, explained that they wanted to balance the new vanilla flavor with the trusted qualities of Coca-Cola. Vanilla Coke was first tasted by the public at the Vanilla Bean Café in Pomfret, Connecticut. The sugar-free version was mainly aimed at women. The very first public tasting happened in Atlanta at the Three Dollar Cafe with a local radio station.
One of the first big TV ads was made by The Martin Agency. It used the slogan "Reward Your Curiosity." The ad featured actor Chazz Palminteri. In the ad, he and another man find a teenager, played by a young Aaron Paul, looking into a hole. Palminteri then gives the boy a Vanilla Coke as a reward for being curious. The company's website, rewardyourcuriosity.com, was part of this campaign and became very popular.
Where You Could Find Vanilla Coke
In 2002, The Coca-Cola Company announced that Vanilla Coke would first be launched in the United States starting May 15. After that, it would come to Canada. The company called the introduction of the vanilla flavor "the greatest innovation since Diet Coke in 1983." It also happened to be the 116th anniversary of The Coca-Cola Company.
Later that year, Vanilla Coke was introduced in Norway, Sweden, and Iceland in Europe. This was the first new Coca-Cola flavor in Norway since Coca-Cola itself arrived in 1937 and Coca-Cola Light in 1983. By 2003, Vanilla Coke was sold in many European countries, as well as Australia and New Zealand. By late 2003, the company had sold Vanilla Coke in over 30 countries around the world. During the 2016 Summer Olympics, the vanilla and cherry versions were offered in some parts of Brazil. Today, you can easily get Vanilla Coke from a Coca-Cola Freestyle machine, which adds vanilla syrup to regular Coca-Cola.
Sales and Changes
Vanilla Coke had its best sales in its first year, 2002. It's thought that about 29% of all households in the United States bought the product that year. It's still a popular flavor, along with Cherry Coca-Cola. However, sales figures in 2004 raised questions about the future of Vanilla Coke. Sales in North America dropped from 90 million cases in 2002 to 35 million in 2004. Diet Vanilla Coke also saw a drop in sales.
In November 2005, because sales were slowing down, The Coca-Cola Company announced that Vanilla Coke would be stopped in North America and Great Britain by the end of the year. In January 2006, Coca-Cola introduced Black Cherry Vanilla Coke and Diet Black Cherry Vanilla Coke in North America. At the time, the company said Vanilla Coke might come back later. Vanilla Coke was never stopped in some places, like Australia, France, Russia, Malaysia, and Germany.
On February 19, 2007, Vanilla Coke was brought back to New Zealand. The official return of Vanilla Coke in the US happened on May 25, 2007, at the World of Coca-Cola Museum in Atlanta, Georgia. The Coca-Cola Company worked with Edy's Ice Cream to promote the relaunch. They even made a huge 10-ton Vanilla Coke float, which was recognized by Guinness World Records as the largest ice cream float in the world. A new Coca-Cola Vanilla Zero was also introduced. The re-released Coca-Cola Vanilla had a new look for its packaging. The advertising campaign for its return used a music cover of the song "Welcome Back." In 2007, Vanilla Coke also came to China and other countries in Europe and Asia.
Coca-Cola first said they had no plans to bring Vanilla Coke back to the United Kingdom, even though many people wanted it. But after many requests in 2011 and 2012, Coca-Cola decided to bring it back. It was reintroduced in March as part of a Papa John's pizza promotion before becoming widely available. In April 2017, Vanilla Zero Sugar became available in the UK. In May 2013, Coca-Cola Vanilla appeared in stores in Romania, and then in Belgium and the Netherlands in July 2013. In October 2013, it appeared in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. In February 2015, it showed up in some stores in Poland. It can also be bought in Canada, Sweden, and some stores in Finland. In July 2018, Coca-Cola Vanilla returned to Russia as a limited edition, but because it sold so well, it became a permanent product. In 2018, Coca-Cola confirmed that the product was stopped in the UK in favor of Vanilla Zero Sugar.
Coca-Cola Vanilla was also introduced in Lithuania at the end of 2015 for a short time.
Product Details
What's Inside: Nutrition
Here's a quick look at what's in Vanilla Coke:
| Average quantity | per 12 oz (≈355 mL) |
per 100 mL (≈3.4 oz) |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 140 calories | 44 calories |
| Protein | 0 g | 0 g |
| Fat, total | 0 g | 0 g |
| - saturated | 5 g | 0 g |
| Carbohydrates | 39 g | 11.0 g |
| - sugars | 39 g | 10.9 g |
| Sodium | 25 mg | 10 mg |
How It's Packaged
Vanilla Coke comes in the usual Coca-Cola bottles and cans. For a short time in mid-2003, the bottles that said Vanilla Coke were changed to simply V. This matched how Cherry Coke was labeled with a picture of a cherry.
As part of Coca-Cola's "One Brand" marketing plan, a new design for Coca-Cola Vanilla packaging was launched in the U.S. in January 2019. The new look is similar to the designs for Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, and Coca-Cola Life. The words "Coca-Cola" are placed over a red circle, with a light beige drop below them. This drop represents a drop of vanilla syrup. The background color of the can or bottle is light beige. The word "Vanilla" is placed above the red circle, similar to how "Original Taste" is used on regular Coca-Cola.
Different Kinds of Vanilla Coke
- Coca-Cola Vanilla (2002–05; 2007–present)
- Coca-Cola Vanilla Zero (2007–2019)
- Diet Coke Vanilla (2002–05)
- Coca-Cola Zero Sugar Vanilla (2017–present) in the UK, Sweden, New Zealand, US, Australia, Philippines, and Thailand
In late 2002, a sugar-free version called Diet Vanilla Coke became available. In some countries, like Australia and New Zealand, a similar drink is called "Diet Coke with Vanilla." In others, it's known as Coca-Cola light Vanilla. In 2005, the sugar-free product in the United States and Canada became "Diet Coke Vanilla," with more focus on the Diet Coke name. All these versions were stopped in 2005 in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. However, both versions are still available in Australia and Hong Kong. Coca-Cola Vanille (which means Vanilla) is also sold in France and Germany. A new Coke Vanilla Zero was introduced in 2007, along with the regular Vanilla Coke. Only these two are available in the United States. The company has not said if they plan to bring back Diet Vanilla Coke. However, you can still get Diet Vanilla Coke using a Coca-Cola Freestyle machine. Coca-Cola Zero Sugar Vanilla became available in the UK in April 2017 in different bottle and can sizes. In 2024, Coca Cola Zero Vanilla was introduced in France.
