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 | 2002 (first run) 2007 (second run) |
| Discontinued | 2005 (first run) |
| 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 special version of Coca-Cola with 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 soda fountains.
Vanilla Coke was brought back to the US in 2007. It also returned to Denmark in 2012, the UK in 2013, and Canada in 2016. Australia has had Vanilla Coke since it first launched in 2002. It is made there by Coca-Cola Europacific Partners. In the UK, it was first a limited edition. Then it became a regular drink for a few years. However, it was stopped again in the UK in summer 2018. Even so, other vanilla-flavored drinks like Diet Vanilla Coke and Coke Vanilla Zero are still sold.
In 2003, Pepsi made Pepsi Vanilla to compete with Vanilla Coke. Virgin also released their own vanilla cola in the UK in 2002. This was a year before Coca-Cola launched Vanilla Coke there.
Contents
How Vanilla Coke Was Made
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. This goes back to the 1940s in the US. Back then, soda fountain workers would add a "shot" of vanilla syrup to a Coca-Cola drink if someone asked. This was common 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 at the 1982 World's Fair in Knoxville, Tennessee. They also tested Cherry Coke there. After Cherry Coke came out and New Coke failed in 1985, the company was careful about new flavors.
Rumors about a new Coca-Cola flavor started in April 2002. The company did not say much about it. They only said, "We've always got a number of things in development." This made people wonder what was coming. Later, it was shared that vanilla flavor tests were done. The new drink would be out in a few months. In late April 2002, the company said Vanilla Coke would start being made in May.
Fun Ways Vanilla Coke Was Advertised
The ads for Vanilla Coke wanted to reach people of all ages. Yolanda Ball, a brand manager for Coca-Cola Classic, said they needed to mix the new vanilla flavor with the trusted Coca-Cola brand. Vanilla Coke was first tasted by the public at the Vanilla Bean Café in Pomfret, Connecticut. The sugar-free version was mostly aimed at women. The first public tasting happened in Buckhead, Atlanta. It was with radio station Q100 and their morning show.
One famous TV ad was made by The Martin Agency. It used the slogan "Reward Your Curiosity." The ad showed actor Chazz Palminteri and another man. They pulled a teenager, played by Aaron Paul, into an alley. Palminteri then gave the boy a Vanilla Coke. This was a reward for his curiosity. Their old website, rewardyourcuriosity.com, was part of this campaign. It got a lot of attention. In the Philippine version of the ad, actor Johnny Delgado played Palminteri's role.
Ms. Ball said the ad was "new and intriguing." She added that it showed how people love and trust Coca-Cola. They did not need to say "New from Coca-Cola" directly.
Where You Could Find Vanilla Coke
In 2002, The Coca-Cola Company said Vanilla Coke would first come out in the United States. It started being sold on May 15. Then it would be available in Canada. The company called the vanilla flavor "the greatest innovation since Diet Coke in 1983." This also marked the 116th birthday of The Coca-Cola Company.
Later that year, it came to Norway, Sweden, and Iceland in Europe. This was the first new Coca-Cola flavor in Norway since Coca-Cola itself in 1937. Coca-Cola Light came out in 1983. By 2003, Vanilla Coke was sold in many European countries. It was also in Australia and New Zealand. By late 2003, the company had sold Vanilla Coke in over 30 countries. 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. These machines add vanilla syrup to regular Coca-Cola.
What's in Vanilla Coke?
Nutrition Facts
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 Vanilla Coke Looks
Vanilla Coke came in regular Coca-Cola bottles. For a short time in 2003, the bottles said just V instead of Vanilla Coke. This was like Cherry Coke's new label, which showed a picture of a cherry.
In January 2019, new packaging for Coca-Cola Vanilla came out in the U.S. This was part of Coca-Cola's "One Brand" campaign. The new design looks like the packaging for regular Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, and Coca-Cola Life. The words "Coca-Cola" are on a red circle. Below it is a light beige drop, which stands for vanilla syrup. The background color of the can or bottle is light beige. The word "Vanilla" is above the red circle.
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 and Philippines
In late 2002, a sugar-free version called Diet Vanilla Coke was released. In some countries, like Australia and New Zealand, it is called "Diet Coke with Vanilla." In others, it is known as Coca-Cola light Vanilla. In 2005, the sugar-free drink in the United States and Canada became "Diet Coke Vanilla." This put 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 types are still sold in Australia and Hong Kong. Coca-Cola Vanille (which means Vanilla) is also available in France and Germany. A new Coke Vanilla Zero came out in 2007, along with regular Vanilla Coke. Only these two are available in the United States. The company has not said if they will bring back Diet Vanilla Coke. But 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. It came in different sizes, like large bottles and small cans.
