Coca-Cola Vanilla

Coca-Cola Vanilla (also known as Vanilla Coke, and, for a time in the summer of 2003, V) is the soft drink Coca-Cola made to a recipe with extra vanilla. It was available as early as the 1950s at many soda fountains and restaurants, which added the flavoring themselves. Mass production began for the United States market on May 15, 2002, as part of competitive plans against rival Pepsi and other soft drink producers. By 2004, the company had marketed Vanilla Coke in over 30 countries around the globe.

Marketing campaign

The marketing campaign for Vanilla Coke aimed to appeal across all generations. Yolanda Ball, brand manager for Coca-Cola Classic, commented that "We had to learn how to balance the newness of vanilla with the established qualities of Coca-Cola".

One of the first notable advertisements was a television ad created by The Martin Agency which was based upon the product's original campaign line of "Reward Your Curiosity". The ad featured actor Chazz Palminteri, in which he and another man pull aside a teenager into an alley when they caught him peering into a hole. Palminteri gives the boy a Vanilla Coke, as a reward for his curiosity.

Ball commented on the television ad by saying that "We were trying to create something new and intriguing... Half of it was about new, different and change of pace, and the rest of it was about how people love and trust Coca-Cola. But we didn't have to say New from Coca-Cola. We didn't have to hit them over the head with it."

Vanilla Coke debuted at the Vanilla Bean Café, locally known as "the Bean," in the scenic town of Pomfret, Connecticut. The diet variety would be directed primarily at middle-aged women.

Packaging

Vanilla Coke was packaged in standard bottles in accordance with appropriate Coca-Cola packaging. For a brief period of time in mid-2003, the bottles that Vanilla Coke came in, which had before said Vanilla Coke, were changed simply to V (which matched Cherry Coke's new labeling showing a picture of a cherry). Afterwards, the original labeling was resumed.

Varieties

* Coke Vanilla
* Diet Coke Vanilla

In late 2002, a sugar free version of the soft drink, Diet Vanilla Coke, arrived on supermarket shelves. In some countries, including Australia and New Zealand, a similar drink is marketed as "Diet Coke with Vanilla." and in others is known as Coca-Cola light Vanilla (or Vanilla Coke Light) In 2005, the sugar-free product in the United States and Canada became "Diet Coke Vanilla," with more emphasis on the Diet Coke label. All varieties were discontinued in 2006 in the United States and the United Kingdom. Both varieties are still available in Australia and Hong Kong.