After 59 years of existence, the countdown to the retirement of diet soft drink TaB has begun in earnest with The Coca-Cola company ramping up its marketing campaign on social media this week about its replacement: Coca-Cola No Sugar No Caffeine.
With just over two months to go before the iconic sugar- and caffeine-free drink is no more, the group’s latest advertising campaign states TaB is “saying goodbye to SA for the last time” but that its brand “Coke No Sugar No Caffeine” is ready to take its place.
The departure of TaB has been known by the market for some time, with the company announcing its plan to retire it along with other select products in various markets around the world in 2020.
But, nonetheless, TaB, which is synonymous with the growth of the fitness industry in the 1980s that saw people pouring themselves the diet drink while getting into shape in aerobics classes and gyms around SA, will be sorely missed.
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Coca-Cola confirmed that it will stop production of TaB at the end of the 2022 year but its “availability in stores is contingent on consumer purchasing behaviour”.
This means consumers may still be able to pick up the drink in the new year depending on stock availability.
As to whether customers are flocking to stores to build up their TaB stocks in anticipation, Coca Cola it said that “as communication on our digital platforms has only recently begun, it is too early to make a determination at this time”.
Source: News 24
