{"id":204861,"date":"2024-02-08T23:39:04","date_gmt":"2024-02-08T23:39:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/2024\/02\/08\/coca-colas-gen-z-spicy-soda-and-history-of-bizarre-flavors-from-new-coke-to-ok-soda\/"},"modified":"2025-06-25T17:22:01","modified_gmt":"2025-06-25T17:22:01","slug":"coca-colas-gen-z-spicy-soda-and-history-of-bizarre-flavors-from-new-coke-to-ok-soda","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/2024\/02\/08\/coca-colas-gen-z-spicy-soda-and-history-of-bizarre-flavors-from-new-coke-to-ok-soda\/","title":{"rendered":"Coca-Cola’s Gen Z spicy soda and history of bizarre flavors from ‘New Coke’ to ‘OK Soda’"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The Atlanta beverage giant has just rolled out Coca-Cola Spiced, a raspberry and warm spice-flavored soda, as part of its permanent line-up, the company announced Wednesday<\/a>. The product \u2014 also in Coke Zero Sugar form \u2014 will hit shelves in the U.S. and Canada on Feb. 19.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you go to the aisles, you\u2019ll see the amount of spiciness has gone up because consumers\u2019 taste palates have evolved. We realized that could be an opportunity for us,\u201d Coca-Cola\u2019s North American marketing chief Shakir Moin told AP<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Along with its spicy Coke, Coca-Cola is hoping to attract Gen Z customers with another new entry: Happy Tears Zero Sugar, a mystery-flavored<\/a>, salt- and mineral-infused product that comes with a \u201chype kit\u201d of stickers and apparel available only on TikTok<\/a> until Feb. 17.<\/p>\n

\u201cGen Z is super important to us as a brand as they are the next generation of tasters,\u201d Sue Lynne Cha, vice president marketing of Coca-Cola Trademark North America, said in a statement to Fortune<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Coca-Cola is wooing Gen Z, a more health-conscious<\/a> generation drawn to soft drinks trumpeting health benefits<\/a> (amid reports of Diet Coke\u2019s sweetener being linked<\/a> to cancer), particularly as its eternal rivalry with PepsiCo<\/a> heats up yet again. Analysts have foreseen that PepsiCo could soon retake the title<\/a> of highest-valued beverage company, though Coca-Cola is expected to have solid fourth-quarter earnings<\/a>. Units sold by PepsiCo\u2019s beverage businesses were down 7% in December, while Coca-Cola\u2019s rose 3%, according to YipitData.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Last January, PepsiCo launched its own Gen Z-friendly soda, Starry, which achieved a half-billion dollars in sales<\/a> in its first year, more than forerunner Sierra Mist made in the last four years combined. Starry will debut its first Super Bowl commercial<\/a> on Sunday with 24-year-old rapper Ice Spice.<\/p>\n

Coca-Cola is leaning hard into appealing to Gen Z audiences now, but it has long tried to connect with the youth of yesteryear, sometimes with success, and sometimes appearing to try a bit hard to fit in.<\/p>\n

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