Coca-Cola brings back ‘First Taste’ ad in renewed Coke Zero Sugar push

Coca-Cola is bringing back its ‘First Tastes’ campaign as part of a renewed push for Coca-Cola Zero Sugar and a wider focus on its healthier drinks as consumers increasingly opt for lower sugar options and with the introduction of the government’s sugar tax imminent.

The campaign, which will launch on Monday (15 January), will be pushed across TV, online and cinema with supporting activity across out-of-home advertising, digital and PR.

The advert, created by McCann Worldgroup Europe, is a continuation of the brands ‘First Taste’ idea and features a retiree, Mr Hadley, who is given a Coca-Cola Zero Sugar for the first time, which sparks a chain of new firsts. His adventures include confessing his love to Alice, a long-lost crush, getting a tattoo, attending a Pride Parade and crowd-surfing at a festival.

Aedamar Howlett, marketing director at Coca-Cola Great Britain, says: “The campaign brings to life the concept of those ‘bucket list’ moments that universally resonate with people. We want to build on the success we have had to date reminding people of what makes it so special.”

Coca-Cola rebranded Coke Zero to Coke Zero Sugar in April 2016, and it has had an immediate impact. Coke claims sales are on the up, with Coke Zero Sugar its fastest-growing product.

And according to YouGov BrandIndex, consumer perceptions of Coke Zero Sugar have also increased. Its Index score, which includes metrics such as quality, value and satisfaction, has seen a statistically significant increase since the rebrand from -2.6 in April 2016 to 1.5 in January this year.

Its Quality score has also seen a sharp increase from -1.1 to 2 over the same period.

The campaign launch comes as Coca-Cola announces an overhaul of its Diet Coke brand in the US with new packaging and flavours.