Coke plans to revive Tab as energy drink

Coca-Cola is relaunching Tab – again. The brand is to be used for a new energy drink targeting young women, rather than the young males who are the main consumers of energy drinks.

Tab Energy, which was revealed to Coke bottlers in Atlanta two weeks ago, will be packaged in slim cans carrying the old Tab logo, but with the word “energy” in small yellow letters.

As well as being shown Tab Energy, the bottlers were allowed to taste Coca-Cola Blak coffee-flavoured cola, also due to launch next year.

It is understood that Tab Energy will be launched in the US at the beginning of 2006: it is not known whether there are plans to launch it in the UK.

Tab was once one of Coca-Cola’s big success stories. Originally launched in 1963 as a one-calorie diet drink, it is still distributed by the company, although it receives no advertising support. It is not the first time that Coca-Cola has used the brand name for a completely new product – in 1993, it launched a clear cola under the name Tab Clear (MW January 8, 1993).

In recent years, Tab has built up something of a cult following as part of a revival of interest in the 1960s and 1970s. Tab appeared in the Austin Powers movies and US series That ’70s Show, and US retailers have launched clothing bearing the Tab logo.