Coca-Cola makes mistakes. The beverage company has taken popular drinks off the shelf and then brought them back.
That happened most famously in 1985 when the company replaced its iconic namesake brand with a new recipe. And, while many insist that the entire affair was a marketing stunt designed to bring back the well-known formula, Coca-Cola (KO) -) has always insisted that New Coke was a genuine attempt to improve the brand.
In that fabled case, what later became known as "New" Coke was only around for a few months before "Classic" Coke made its triumphant return. Classic Coke is not the only time the beverage giant has given in to public demand and returned a discontinued favorite to store shelves.
The company brought back Surge, a citrus-flavored soda, in 2014 after the company had previously killed the brand. Soda comebacks due to public pressure also forced rival PepsiCo (PEP) -) to bring back its controversial "Crystal" Pepsi and Pepsi "Blue" for limited runs.
Public pressure also brought Jolt Cola, cult favorite Bubble Up, and even "New" Coke back from the dead (with limited success in their new incarnations in most cases). Now, a lobbying group wants Coca-Cola to bring back a soda that was created in 1963 and discontinued in 2020 back to store shelves.
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Coke's first diet soda has a diehard following
Before there was Diet Coke, Coke Zero Sugar, and well, a slew of other non-Coca-Cola beverages, there was Tab, the company's first take on a diet soda. Tab wasn't called Diet Coke because while it sort of tastes like a cola, it's really its own unique flavor.
In many ways, the success of Diet Coke, and later Coke Zero Sugar, made Tab an afterthought and sales slowly dropped over the years. When Coca-Cola pulled the plug in 2020, however, the company may not have realized just how dedicated Tab's core drinkers were.
That group created the Save TaB Committee, a group of the beverage's fans from all around the world who are working to force the company to bring back Tab.
The committee will gather at Coca-Cola's Atlanta headquarters on Oct. 20 to make a public showing to company management.
"TaB fans from all around the U.S. will congregate in Atlanta, rallying to inspire Coca-Cola’s top brass to commemorate TaB’s 60th anniversary with a sensational comeback. Equipped with heartfelt letters and compelling narratives, they aspire to persuade the company to allow willing Bottlers of Coca-Cola to bring back TaB in their local markets where demand exists," the Save TaB Committee shared in an email to TheStreet.
Tab fans are maybe not Coke fans
The committee argue that Coca-Cola is hurting its business by not selling Tab. In a survey, the group found that 79% of previous Tab drinkers no longer buy Coca-Cola products. The same study of "Tab loyalists" showed that 98% of Tab drinkers would the beverage to their family and friends.
It's fair to question the validity of this data as no methodology was shared, but it's also clear that Tab does have a loyal following.
"TaB has a special place in the hearts of so many," said Save TaB Committee President Adam Burbach. "We’re traveling to Atlanta with hopes that our stories will encourage Coca-Cola to bring back this iconic product that has meant so much to its fans. The brand affinity for TaB is strong and we would love to be able to purchase and enjoy it again.”
The soft drink, which was sold in pink cans, does still have a page on Coca-Cola's website where the company pays tribute to the trailblazing brand.
"Without TaB, there wouldn't be the Diet Coke or Coke Zero Sugar that we know and love today. When it was introduced in 1963, TaB was the very first diet soda for The Coca-Cola Company. The pink-hued can with no calories rocked households as Americans were becoming more and more weight conscious," Coke shared.
