The Coca-Cola cans and bottles have had the tagline "Original Taste" for some time. There were layers of meetings to make sure the tagline fit what the company wants to convey. Focus groups saw several possibilities that weren't as impressive as "original taste." Multi-million dollar companies do not come up with "Original Taste" on a whim.
As an adjective, original can be defined as "present or existing from the beginning; first or earliest" or "created directly and personally by a particular artist; not a copy or imitation."
We know the first definition of original does not apply because the North American version of Coca-Cola contains high-fructose corn syrup instead of sugar. Also, the cocaine is missing. So "original taste" doesn't mean the initial recipe or even the recipe that lasted until the 1980s.
As a noun, original can mean "something serving as a model or basis for imitations or copies." Coca-Cola might find some solace here. Coca-Cola wasn't the first soft drink but did grow dominant in the early days of soda pop. Pepsi and RC came later though neither were trying to be imitations or copies. If you couldn't tell the difference between Coke and Pepsi or RC, then your palette isn't terribly picky or selective. You might literally not care which one you would be drinking.
Unfortunately for Coca-Cola, this is likely the definition meant by "original taste": "created directly and personally by a particular artist; not a copy or imitation."
Pepsi had a slogan many years ago that nothing quenches your thirst like a Pepsi. Sounds impressive. Like "original taste," this is a meaningless statement. You have patents on a distinct product so it's original in that there is nothing quite like your product.
Coca-Cola, Pepsi, and RC are all soda pop products but they are distinctively different. Not better, just different. Having original taste means nothing. Lemonade has "original taste" whether it is manufactured with high-fructose corn syrup or a child makes lemonade with real sugar with help from the parents, though the tastes are different.
Those meetings and focus groups broke down phrases to sound impressive and mean absolutely nothing.
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Passover 2022 begins on the evening of April 15. Kosher for Passover versions of soft drinks may be available in your area. This is a rite of spring for your humble narrator. The chase has involved Israeli Coca-Cola in the last few years since this is what we get in our area.
Both the K4P and Israeli versions cost more than the conventional high-fructose corn syrup. We have noted in the past that the cost of sugar is kept artificially high and that high-fructose corn syrup is subsidized with your federal tax dollars.
They are worth the cost because they have "original taste" in the sense of something unique. Most of the world drinks regular Coca-Cola made with sugar and doesn't have to go to the store at a certain time of year and pay more. They grab regular bottles.
North America is not the norm but the exception. For our Canadian readers, glucose-fructose is high-fructose corn syrup.
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Coca-Cola has an incredible story, a wonderful history as a product. Food is about storytelling but one of the greatest stories is silent. The Mexican Coca-Cola, Italian Coca-Cola, Danish Coca-Cola: they have the "original taste."
Your humble narrator wrote about 1642 Cola a number of years back. I don't get sucked in just because of a story but this story is rather cool.
Specialty soft drinks have "original taste" sometimes a little too original. High-fructose corn syrup versions of popular soft drinks aren't very original to the North American palette. You can't quite quench your thirst so you drink more of it. That is the hook, unfortunately.
You deserve better when soft drinks are involved. You might drink fewer of them given the costs. Soft drinks can be a treat when made well. Be more original and rethink soft drinks.
photo credit: Coca-Cola
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