BITE Insight

The long-awaited sugar tax, pledged by the government in 2016, came into effect earlier this month. It means that soft drinks manufacturers are charged a levy on every drink that contains 5g of sugar per 100ml or higher. But how have brands reacted to this?

While many have started to change their recipes, Coca Cola worked with Recipe to design a campaign to coincide with the sugar tax. Icon reminds people that Coke still tastes just as good as it always did: that will never change.

The brand has decided not to switch up the recipe of the classic Coca Cola, which remains at 10.6g of sugar per 100ml and will instead direct their consumers to Coca Cola Zero Sugar, which launched in 2016. Instead of limiting the choice their consumers have, they are actively attempting to shape the choice they make by offering an alternative.

The campaign, running across social and OOO sites, including the new lights board in Piccadilly Circus, celebrates the classic heritage of the brand under the tagline “They don’t make ‘em like they used to. We do”. The minimal graphics depict a silhouette of Elvis Presley with a distinctive Coke bottle sideburn.

With this campaign, Coca Cola wants to remind people that sometimes, you just shouldn’t mess with the original.