There, thus proving the blinkered prejudice of fellow publogger. Think about it, would the mighty Coca-Cola Company, even if trading thru Schweppes, be so stupid as to continue making and marketing something if it did not sell. Before you say “maintaining a world-wide presence” I bring you the sorry tale of Tab Clear in the UK. It was sugar-free. It tasted a bit cokey, but even worse it came in some bizarre plastic can that you could see the contents were clear in. Apparently the clarity of said product was its major selling point. It certainly was not the taste. The Coca-Cola Co withdrew it in the space of six months.

Of course I quite liked it.

British punters are a bit suspicious of drinks which play with the colour motif too much. The major selling point of Mountain Dew, in its brief life in the UK, was its radically garish flourescent yellow colouring. It got the heave-ho almost as quickly as Tab. And guess what, I rather liked that too.

I suspect what Tom is most upset by is the recent rebranding of Cherry Coke to make the can resemble the classic Coke Can. For the last six or seven years Cherry Coke has had a can design which can only have been put together by a seven-year old goth (see left). Splurges of black on a deep red possibly harmed its sales, hence the rebrand. But don’t you be saying no-one likes the stuff. I just had a can to prove you wrong.