Fanfare Is Real Thing: New Coke Hits Town

The Coca-Cola Co. officials from Atlanta were there, as were honchos and employees from the Coca-Cola Bottling Co. of San Diego. The city’s supermarkets and vending machine companies were represented, as were members of the media.

But the most important group--San Diego’s cola drinkers--weren’t represented Friday morning at a gathering aimed at introducing the new taste of the world’s most popular soft drink. They’ll have to wait until tonight for their first sips of the Coca-Cola Co.’s new “Real Thing.”

Standing in the Sheraton Harbor Island East Hotel behind a lectern bedecked with six-packs of regular and caffeine-free Coca-Cola cans, addressing an audience in a room festooned with banners, balloons, streamers and Coca-Cola memorabilia, Coca-Cola Executive Vice President Edwin R. Mellett observed that “We’re not selling Burgundy wine, we’re marketing refreshment.” Mellett turned to a new-fangled talking dispensing machine that, with a whir and a clunk, did its thing.

After popping the top on the first official can of the new potion to be had in San Diego, Mellett smacked his lips and said, “I’d like to give you an objective, unbiased opinion. I think it’s great.”

San Diegans attending tonight’s sold-out Padres game with the Cubs can conduct their own taste test --if they happen upon vendors in nearby parking lots who will be handing out samples of the new concoction. Once inside San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium, fans will have a chance to purchase their first glass of the new Coke with the new secret formula. During the ballgame, Coke will take over the centerfield scoreboard to broadcast some of its new commercials.

Those not lucky enough to have tickets to tonight’s sold-out Padres game will have to wait a bit longer to get a taste of the Real Thing. “By the end of the month, consumers in the San Diego region should be able to enjoy the new taste of Coke in its new packaging at their favorite retail outlets,” said Paul LeCompte, regional vice president of the local bottling company.

Coca-Cola U.S.A. has announced that each of the 6,600 McDonald’s restaurants across the country will start selling the new taste of Coke on Sunday morning. McDonald’s will promote that fact with its own heavy advertising campaign.

What does the new cola taste like? “A new explosion of wonderfulness in your mouth,” is the answer provided in Coke commercials starring TV’s Bill Cosby, Coke’s “official spokesperson.” Another Cosby commercial, one that borrows heavily from a political slogan of days gone by, reported that “Now more than ever, Coke is it.”

In addition to showing off its new mainstream advertisements, Coca-Cola also unveiled new commercials aimed at the Hispanic and black market.

Mellett reported that Coca-Cola is spending more advertising money this year to introduce its new-tasting cola than it did last year as an Olympics sponsor.

Mellett, who has traveled to introduction festivities in eight other markets across the country, will hit “another four or five” during the coming week. He said the marketing and advertising is paying off. “Eighty-three percent of all the people in America know about the change,” he said. “More important, 80% say they’ll try the new product.”