
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, January 13, 1994                   TAG: 9401130081
SECTION: BUSINESS                    PAGE: B-8   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: ATLANTA                                LENGTH: Medium

DIET'S OUT; NOW COKE'S JUST FOR FUN

The people who pitch Diet Coke declared calorie-cutting out and refreshment in Wednesday as they unveiled a new series of commercials aimed at crucial twentysomethings and baby boomers.

The ads carry the slogan "This is refreshment." They replace last year's short-lived "Taste it All' campaign and are part of an effort by diet soft-drink makers to revive products whose market share has gone flat after years of dramatic growth.

"The baby boomers have given a massive yawn in recent years to the diet market," said Jesse Meyers, publisher of the industry newsletter Beverage Digest. "They were responsible for the growth of diet drinks, and now they're responsible for the decline."

The new ads will debut on prime time television Jan. 22, and Coca-Cola plans to blitz TV viewers with 115 spots during the Winter Olympics in February, said Nancy Gibson, the Atlanta-based soft-drink company's worldwide brand director for Diet Coke.

The ads are geared to those 25 and up, Coke said. They contain vintage rock and pop tunes in the background and images of vibrant young adults drinking Diet Coke as they take a break from various activities.

In one humorous spot, a group of sparring partners cools off with Diet Coke after being knocked around by heavyweight boxing champion Evander Holyfield.

By emphasizing refreshment, the ads characterize Diet Coke as a mainstream beverage rather than one mainly for the calorie conscious, Gibson said.

Coca-Cola used only one slogan, "Just for The Taste of It," from Diet Coke's inception in 1982 until New Year's Day 1993, when the catchwords were replaced with "Taste it All" and "One Awesome Calorie."

"I think it was not as successful as we wanted because it didn't appeal to as broad a consumer as we wanted," Gibson said.

Soft-drink industry analysts say the popularity of so-called New Age beverages such as flavored waters has cut into the market for diet colas. Diet Coke's share of the $48 billion U.S. soft-drink market has slipped from 6.9 percent in 1989 to 6.8 percent, while Diet Pepsi has declined from 5.4 percent to 5.2 percent, according to Beverage Digest.

by CNB