FOOD NEWS
Why Coca-Cola's Discontinued OK Soda Couldn't Get Going
By Chase Shustack
In 1993, Coca-Cola debuted OK Soda, a new type of soda specifically marketed to Generation X's grungier, apathetic generation.
OK Soda tried to be relatable to the younger teen market, except it traded in the flashy colors and quirky sayings for the offbeat, odd, and general apathy.
It even commissioned celebrated alternative cartoonists Daniel Clowes and Charles Burns to decorate the cans in surreal, monotone comic characters and bleak, harsh backdrops.
Yet, for some reason, this strange and surreal take on soda didn't make it far, barely lasting a few months on the test market before being discontinued.
The simplest reason for the drink's sudden discontinuation boiled down to the fact that you can't sell cynicism to the cynics, and the marketing campaign felt disingenuous.
Coca-Cola basically came off as the parent who was trying to act hip in front of their brooding, uncaring teenager who could see right through them.