Madeleine Hull
Tab, often stylised as TaB, was a diet soda drink created by the Coca-Cola Company in 1963. It was the company's first low-calorie cola beverage and was targeted at women. The drink was initially sweetened with cyclamate, but this was banned by the FDA in 1969, leading to a reformulation that used saccharin. Tab enjoyed immense popularity in the 1970s and 80s, but its sales declined after the launch of Diet Coke in 1982. Despite a loyal following, Tab's market position continued to weaken over the years, and in 2020, Coca-Cola announced its discontinuation.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Creator | The Coca-Cola Company |
| Year of creation | 1963 |
| Type of drink | Diet soda |
| Flavour | Grapefruit |
| Target audience | Women |
| Sweetener | Cyclamate (until 1969), Saccharin (from 1969), Aspartame (from 1984) |
| Tagline | "How can just one calorie taste so good?", "Great taste. One calorie. TAB", "Beautiful People" |
| Sales in 2019 | 1.4 million cases |
| Year of discontinuation | 2020 |
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What You'll Learn
Tab was created by Coca-Cola in 1963
Tab, often stylised as TaB, was created by Coca-Cola in 1963. It was one of the first diet carbonated drinks on the market, and was targeted at women. Tab was Coca-Cola's original diet soda brand, predating Diet Coke.
In the early 1960s, America was experiencing a cultural revolution, and was also facing new health issues related to obesity and sugar consumption. There was a burgeoning market for diet drinks, with brands like No-Cal (1952), Diet Rite (1958), and Patio Diet Cola (1963) already on the market. Coca-Cola wanted to tap into this market, and so created Tab.
The name Tab was chosen from a list of over 185,000 four-letter words with one vowel, generated by an IBM 1401 computer. The name was influenced by the possible play on words, "keep tabs" on your weight. The name was shortened from "Tabb" during development, and the designer Sid Dickens gave the name the capitalisation pattern ("TaB") used in the logo.
Tab initially used cyclamate as a sweetener, but this was banned by the FDA in 1969 due to evidence it caused cancer in lab animals. The formula then switched to saccharin.
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It was the company's first low-calorie cola beverage
Tab, often stylised as TaB, was created by the Coca-Cola Company in 1963. It was the company's first low-calorie cola beverage. The drink was targeted at women and was one of the first diet carbonated drinks on the market.
The Coca-Cola Company was inspired to create a diet drink by the success of earlier brands such as No-Cal (1952), Diet Rite (1958), and Patio Diet Cola (1963). These brands tapped into a burgeoning market for diet drinks as Americans became increasingly concerned about health issues related to obesity and sugar consumption.
Tab was initially sweetened with cyclamate, but in 1969, the Food and Drug Administration banned this sweetener after studies indicated that large doses led to bladder cancer in animals. The formula was then switched to saccharin, which is 300 to 400 times sweeter than sugar. However, in high concentrations, it gives products a bitter, metallic aftertaste.
Tab enjoyed immense popularity in the 1970s and 80s, with a solid niche following. It was the number one diet beverage in the United States. However, its popularity began to decline in 1982 with the introduction of Diet Coke by the Coca-Cola Company. Diet Coke had a flavour profile closer to the original Coca-Cola, but without the sugar. As a result, Tab's sales dropped steadily over the next 38 years.
In 2020, after a 57-year run, the Coca-Cola Company announced the discontinuation of Tab. Despite this, Tab still has a loyal following, with fans actively trying to convince the company to bring it back to retail shelves.
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Tab was marketed to women and people who wanted to keep 'tabs' on their weight
Tab was a diet cola soft drink produced and distributed by the Coca-Cola Company. It was introduced in 1963 and discontinued in 2020. Tab was created as a low-calorie alternative to Coca-Cola and was targeted primarily at women. The drink's marketing campaigns capitalized on growing health consciousness within the female market. With its pink motif, “Great taste. One calorie. TAB” slogan, and “Beautiful People” jingle, the drink built a solid niche following over the next couple of decades.
The name "Tab" was chosen as a playful reference to "keeping tabs" on one's weight. The Coca-Cola Company used a computer to sift through 185,000 potential names before selecting "Tab." The name was also a good fit for the product because it was a fun, playful word that was easy to remember and helped to differentiate the product from other diet drinks on the market.
In the early days of Tab, Coca-Cola didn't want to tarnish its iconic brand name with other, lesser sodas. So, when they wanted to enter the diet soda market, they introduced a new name: Tab. This strategy changed once Diet Coke was introduced, and later Coke Zero.
Tab was popular in the 1970s and 1980s, but its sales declined after the launch of Diet Coke in 1982. Despite Coca-Cola's reduced focus on Tab, the drink maintained a loyal following for decades. However, Tab's market position continued to weaken as Coca-Cola prioritized Diet Coke and later Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, taking more and more market share from Tab.
Tab's popularity began to wane, and by 2019, it sold just 1.4 million cases compared to 636 million cases of Diet Coke. Ultimately, Coca-Cola discontinued Tab in 2020, citing a desire to focus on a few core brands rather than many smaller ones. However, Tab has maintained a cult following, with fans actively campaigning for its return.
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Its popularity declined after the launch of Diet Coke in 1982
Tab, often stylised as TaB, was the first diet drink created by Coca-Cola in 1963. It was targeted at women and was one of the first diet carbonated drinks on the market. It enjoyed immense popularity in the 1970s and 1980s, when it became fashionable to drink diet beverages. However, its popularity began to decline after the launch of Diet Coke by Coca-Cola in 1982.
Diet Coke was the first new brand since Coca-Cola's creation in 1886 to use the Coca-Cola trademark. It was also the company's first sugar-free drink, containing artificial sweeteners instead of sugar. Diet Coke quickly overtook Tab in sales, becoming the largest-selling low-calorie soft drink in America.
There were several reasons for Diet Coke's success over Tab. Firstly, it had a flavour profile that was closer to the original Coca-Cola, but without the sugar. Secondly, Coca-Cola dedicated more resources and advertising dollars to Diet Coke, which helped to increase its popularity. Finally, Diet Coke was seen as a more modern and easily marketable product, which better competed with rival brands like Diet Pepsi.
Over time, Tab's sales continued to dwindle as Coca-Cola focused most of its resources on Diet Coke and other new products, such as Coca-Cola Zero Sugar. By 2011, Tab's production had decreased significantly, with only 3 million cases being produced annually compared to 885 million cases of Diet Coke. Despite Tab's loyal following, Coca-Cola eventually decided to discontinue the drink in 2020, after a 57-year run.
Today, a group of dedicated Tab lovers are campaigning to convince Coca-Cola to revive the once-popular diet soda. Their efforts include creating a "'Save TaB Soda' campaign" and gathering petitions to show the company that there is still demand for the product.
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Coca-Cola discontinued Tab in 2020
Tab, often stylistically dubbed TaB, was created by Coca-Cola in 1963 and was targeted at women. It was one of the first diet carbonated drinks on the market. The name Tab was chosen by Coca-Cola to refer to keeping "tabs" on one's weight, as it was marketed as a diet soda.
Tab enjoyed immense popularity in the 1970s and 80s before facing declining sales after the launch of Diet Coke in 1982. Despite Coca-Cola’s reduced focus, Tab maintained a loyal following for decades, inspiring a 2008 documentary showcasing fans’ dedication to obtaining their favourite drink. Tab's sales dropped steadily over the next 38 years. By 2019, Tab sold just 1.4 million cases, compared to 636 million cases of Diet Coke.
In 2020, Coca-Cola discontinued around 200 brands, including Tab, as part of a strategic shift to focus on fewer but more successful brands. The decision to discontinue Tab was not due to a lack of demand but was made to respond to evolving consumer demands and focus on the highest-performing brands.
The discontinuation of Tab upset many loyal fans, some of whom tried to get Coca-Cola to bring it back to retail shelves. In October 2020, a group of fans gathered at the World of Coca-Cola Museum and handed over a petition with 6,500 names and several handwritten pleas to a Coke executive.
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Frequently asked questions
Tab soda was made by the Coca-Cola Company.
Tab soda was introduced in 1963.
Tab soda was created as a diet drink targeted at women who wanted to keep tabs on their weight.
Tab soda was initially sweetened with cyclamate, but this was banned in 1969 due to its link to cancer in lab animals. It was then reformulated to use saccharin.
Tab soda was discontinued in 2020 due to declining sales. However, it still has a loyal following, and there are efforts to convince Coca-Cola to bring it back.
