Simply the zest – Coca-Cola adds new lemon flavour

Coca-Cola is adding a refreshing twist to its “Real Coke” taste with the launch of two new lemon-flavoured colas.

Rolling out nationwide throughout March, Coca-Cola Original Taste Lemon and Coca-Cola Zero Sugar Lemon will combine the brand with the refreshment of lemon, giving consumers the option to enjoy with or without sugar. The eye-catching packs put the citrus flavour front and centre, combining the Coca-Cola red with a yellow gradient and lemon graphic.

The two variants will be available in 330ml cans and 500ml rPET bottles for shoppers to enjoy on-the-go and larger 2L (Coca-Cola Zero Sugar Lemon),1.75L (Coca-Cola Original Taste Lemon) rPET bottles and multipack cans for sharing occasions at home. Priced marked options will be available for Coca-Cola Original Taste Lemon in 500ml rPET and 330ml cans and 500ml rPET bottles of Coca-Cola Zero Sugar Lemon.

A Big Hit of Lemon!
By combining the taste of Coca-Cola with a bold blast of citrus, the new launches will meet growing consumer demand for innovation in colas, with flavoured colas growing ahead of the colas segment as a whole.

Coca-Cola Original Taste Lemon and Coca-Cola Zero Sugar Lemon will join Coca-Cola’s existing flavoured colas range, which is worth £118m and growing in value and includes Coca-Cola Original Taste Cherry, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar Cherry and Coca-Cola Zero Sugar Vanilla.

The roll-out will be supported by a large-scale integrated marketing campaign, including sampling, out-of-home advertising, experiential, social media content and in-store activation. Convenience retailers can request POS kits on Coca-Cola Europacific Partners trade website My.CCEP.com.

“Coca-Cola and lemon are a natural combination. Consumers that order Coca-Cola in a pub will be used to seeing it served with ‘ice and a slice’, which for many is the ideal refreshment on a hot summer day,” said Rob Yeomans, vice-president, commercial development at Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP) GB. “Our new Lemon flavour will help us to bring that iconic pairing into retail, with a full-on zing flavour to deliver a taste that we know consumers will love – with and without sugar.”

“Flavoured colas are growing ahead of the total cola segment as consumers look for new twists on their favourite drink, which we’ve seen through the popularity of our cherry variants and other limited-editions. The sub-segment presents a real opportunity for retailers, and we’ll be investing in our range of flavours throughout 2024 to help them make the most of it.”