It’s the anticipation of the taste that hooks me. The pop and fizz of gas as I lift the cap. Funny, they say the same thing about pain. I can drink a can without ever tasting it. The fizz is so quick.
Drink Coca-Cola
A lot of people have asked me: “Why’d you prefer Coke over Pepsi?”. Let me tell you now, taste does not enter the equation. It’s all about the “pause that refreshes”.
I buy a Coke, knowing that i’m buying this, this and this. I buy a Coke knowing that the junk i’ll be drinking is the same junk that the Queen, Lady GaGa or Jaron Lanier is drinking. It’s an incredibly affordable luxury product that is simultaneously the world’s biggest FMCG and the world’s richest brand experience. It burns my tongue, offends my palette and pumps me full of toxins but I don’t care – i’m having a pause that refreshes.
What many of Coke’s peers don’t realise is Coke don’t sell Coke; they sell Coca-Cola. Their ads don’t depict a sugary sweet, fizzy black drink – they’re about youth, happiness and refreshment (regardless of how ‘refreshing’ Coke truly is). We buy our orange juice knowing we’re getting oranges and our milk knowing we’ll get milk. I buy Coke knowing i’ll get a luxury experience that no other soft drink can match.
It’s a strange world where you conciously allow brand messaging to dominate your perceptions. But Coke is the real thing, whatever that may be.
The Guff 
Yes, it is the real thing! I rarely have fizzy drinks, but when I do, it has to be Coke. And yes, I do anticipate the taste and the fizz and gas 🙂
@Mich It’s crazy how an incredibly unrefreshing, unhealthy and unattractive looking drink has become king of beverages.
I think it demonstrates how successful a brand can be with great marketing and average products.
Can’t enjoy a meal without a Coke Zero on the side! Love the burning sensation especially when accompanied with a nice, juicy burger!
Your previous post made me stop at a Coke vending machine and grab a Fanta, btw, although I am not a Fanta drinker! 😀
@elShahlab
I’m a Coke Zero lover as well, although the brand doesn’t appeal to me as much as Coca-Cola. I’m a sucker for heritage/prestige.
What did you think of the Fanta btw? I had about a half dozen while I was at the event and they all tasted Fanta-stic.
I loved it! For one reason: it tasted more mandarin-ish orange, which I prefer over regular oranges.
By the way, noticed that Coke in the States tastes much better than Europe’s and here in the UAE. More fizz factor.
Coke has a slightly different taste in a lot of markets throughout the world. I think it stems from the different food/beverage regulations within each country. American Coke lovers never-stop complaining that Mexico apparently has ”the best” Coke. Who’s to know though?
The only reason i’m really fussed is I think it damages the experience slightly.