Coca-Cola's 1985 'New Coke' Formula Change and Consumer Backlash

The Unveiling of New Coke

• 🇺🇸 In 1985, Coca-Cola launched a reformulated version of its flagship soda, calling it New Coke, as part of what was intended to be an American celebration.
• 🎯 Coca-Cola's makers insisted that the new formula was their most successful yet, based on their own reactions and surveys.

Consumer Resistance and Outrage

• 💔 Die-hard fans perceived Old Coke as the authentic product and New Coke as an impostor, refusing to accept the change.
• ✍️ Petitions were circulated, with individuals like Karen Wilson in Palo Alto collecting signatures to protest the new formula and advocate for the return of Old Coke.
• ⚖️ In Seattle, the "Old Cola Drinkers of America" formed, even establishing a hotline and considering a class-action lawsuit against Coca-Cola, claiming distress and injury from the unavailability of Old Coke.
• 🏛️ Some consumers felt that the discontinuation of Old Coke, especially with its secret formula, was un-American, viewing it as a national institution that had been altered.

Hoarding and Market Reactions

• 💎 In Beverly Hills, Old Coke was being "shishified," sold at a premium price of $30 a case.
• 🛒 John Hayden in Arlington, Virginia, was hoarding Old Coke, having accumulated 25 cases due to its unavailability in his area and continuing to buy it when found.

Coca-Cola's Defense and Consumer Defection

• 📈 Coca-Cola reported an 8% increase in sales compared to the previous year and noted that 96% of surveyed individuals had heard of New Coke, a figure they compared favorably to awareness of the Vice President.
• 🗣️ Company representatives stated they believed they had created the best possible Coke and owed it to the American people, expressing confidence that consumers would eventually accept the new taste.
• 🚫 However, many loyal customers expressed strong dislike for New Coke, with some vowing to drink Coke until they die but refusing to buy the new version, opting instead for alternatives like Dr. Pepper and Sprite.
• 🎶 Despite Coca-Cola's stance, a country and western band expressed the sentiment of many consumers with a song pleading, "Please don't change the taste."