Coca-Cola's New Flavor Is Powered By K-Pop
Coca-Cola Creations has released a new soda fueled by Korean pop sensations.
Coca-Cola has hit the ground running with new flavors in 2024. Immediately following the release of its newest permanent flavor, Coca-Cola Spiced (a spiced raspberry cola), Coke has announced a new one: K-Wave Zero Sugar. This sugar-free flavor is a limited-time drop as part of the brand's ongoing Coca-Cola Creations program, which releases amorphous, conceptual flavors with names such as Starlight, Move, and Dreamworld. It's a soda that, according to Coke, "combines that classic Coca‑Cola taste with an additional burst of fruit flavor and K-Pop magic."
"Imagine the global appeal and universal excitement of your favorite K-Pop band — all captured in the new Coca‑Cola Creations drop," the website reads.
K-Wave Zero Sugar, explained
By aligning itself with Korea's globally beloved K-pop music, Coca-Cola is tapping into a massive and influential fandom. K-pop fandom shapes and informs pop culture all across the world, and it even influences what we eat and drink. The Inkigayo sandwich, for example, went viral simply because it's served in the cafeteria at Korean entertainment network SBS, which broadcasts the popular Inkigayo K-pop program.
McDonald's, too, latched onto the K-pop trend in 2021 by releasing a BTS celebrity meal. And with its latest soda flavor, Coca-Cola is simultaneously releasing a line of merch and collaborating with several famous K-pop groups to promote the products.
How does Coca-Cola K-Wave Zero Sugar taste?
Because these are meant to be "conceptual" flavors, Coca-Cola isn't necessarily bound to concrete culinary inspirations. The company simply says that K-Wave Zero Sugar is "infused with a burst of fruity-flavored K-pop magic," which is something we'll have to take at face value until we taste it ourselves.
Three K-pop groups are collaborating with Coca-Cola to spread the word about the new flavor: NMIXX, ITZY, and Stray Kids. The brand is also working with J.Y. Park, the founder of multinational entertainment conglomerate JYP Entertainment. Songs, music videos, live concerts, and AI-powered experiences are all a part of the marketing effort around the new drink.
By partnering up with K-pop, it's clear that Coca-Cola is aiming to stay top of mind for younger consumers. There's no better way to do it than through the music they love.