Coke Zero from The Coca-Cola Co., Atlanta, will celebrate its fifth birthday this year. The zero-calorie carbonated soft drink is the only soft drink on the market to post double-digit sales gains for five straight years, with no signs of slowing, the company said. It is also considered Coca-Cola’s most successful sparkling beverage introduction in a generation, the company said.

 

Created in 2005 to meet consumer demand for real Coca-Cola taste with zero calories, Coke Zero is poised to break into the top 10 most popular U.S. sparkling beverages, the company said. Among more than 350 sparkling beverage brands launched since 2001, Coke Zero is one of only six to surpass 1 percent market share and the only one to maintain it, the company said.

 

Coke Zero is available in more than 130 countries and continues to experience strong growth in the United States and around the world. The brand is considered Coca-Cola’s best-selling addition since the debut of Diet Coke in 1984.

 

“Coke Zero has proven to be an innovation that continues to grow five years after its launch,” said Katie Bayne, president and general manager of sparkling beverages for Coca-Cola North America, in a statement. “The brand is successful because it filled a need for an underserved consumer – young adults, especially males, who were looking for great Coca-Cola taste with zero calories. In a world where new products rise and fall all the time, great taste, relevant marketing, strong distribution and loyal consumers have helped Coke Zero to thrive.”

 

In addition to television advertisements, such as its “Mean Troy” Super Bowl commercial in 2009, Coke Zero also has created sponsorships with the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament and NASCAR races as well as with movies such as “James Bond: Quantum of Solace” and “Avatar.” In the social media realm, Coke Zero also launched the Coke Zero Facial Profiler, a Facebook-based application that allows users to find their lookalikes around the world using the face-detection industry’s most advanced technology.