There’s something bubbling in social media. What started as a rumor by a food influencer has become a commercial reality: the cherished Diet Cherry Coke will be back—permanently!
None knows their customer base best like the Coca-Cola Company, and they have finally answered the pleas of thousands of fans who have been pleading for years for their favourite soda to come back in stock.
The Diet Cherry Coke Strikes Back
It all started with popular food influencer Snackolator. He claimed that a company representative had told him that this drink would be making a comeback. However, these were just rumors, as the company gave no indication of anything else. Not only would it return, but it would be here to stay: as long as sales remained strong, the Diet Cherry Coke flavor would remain on sale indefinitely. I have told you how it has been verified by internal sources that this is true, although the Coca-Cola company has not yet issued a formal press release.
The drink is expected to be relaunched in early 2026. Unlike its previous limited relaunch, which took place at very strategic locations, Chevy Diet Coke will be distributed nationwide in all retailers and supermarkets. For now, we know that it will be available in 20-ounce bottles and 12-can packs. However, fans of this specific flavor will surely know that it never completely disappeared, as it was still available in Coca-Cola Freestyle dispensers in restaurants and movie theaters.
From now on, fans of this specific flavor and sugar level will be able to buy it to enjoy at home, without having to go to a restaurant or movie theater to drink this “drink of the gods.”
A deeply felt absence
Diet Cherry Coke first appeared on the US market in 1986. It was one of the first variations on the original Diet Coke flavor, and it won the hearts of many, becoming a favorite among consumers. The drink enjoyed a long run… until it ran into flavor redesign in 2018. From then on, it began to lose sales until it was discontinued from retail shelves at the end of 2020. Restructuring a company’s product portfolio always results in losses, and the products with the lowest sales end up disappearing.
Just like in the story of Goldilocks, there are three versions of Cherry-flavored Coca-Cola: Coke Zero Sugar Cherry, Diet Cherry Coke, and regular Cherry Coke. Both the regular and zero sugar versions remained available, but for those who want just a tad of sugar for the perfect flavor profile, they were in for a disappointment in 2020.
Perhaps that’s Coca-Cola’s trick: removing such a beloved product triggers a phenomenon called “Nostalgic Brand Love.” Consumers perceive the discontinuation of a product as a loss of freedom of choice (yes, we know, first-world problems /s). Absence makes the heart grow fonder, and the same goes for carbonated drinks. If your favorite soda disappears for years, this feeling of nostalgia intensifies your desire for the product, turning it into a “cult item” whose reappearance is celebrated as a personal victory. Cherry Coke, first launched in the 1980s, reminds many people of their youth and therefore brings back fond memories of when life was supposedly simpler.
In times of global uncertainty, with soaring inflation and geopolitical tensions, nostalgia serves as emotional comfort. By evoking happy memories, the brain associates the taste with a positive emotional state, encouraging consumption as a form of escapism or comfort. Coca-Cola does not sell carbonated water with sugar, but rather feelings of happiness.
Yes, we know all these marketing schemes are ideated by Don Draper-like ad geniuses, but we cannot resist the urge to countdown the days until we are able to enjoy a cold can of Diet Cherry Coke again!