Vintage Tab diet cola: The first 20 years of this popular sugar-free soda

Vintage Tab diet cola: Coke’s first play in the multi-million dollar diet soft drink market (1963)

By Al Smith, Auburn News (Auburn, Kentucky) July 16, 1963

Russellville Coca-Cola bottler Joe Copple says it won’t be long before his company starts making Tab, Coca-Cola’s entry in the low-calorie cola market.

Coca-Cola and Pepsi-Cola, the General Motors and Ford of the soft-drink industry, “couldn’t afford to stay out” of the low-cal cola field, which is expected to take seven percent of the soft-drink market, Newsweek magazine reports.

In New York, Pepsi-Cola’s “skinny cola” manager, said his firm’s Patio Diet Cola has “taken off like a rocket.”

Joe Copple’s commander-in-chief, J. Paul Austin, president of the Coca-Cola Co., says “the public has become intensely interested” in low-calorie sodas. Paced by Royal Crown’s Diet Rite Cola, the total sales of cola-flavored low-cals are running at a rate of 100 million cases annually, worth about $200 million retail.

RC, the nation’s fourth-largest soft-drink maker, first got into the act in Chicago 18 months ago, and its success brought Coca-Cola and Pepsi running. Canada Dry is also in the field, and 7-Up, third-largest national soft-drink maker, has a low-calorie product almost ready for the market.

Mr. Copple’s outfit, incidentally, adopted the name “Tab” on the suggestion of a Coke staff member. This was after the company had asked an IBM computer for candidates, and got 325,000 suggestions — including “Flug.” “Gaag,” and “Burp” — and rejected them all, Newsweek said.

Low-cal soft drinks are reported to be almost the ultimate in non-food food; the artificially-sweetened new formulas contain just two calories in a 12-ounce bottle, as compared with 80 to 120 calories in regular pop.

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New Tab: A toast to a special celebration (1964)

A toast to a special celebration. And a toast to Tab. The difference in Tab is flavor. You see, anyone can take the calories out of a soft drink. But it took The Coca Cola Company to keep the flavor in. 

Vintage Tab diet cola: How can just 1 calorie taste so good? (1964)

How can just 1 calorie taste so good? (1964)

The Coca-Cola Company kept the flavor in Tab.

Tab is brimming with full-bodied flavor. But has just one calorie in every six ounces. Tab is lively, satisfying, delightfully refreshing. Keep tab with Tab.

MORE: What’s the more popular term: soda or pop?

Tab – Robust flavor soda (1965)

At last, Tab – a 1-calorie soft drink with flavor: Robust flavor.

The now taste of Tab (1966)

Tab trimmed down its sweetness, so it’s a little bit dry. With 1 crazy calorie in every 6 ounces. Like everything now, a little bit crazy, but wow. The now taste of Tab. That’s what’s happening. To the nicest shapes around.

It’s new. Now Tab tastes better than any diet cola (1968 )

A 6-pack carton of glass cola bottles

Tab: Stay in his mind… Be a Mindsticker

When you can’t be with him, be in his mind. Have a shape he can’t forget. Tab can help. It’s sugar-free and it tastes better than any other diet cola because the Coca Cola Company wouldn’t have it any other way. Enjoy Tab, and be a Mindsticker. 

Tab: 1 crazy calorie (1970)

Unsticky. Unstuffy. Uninhibited. The new taste of Tab. Not so sweet. With 1 crazy calorie in 6 ounces. It’s what’s helping so many people to keep slim and trim. Tab. That’s what happening. To the nicest shapes around.

New face. Beautiful taste. (1978)

And 20 cents off to try America’s favorite one-calorie soda in its bright new package.

Body by Tab cola – soda (1982)

Vintage Body by Tab cola (1982)

Tab’s got sass (1982)

Get your sassy Tab sweats when you buy Tab!

Caffeine-free: A beautiful choice from Tab (1983)

Now caffeine-free as well. It’s as Tab as Tab can be… so if you’re going caffeine-free, this Tab, this taste, is for you.

Sugar-free Tab cola (1983)

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