Coca-Cola partners with Rosalía on new drink
By Danielle Wiener-Bronner, CNN
Coca-Cola is releasing a new limited-edition flavor, Coca-Cola Move, in collaboration with Grammy-award winning singer Rosalía. As with its other high-concept flavors, Coca-Cola isn’t sharing what Move is actually supposed to taste like.
Like Starlight, Byte and Dreamworld before it, Move doesn’t have a traditional flavor, such as cherry. Instead, the beverage is supposed to represent a mood or idea — in this case, transformation.
For the flavor profile, Coca-Cola “took inspiration from the many facets of transformation, curating a unique blend of both bold and delicate flavors that honors a great Coca-Cola taste, while simultaneously pushing the envelope of what it can be,” a company spokesperson explained.
To this reporter, the zero-sugar version of Move tasted like popcorn. Or, at least, like popcorn-flavored Coke. The beverage is sweet, with buttery caramel notes. It’s hard to say if that’s what the brand was going for, though one could argue that popcorn is really just corn, transformed.
For Coca-Cola, the limited-edition items are a way to build buzz around its core product, Coke.
“They’re not designed to be variants that will last forever, but they’re more engaging and more interesting, demonstrably, than a flavor, a Coke with vanilla or something,” Coca-Cola CEO James Quincey said during the Redburn CEO conference in November. “Testing the boundaries … that’s about engagement with consumers.”
As interest in full-sugar soda declines, soft drink makers have had to get creative with new products. The experimental flavors that have been rolling out since last year are launched alongside digital experiences, giving Coca-Cola another way to reach people online.
Byte debuted in Fortnite, and Dreamworld customers could buy virtual merchandise for their online avatars. Starlight’s can featured a QR code that granted customers access to a holographic Ava Max concert.
Move’s can also has a QR code, which directs people to behind-the-scenes content, a playlist and a personality quiz that helps create a 3D avatar, among other things. As part of the partnership, Rosalía is releasing a new single and video to go with the soda.
Partnering with Rosalía also offers another perk: gaining traction with her fans. The Spanish musician has won critical acclaim internationally, and went on her first world tour in 2022.
Working with celebrities has proven successful for others, like McDonald’s, which has used partnerships with high-profile artists and musicians to drive sales.
Coca-Cola has already worked with a musician. In June, it co-created a Coke drink with Marshmello, a masked celebrity DJ and electronic music producer. That drink had notes of strawberry and watermelon, Marshmello’s favorites.
Move will be available in stores in the United States and Canada starting on February 20. It comes in full-sugar and zero-sugar varieties, and will cost as much as a regular Coke.
Coca-Cola reports earnings on Tuesday, February 14.
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