Tag: Coca-Cola

Video games partnering with soda brands to cross-promote is such a natural partnership. It’s a synergy of two things that already tend to be consumed by the same people and often allows for a bump in sales/game play. This summer, Coca-Cola partnered with Riot Games’ massive game League of Legends to release a new limited edition drink under their Creations banner: Coca-Cola Ultimate. Described as being +XP (experience point) flavored, the sixth addition to the Creations line is just as odd and unique as the other offerings.

+XP is often earned in games through tasks/challenges that contribute to you gaining a level, so I was extremely interested to see how they would interpret that concept into a flavor. Its smell was that of a sweet berry that almost gave me the vaguest hint of Pepsi Blue. Don’t worry, to all that hated that drink; the initial aroma was the only thing that reminded me of the divisive blue beverage.

The first sip was overwhelming to my pallet as it didn’t match the berry smell. I should have known better with the Creation line than to assume it would taste how it smelled. Taking my time to savor the soda, I tasted peach on the front with a hint of citrus on the back. The tried and true Coca-Cola flavor isn’t really present. The sweetness you expect from a Coke is absolutely there, but the signature “cola” taste is barely there.

The lack of a strong cola flavor didn’t detract from my overall enjoyment. While I am sure that will turn some off, I genuinely enjoyed that this tasted like a whole new concoction because other Creations varieties drank like “Coke with added flavor.”

When researching the connection between the drink and League of Legends, I was a little bummed to find it wasn’t inspired by anything directly from the game. However, you can access some interesting benefits by scanning the QR code on the bottle or can. It will take you to the Coca-Cola Creations page, where you can access different activities tied to the game. It’s worth noting you don’t have to buy the drink to access these benefits: in-game missions can yield you an exclusive emote, AR lenses can turn your likeness into an LoL emote, and you can add your face into a video to share.

While I cannot speak to whether or not I gained XP drinking Coca-Cola Ultimate, it was an overall enjoyable drink. The connection to League of Legends doesn’t seem as deep as other soda x game collabs have been, but I think it will work in Coke’s favor: LoL fans can enjoy in-game rewards and limited edition soda fans can enjoy a new offering.

Purchased Price: $2.29
Size: 20 fl oz bottle
Purchased at: Target
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 bottle) 240 calories, 0 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 55 milligrams of sodium, 65 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 65 grams of sugar, and 0 grams of protein.

The Coca-Cola Creations line is known for inventive flavors inspired by abstract concepts, celebrity collaborations, and eye-catching thematic aesthetics. The newest in the line, Coca-Cola Limited Edition Move, boasts all three. Co-created with singer Rosalía, Move is described on the Coca-Cola website as “a celebration of transformation. A homage to all the versions of ourselves that coexist within us, and that forms our very own personality.” The product, also according to Coca-Cola, “brings to life the transformational power of music.”

The fun of the Creations line includes the questions each flavor raises. Specifically, what flavors represent transformation? What is this beverage supposed to taste like? Will any of the versions of myself that coexist within me regret spending $2.49 on a mystery flavor? These enigmas are the stuff arguments in the comments section are made of.

Move shares classic Coca-Cola’s appearance and scent, minus most of the soda’s characteristic spice notes. The first few sips of the full sugar variety reminded me of a minimally-spiced cola spiked with smooth coconut flavor. The more I drank, the more vanilla flavor crept in until it became dominant. In the spirit of Coca-Cola’s musical inspiration, drinking Move is like listening to two warring DJs mixing the same songs. There is some cohesion, but flavor highs and lows are bound to occur as they both impetuously fiddle with their controller dials to produce varying levels of coconut tempo and vanilla volume.

At some point, the vanilla won out for my taste buds, producing a flavor that reminded me of the scent of Bath & Body Works’ Warm Vanilla Sugar body lotion. (If you know, you know, and it’s weird, I know.) Still, the taste isn’t wholly unpleasant. The artificial quality of the vanilla vacillates, affecting the soda’s overall drinkability. At its most enjoyable, there is an almost creamy smoothness to the flavor profile that makes the drink less crisp and refreshing than most of the brand’s other offerings. I finished the bottle over the course of a few days, and the lotion association is now cemented in my brain so strongly that I can’t un-think about it.

It feels appropriate that transformation tastes, to me, like shifting flavors among a familiar – but altered – cola taste. To continue the experience, I scanned the QR code on the vibrant pink, black, and white packaging to find music content, as well as a personality quiz that generates a custom metaverse-inspired avatar and playlist. For the record, my avatar looks like an upside-down tulip with wobbly arms, wormlike hair, and a = sign for a face. Maybe because I’m elderly, I don’t quite understand it, but it did “Move” me to laughter.

For those open to a transformational experience, Coca-Cola Move is available in 20 oz bottles or 7.5 mini cans, in both the full sugar and Zero Sugar varieties.

Purchased Price: $2.49
Purchased at: Giant Eagle
Size: 20 fl oz bottle
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 240 calories, 0 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 50 milligrams of sodium, 65 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 65 grams of sugar, and 0 grams of protein.

Coca-Cola thinks dreams taste like mango. And after pondering about it for longer than any sane person should, it makes sense that Coca-Cola’s Limited Edition Dreamworld is a tropical fruit-flavored cola.

For a lot of people, if you ask them what their dream vacation is, it would probably be a trip to a tropical destination where they can lounge on a beach under the sun, like Hawaii or the Caribbean, especially during the winter months. Price is Right contestants jumping up and down when a tropical island trip ends up being a prize can’t be wrong. And what fruit is considered “tropical”? Mangoes, my friend. So maybe by drinking Coca-Cola Dreamworld, you can imagine yourself sitting on a beach towel, getting your vitamin D via sunshine, and watching and listening to the waves gently crash onto the beach.

Too simplistic of an explanation? Okay. How about this one?

In this day and age of social media and the pressure to present ourselves as awesome and living the best life when in reality it is not awesome, the mango is the best representation of the dream world we wish to put up on social media, a bright, sweet fruit that looks good in photos.

I don’t know if either explanation is even close to being correct. But what I do know is that Coca-Cola Dreamworld is terrific, and it’s the best tasting of the Coca-Cola Creations flavors so far. Once I found out via my first sip that it was mango flavored, my eyes lit up like a Price is Right contestant who just found out they could win a new car because I don’t know if I’ve said this anywhere on this site, but I love mango.

My taste buds also thought they noticed some orange (another tropical fruit) and papaya (another tropical fruit), but it’s definitely mango flavored. Although, the level of fruitiness is noticeably lower than what I tasted with last year’s Pepsi Mango. There’s also a Zero Sugar version, which is also great (although not as good as Zero Sugar Starlight), but I prefer the full sugar one.

To me, dreams are flavorless abysses in your mind that contain fragments of one’s memories and experiences pieced together to create incoherent flipbooks of images that have no meaning. So I’m glad Coca-Cola took a brighter route and decided that dreams taste like mangoes because the fruit makes me happy, and so does Coca-Cola Dreamworld.

Purchased Price: $2.40
Size: 20 oz bottles
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 8 out of 10 (Regular), 7 out of 10 (Zero Sugar)
Nutrition Facts: (1 bottle) Regular – 240 calories, 0 grams of fat, 50 milligrams of sodium, 65 grams of carbohydrates, 65 grams of sugar (including 65 grams of added sugar), 0 grams of protein, and 57 milligrams of caffeine. Zero Sugar – 0 calories, 0 grams of fat, 60 milligrams of sodium, 0 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of sugar, 0 grams of protein, and 57 milligrams of caffeine.

Coca-Cola has been around for 136 years, which is no easy feat. Those years haven’t always been smooth (New Coke enters the chat), but they have generally adapted to the market’s taste changes. It’s no mystery that younger folks are drinking less traditional soda than previous generations. Taste shifts coupled with the sheer amount of choices available have made soda companies readjust their approach, and the new Coca-Cola Creations division aims to bring younger people back to the brand.

Coca-Cola Creations was launched in early 2022 with its first flavor: Starlight. Not long after, we got a second entry into the Creations Canon with BYTE. The third release is different from the other two in many ways. The Artist Marshmello’s Limited Edition Coca-Cola tells you right on the can what to expect: Watermelon Strawberry Flavored Coke.

Even though the previous flavors were left a mystery, I think they wanted to avoid people misreading the can and thinking it was marshmallow-flavored. The joke’s on them because I did that anyway. While scanning the almost all-white can, my brain absolutely assumed it was marshmallow flavored. I would also imagine this was because I read Marshmello as marshmallow.

A well-known electronic music artist/producer, Marshmello is easily identified by his signature helmet that looks like a Lego head painted white with black “X” eyes and a smile. I am painfully out of the loop with popular music but know a few songs he’s collaborated with. All this to say, he’s popular with younger people, so teaming up with him for a limited edition Coke seems like the right move.

From the skinny white can, came a strong sweet berry smell that was so familiar to me, but I couldn’t place it. Pouring it into a cup, I was shocked to see the color of regular Coca-Cola. Based on the flavor description, I thought the color might be lighter or reddish. My first taste brought a crashing wave of recognition. The flavor was very strawberry/berry up front, with the smallest tang of classic Coke on the back end. The taste is, to me, very reminiscent of Pepsi Blue.

Unlike Pepsi Blue, the sweetness is pulled back with this drink. I think that is because Coke is not as sweet as Pepsi to me. While I absolutely loved Pepsi Blue, I wish this wasn’t quite as similar. The lack of discernible watermelon was disappointing, and the strawberry overpowered any other flavor that might have been present. I’m curious how the Zero Sugar version compares taste-wise and if the watermelon might be more present.

The Artist Marshmello’s Limited Edition Coca-Cola is an interesting offering that I think will do well with its target audience. It has a “drink of the summer” vibe that I don’t feel we’ve seen yet this year. I enjoyed it overall but wished the watermelon flavor was more present. I was looking forward to a new and unique flavor but ended up with the answer to a question I hadn’t asked: What if Coke made Pepsi Blue?

Purchased Price: $2.19
Size: 12 oz can
Purchased at: Wawa
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 can) 140 calories, 0 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 30 milligrams of sodium, 39 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 39 grams of sugar, and 0 grams of protein.