Coca-Cola’s Zero Sugar Byte, the latest in the brand’s Creations line, is marketed as “pixel-flavored.” To spark interest in the new flavor mix, Coca-Cola created Pixel Point, an island in Fortnite. The island was created in collaboration with PWR, a gaming and lifestyle organization started by Lachlan Power, an Australian YouTuber and gamer.
In February, Coca-Cola launched its Creations line with Starlight, a “space-flavored” soda. The creations are limited-edition flavors intended to appeal to Gen Z consumers, associating drinks with a digital approach, including games and augmented reality. Coca-Cola isn’t the only brand trying to partner with the metaverse. Last week, Wendy’s opened a “Wendyverse” at Meta’s Horizon Worlds, and Jose Cuervo announced plans to open a “meta-distillery” in Decentraland this summer.
Launching new flavors is a common strategy for both Coca-Cola and rival Pepsi. Pepsi has been especially aggressive lately, leaning on flavor collaborations like a maple syrup flavor with IHOP, available to the first 2,000 fans who respond to a hashtag challenge on Instagram or Twitter. Pepsi also TikTok megastar Khaby Lame is releasing his new Nitro Pepsi.
Coca-Cola’s Pixel Point will have four mini-games for players to try out, mostly focusing on teamwork to win. The Castle has players work together to take down their opponents’ pixel stacked structure. The Escape takes place inside a Coke bottle, with players racing to reach the top. Players solve themed puzzles in the Tower to get to the next level and race through “pixeled bubbles” in, well, The Race.
Oana Vlad, senior director of global brand strategy at Coca-Cola Co., said in a statement:
“Just as pixels fuel digital connection, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar Byte brings people together to share moments of real magic. It’s the timeless flavor of Coca-Cola with a dash of the unexpected – a pixelated gateway to the digital world and a celebration of all that entails.”
Coca-Cola Zero Sugar Byte is available for a limited time starting April 4th in select Latin American countries, followed by the US on May 2nd and China on May 23rd. In the US, Byte will be available exclusively for purchase in limited edition double packs of 12 oz cans – one to consume and one to collect. Consumers can also scan the code on the Byte can to play a game that helps an 8-bit pixel climb a ladder to join Coca-Cola’s pixelated logo.
This article is a translation of the writing by Erika Wheless for the website AdAge.
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