Sales for the beverage soared and Diet Coke soon solidified itself as the “It” drink if you wanted to lose weight and look cool doing it. Over the next few decades, Diet Coke has experienced its ups and downs in terms of sales and popularity, but today, the beverage is clearly experiencing another renaissance: It’s everywhere on our TikTok streams, posed sweatily in front of models in glossy ads, and once again the “It” drink at the club. Yes, Diet Coke is back — and selling like its 1999.
The decades-long appeal of this fizzy, caffeinated, sugar-free drink has always been boosted by glitzy marketing which has typically hinted at thinness. In the past, they were more explicit, stating right there in the ad that it can “can help slimming or weight control … as part of a calorie controlled diet.” Today, you won’t find the statement, but you will see a Diet Coke in the hands of the famously thin Kate Moss, who was appointed the drink’s Creative Director two years ago or in the fridge of weight-conscious Kardashians on TikTok.
It's seemingly impossible to separate Diet Coke from diet culture (the word is right there on the can), even if the company no longer claims that it can help with weight loss. Numerous studies done in the years since Diet Coke was released have shown that despite its best, zero-calorie efforts the drink has never consistently helped people lose weight.
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