Coca-Cola now has a 'pixel-flavored' drink in metaverse play
The new soda is the second of the brand’s Coca-Cola Creations line.
Fransebas
Coca-Cola is taking inspiration from the metaverse for its newest flavor as the beverage brand looks to attract younger consumers.
Coca-Cola’s Zero Sugar Byte, the latest in the brand's Creations line, is marketed as “pixel-flavored.” To drum up interest in the new flavor mix, Coca-Cola has 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.
Releasing new flavors is a common strategy for both Coca-Cola and rival Pepsi. Pepsi has been especially aggressive of late, leaning into flavor collaborations such as 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 pushing its 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 glass 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 “pixelated bubbles” in, well, The Race.
“Just as pixels power digital connection, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar Byte brings people together to share moments of Real Magic,” Oana Vlad, Coca-Cola Co.’s senior director of global brand strategy, said in a statement. “It’s the timeless Coca-Cola taste with a dash of the unexpected—a pixelated portal to the digital world and a celebration of all that entails.”
Coca-Cola Zero Sugar Byte is available for a limited time beginning April 4 in select countries in Latin America, followed by the U.S. on May 2 and China on May 23. In the U.S., Byte will be exclusively available to purchase in limited-edition twin packs of 12-ounce 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 jump up a staircase to rejoin the pixelated Coca-Cola logo.
