Coke Seeks To Take A 'Byte' Out Of Tech Market With New Flavor

Coca-Cola (KO) is ramping up its beverage game with new distinct flavors that some might say are a bit off the beaten path.

Its latest offering – the Coca-Cola Zero Sugar Byte - has a unique flavor that is supposed to taste like pixels, according to CNN.

Oana Vlad, senior director of strategy at Coca-Cola, told CNN, “Coca-Cola Zero Sugar Byte makes the intangible taste of the pixel tangible.” It's “the Coca-Cola taste you know and love with bright elements upfront and refreshing with the finish.”

This is not the first bold move that Coca-Cola has made with its beverage flavors. In February, the company introduced the limited-edition Starlight flavor, which is a red version of the soda that has a taste “inspired by space.”

Vlad said the reaction to Starlight has been very good. She told CNN, “We are seeing lots of discussion and speculation about its mysterious space flavor. Our fans are intrigued — they love the playful novelty. The abstract nature of the flavor descriptions offers an opportunity for debate and discussion.”

Both beverages come from Coca-Cola’s new Creations division after the company discontinued half of its lineup a few years earlier, dropping brands such as Tab to focus on its core products family.

Cola-Cola is looking to create a stir with its new flavors, and with Byte, its focus is now on gaming as the drink first existed in the video game Fortnite on the island created by the company dubbed Pixel Point.

Playing off the gaming experience, customers that buy a can of Byte will be able to play an augmented reality game by scanning a pixelated label with their phone, which Coca-Cola partnered up with Riot Games on, CNN said.

Byte beverages will be available to U.S. customers online starting on May 2, while supplies last, for about $15 plus shipping for a zero-sugar, two-pack, and in some Latin American countries Monday and in China on May 23, according to the news outlet.

As of Monday at 10:26 a.m.ET, shares of Coca-Cola were trading at $62.28, down 59 cents or 0.94%.