Coca-Cola's Newest Flavor Supposedly Tastes Like A Gen Z Dream
What's your favorite flavor? Vanilla? Cherry? How about... dreams? Coca-Cola's newest flavor dares fans to consider the psychological dreamscape as a flavor-packed playground (yes, really).
Introducing: "Dreamworld." According to The Coca-Cola Company, Dreamworld "bottles up the technicolor tastes and surrealism of the subconscious with an invitation to savor the magic of everyday moments and dream with open eyes." The description is reminiscent of Fruitopia, Coke's semi-retired beverage with psychedelic flavor names like "Citrus Consciousness" and "Strawberry Passion Awareness" (per Atlas Obscura). It also has a kaleidoscopic ad campaign scored by Kate Bush and the Cocteau Twins.
But Alessandra Cascino, Coke's creative and shopper program director, says that Dreamworld was created with today's audience in mind. "Coca-Cola Dreamworld taps into Gen Z's passion for the infinite potential of the mind by exploring what a dream tastes like," Cascino says per an official press release. Dreamworld is this year's fourth and final flavor installation in the Coca-Cola Creations line. Earlier this year, when Coke introduced its "Starlight" flavor as part of the Creations line, its confused fans took to the internet to pinpoint (or at least describe) the idiosyncrasies of the new, unconventional product. One Twitter user compared the taste of Starlight to "caramel plum and the feeling you get when you inhale really cold air," if that tells you anything about these new concept flavors. So, what does the Dreamworld flavor actually taste like? Nobody knows yet for sure.
Don't knock it till you try it
Generation Z, which includes anyone born after 1997 per the Pew Research Center, has already drawn press for its experimental beverage trends. Dirty Soda, for instance, is a regular pop spiked with flavored syrups and creamer (via SevenSlopes) and it turned more than a few heads. Coca-Cola's innovative limited line is no exception. CNN even calls the soda giant's new addition, Dreamworld, "Coke's latest bizarre flavor." But The Coca-Cola Company anticipated a mixed response to the new product. Cascino says per the press release, "Like the Coca-Cola Creations that came before it, Dreamworld plays with the unexpected and will no doubt provoke discovery and debate among consumers ... which we welcome."
Today's majority social atmosphere amongst Gen Z soda sippers focuses more on cerebral pursuits like food sustainability and artistic expression. Senior Researcher Roberta Katz of Stanford University interviewed over 2,000 Gen Z-ers over the course of five years and found that the generation as a whole is deeply empathetic, values diversity and collaboration, cares about environmentalism, and is more likely to turn out self-starters professionally. Chase Abraham, Coke's Senior Creative Strategy Manager, says that Dreamworld aimed to cater to that. "Starlight illuminated the idea of escapism and the infinite, out-of-this-world possibilities of space. Dreamworld flips this script by inviting fans to look inward at the infinite possibilities of the mind." If you're thirsty to try the new product for yourself, it'll be available in the U.S. and Canada starting August 15.