DABBLER CONTEST DETAILS AT THE END OF THIS ARTICLE!

I wonder if mall retail sales spike when the weather is bad. Do you notice the lack of parking at shopping centres when it’s wet and gloomy outside? The people at Diet Coke must’ve gotten the scoop from the Almighty because they chose this past weekend to descend upon Metropolis at Metrotown with their truckload of freebies.

In case you didn’t know, the calorie-free soft drink is turning 25 this weekend (oh c’mon, this tidbit of info might just win you a game of Trivial Pursuit one day!). In celebration, a team has been dispatched to travel to eight malls across the country to set up ‘Diet Coke Lounges.’ What this really means is a lot of free soda, and what those Coast Capital Savings commercials tell us is true: Research shows that people like things that are free.

The sea of people that swarm those that give out free products may seem intimidating but I was killing time, so I joined in and managed to get up to the stand. Even though the fella behind the counter couldn’t open the cans fast enough to meet the demand (about 4,000 cans a day), he was still able to chat with me.

I found out that the lighter version of the classic Coke was introduced in 1982 when the company recognized a trend towards trimming down and toning up. Since then, you’ve seen a long list of celebrities – from Bill Cosby to Bugs Bunny to Whitney Houston to the entire cast of Friends – promoting the product in TV commercials. Even James Cagney, Humphrey Bogart and Louis Armstrong have made it to the small screen thanks to some computer wizardry. All in all, over 100 celebrities have appeared in various Diet Coke advertisements, including Wayne Gretzky, Ben Affleck, Demi Moore, Andy Warhol, Paula Abdul and Elton John.

Diet Coke marked the first time the flagship brand name Coca-Cola was ever put on another product after almost 100 years. It very quickly became the largest selling low-calorie soft drink in America and a massive international rollout began – branded as Coca-Cola Light in some countries (it’s amusing how names, bottles, even colours can change depending on the country a product is being marketed to… never quite saw the point). Once it was obvious that people wanted options besides the original, a stream of new diet soft drinks came into the market: The same year saw the introduction of caffeine-free Diet Coke, along with caffeine-free Coca-Cola and caffeine-free TAB; in 1986, Diet Cherry Coke was launched; in 2001, it was Diet Coke with Lemon, followed three years later by Diet Coke with Lime; finally you may remember Diet Black Cherry Vanilla Coke from a couple of years ago. To be honest, they should have sat back and relaxed after their initial success. Those subsequent creations were a bit of a stretch for me.

I personally opt for Coke Zero (which appeared last year) because it somehow tastes more like the original (I swear it’s true). I can’t verify the validity of this claim, but the magical World Wide Information Super Autobahn informs me that Diet Coke uses the ‘New Coke Formula’ of 1985 while Coke Zero uses the ‘Classic Coke Formula’ (think Futurama’s ‘New Slurm’). If you pay attention to the ads, you’ll notice that Zero with its black can is targeted to the male audience (recall the current commercial with the pilot dreaming that he’s drinking Coke with zero calories and is flying upside down), while Diet Coke in a silver can (originally white) is clearly marked for the women (remember the series of ’11:30 AM Diet Coke Breaks’ with the studly construction worker?). The reasons for this are obvious but intriguing nonetheless.

So if you’re jonesing for a Diet Coke or two, take a look at the tour schedule below and see if the Lounge is coming to your city. If you’re a Coke junkie, this is an easy way to cut back on all the sugar (about 11 teaspoons in one can of regular Coke) without kicking the habit.

Remaining Tour Stops:

July 27 – 29: EDMONTON, AB – Southgate Mall, Centre Court
July 31 – August 5: CALGARY, AB – Chinook Mall, Centre Court
August 10 – 12: VAUGHAN, ON – Vaughan Mills Mall, Old Navy Centre Court
August 17 – 19: MOUNT-ROYAL, QC – Rockland Shopping Centre, Centre Court
August 21 – 26: MONTREAL, QC – Eaton Centre

CONTEST DETAILS:

Don’t feel left out if you’re from Vancouver and the Lower Mainland. This news may come a little belated for you guys, but you still have a chance to get your hands on some free schwag! If you’d like to join in the fun, email me and you could win this Diet Coke prize pack worth $155 CDN!

For your chance to win: A pair of long yoga pants, a half-zip top, a yoga mat with carrying bag, an anniversary t-shirt, and a mini retro six-pack of Diet Coke, email me with the correct answer to this:

Name the three celebrities that rose from the grave to be featured in Diet Coke ads (answer is in the article above).

Deadline for submissions is Monday August 6th.

IMPORTANT: This is for Vancouver & Lower Mainland residents only, as you will need to personally pick up your prize. Please send in your full contact info.

Please Note: The size for the pants, top and t-shirt is SMALL. Some (including me) would say it’s actually EXTRA SMALL, so keep that in mind when you enter. Good luck everyone!

Normal contest rules apply.