Coca-Cola now has a 'pixel-flavored' drink in metaverse play

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. The experience design and production were created by Vice Media Group creative agency Virtue and Tool. In February, Coca-Cola kicked off its Creations line with Starlight, a “space-flavored” soda. The Creations are limited edition flavors meant to attract Gen Z consumers by associating the drinks with a digital approach, including gaming and augmented reality. Coke isn’t the only brand trying to associate itself with the metaverse. In the last week, Wendy’s opened a “Wendyverse” in Meta’s Horizon Worlds, and Jose Cuervo announced plans to open a “metadistillery” in Decentraland this summer. 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.

Coca-Cola now has a 'pixel-flavored' drink in metaverse play

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