# Tab Clear

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Soft drink

Tab Clear Type Diet clear cola Manufacturer The Coca-Cola Company Origin United States Introduced 1992; 34 years ago (1992) Discontinued 1994; 32 years ago (1994) Related products Crystal Pepsi, Tab, Coca-Cola Clear, White Coke, Zevia

**Tab Clear** was a variation of the [Tab](/source/Tab_(soft_drink)) soft drink. It is [Coca-Cola](/source/The_Coca-Cola_Company)'s contribution to the short-lived "[clear cola](/source/Clear_cola)" movement during the early 1990s.

Tab Clear was introduced in the United States on December 14, 1992 to initially positive results,[1] and was also marketed in Britain a month later,[2] in Japan in March 1993 and in Australia in April 1993.[3] Tab Clear was, however, discontinued after only a short time of marketing in 1994.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*] Unlike most other "clear" soft drinks, Tab Clear contained [caffeine](/source/Caffeine)[1] and, according to the company, had the flavor of cola.[4][5]

## Background

After [PepsiCo](/source/PepsiCo)'s introduction of [Crystal Pepsi](/source/Crystal_Pepsi) in mid-1992, Coca-Cola decided to follow suit with its own clear cola, Tab Clear , at the end of the year.[6]

In late December 1992, Coca-Cola Co. president Doug Ivester told a gathering of New York reporters that Tab Clear was being positioned as part of the "mainstream of diet soft drinks" and was "not a new-age beverage".[7] He declared:

Consumers want an alternative new soft drink with a lot of flavor. A new-age label would doom it. It would be aiming too low to go up against Crystal Pepsi and [Clearly Canadian](/source/Clearly_Canadian).

## Production and marketing

After positive consumer response in its initial 10 markets, it was announced on February 17, 1993, that Tab Clear would be introduced into an additional 20 American markets the coming March, increasing the drink's availability to 35 percent of the American population.[8] In an article from the *[Los Angeles Times](/source/Los_Angeles_Times)*, it was reported that Coca-Cola expected to have Tab Clear available nationwide by the end of the year.[9] Despite the positive results, an article published in March that year reported "one oddity about the new Tab Clear: it is only sold in cans. You would think that would eliminate one of the pop's strongest selling points--its clearness."[10]

### International introductions

Tab Clear went international only two weeks after its introduction in the United States. The clear cola with "a mouthful of flavor" was introduced at a news conference in London on January 18, 1993. The product was made available to the British public from early February that year with a trial price of 23 pence, initially in 330 ml cans and later in 1.5 and 2 litre [plastic bottles](/source/Plastic_bottle). The drink was referred to as "a completely new idea in soft drinks and is unlike any other product available".[11] This made Coca-Cola the first of the two rival US soft drink global brands (Coke and Pepsi) to launch a clear cola in Europe.[12]

In early February that year, The Coca-Cola Company announced plans to introduce Tab Clear into Japan, scheduling a public introduction for mid-March. Japan became the third country to be introduced to Tab Clear.[13] On the 1st of April, The Coca-Cola Company launched Tab Clear in Australia as well.[3] In Australia, the product was a major failure. Despite a large marketing effort from the Australian arm of the company, Tab Clear sales peaked at only 1% in the month of June and declined to just 0.1% by October, by which time it was decided to discontinue the drink.[14]

### Ad campaigns

In both the US and in Britain, Coca-Cola launched a heavy ad campaign for TaB clear with Chain of Mystery[15] and Sinister Connections,[16] linking TaB Clear with unintentionally being the cause of various historical events with the slogan "Suddenly everything is clear". Several radio ads were created as well, such as an ad about TaB Clear being an "eternal paradox"[17] and an ad where "Drink TaB Clear" is discovered when a song is played backwards. In Australia, TV commercials were fronted by the popular personality [Bert Newton](/source/Bert_Newton).[18] A very different ad campaign was created in Japan with ads mostly unrelated to each other and either featuring or voiced over by a Japanese spokesman.

TaB Clear commercials were played often, sometimes twice within a short break, proof of Coca-Cola's attempt to generate quick attention for the soft drink.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*]

## Legacy

In July 2004, a [BBC Business News](/source/BBC_News) article referred to how "colourless versions" of [Coke](/source/Coca-Cola) "have not been hugely successful".[19] Some have even referred to Tab Clear's marketing as a "born to die" campaign.[20]

In his 2011 book, *Killing Giants: 10 Strategies to Topple the Goliath in Your Industry*, Stephen Denny published an interview with former Coca-Cola Chief Marketing Officer [Sergio Zyman](/source/Sergio_Zyman) that stated the formation and subsequent failure of Tab Clear was a deliberate move to destroy Crystal Pepsi, capitalizing on the public's lack of understanding of Pepsi's heavily marketed product. Tab Clear was marketed as a diet drink, which were less popular than traditional colas, and the Tab brand in general was seen as an inferior product to flagships like Coca-Cola or Pepsi. With Tab Clear being placed in such close proximity to Crystal Pepsi, the image of both brands would be damaged in what Zyman called a "[kamikaze](/source/Kamikaze)" strategy. "This is like a cola," Zyman explained, "but it doesn't have any color. It has all this great taste. And we said, 'No, Crystal Pepsi is actually a diet drink.' Even though it wasn't. Because Tab had the attributes of diet, which was its demise. That was its problem. It was perceived to be a medicinal drink. Within three or five months, Tab Clear was dead. And so was Crystal Pepsi."[21]

## See also

- [1990s portal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:1990s)

- [List of defunct consumer brands](/source/List_of_defunct_consumer_brands)

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-NYTCoke_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-NYTCoke_1-1) Bryant, Adam (December 15, 1992). ["Coke Adds a Clear Cola To Its 'New Age' Stable"](https://www.nytimes.com/1992/12/15/business/company-news-coke-adds-a-clear-cola-to-its-new-age-stable.html). *[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)*. [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [0362-4331](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0362-4331). [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20230415005144/https://www.nytimes.com/1992/12/15/business/company-news-coke-adds-a-clear-cola-to-its-new-age-stable.html) from the original on April 15, 2023. Retrieved June 10, 2023.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-NYTBritain_2-0)** ["Tab Clear Is Introduced In Britain"](https://www.nytimes.com/1993/01/19/business/company-news-tab-clear-is-introduced-in-britain.html). *[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)*. January 19, 1993. [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [0362-4331](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0362-4331). [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20211130134338/https://www.nytimes.com/1993/01/19/business/company-news-tab-clear-is-introduced-in-britain.html) from the original on November 30, 2021. Retrieved June 10, 2023.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:0_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:0_3-1) Shoebridge, Neil (November 5, 1993). ["Cadbury Prospers, Well Clear of the Cola War"](https://www.afr.com/companies/cadbury-prospers-well-clear-of-the-cola-war-19931105-kasig). *Australian Financial Review*. Retrieved September 12, 2025.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** [The new beverage choice is crystal clear – Beverages](http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3289/is_n5_v162/ai_14123541/) April 15, 1993

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Davis, Suee (April 15, 1993). ["The new beverage choice is crystal clear"](https://web.archive.org/web/20060515042915/http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3289/is_n5_v162/ai_14123541). *findarticles.com*. Archived from [the original](http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3289/is_n5_v162/ai_14123541/) on May 15, 2006.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** [It's clear – or is it? (Coca Cola's Tab Clear) (New Products)](http://www.accessmylibrary.com/article-1G1-14152498/clear-coca-cola-tab.html) Prepared Foods Magazine – March 1, 1993[*[dead link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Link_rot)*]

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** [Coca-Cola adds clear version of Tab. (soft drink) – accessmylibrary.com](http://www.accessmylibrary.com/article-1G1-13260992/coca-cola-adds-clear.html) Supermarket News| December 21, 1992[*[dead link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Link_rot)*]

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** [Initial market Success Propels Tab Clear Into 20 New Markets](http://www.accessmylibrary.com/article-1G1-13116595/initial-market-success-propels.html) PR Newswire| February 17, 1993

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** [New Age Cola for Super Bowl Sunday – Los Angeles Times](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-01-28-fo-2451-story.html) January 28, 1993

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** [findarticles.com – Prepared Foods](http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3289/is_n3_v162/ai_14152498/)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** [The Coca-Cola Company Takes Tab Clear International – Great Britain First Market Outside the U.S.](http://www.accessmylibrary.com/article-1G1-13102109/coca-cola-company-takes.html) PR Newswire| January 18, 1993[*[dead link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Link_rot)*]

1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** [Coca-Cola keeps Tab on UK market. (introduction of Tab Clear)](http://www.accessmylibrary.com/article-1G1-13433245/coca-cola-keeps-tab.html)Marketing Magazine – January 21, 1993 [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20121021185419/http://www.accessmylibrary.com/article-1G1-13433245/coca-cola-keeps-tab.html) October 21, 2012, at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-13)** [Coca-Cola (Japan) Company Introduces Tab Clear](http://www.accessmylibrary.com/article-1G1-13110249/coca-cola-japan-company.html) PR Newswire| February 2, 1993

1. **[^](#cite_ref-14)** Shoebridge, Neil (December 17, 1993). ["Let's Do Launch: The Best and Worst New Products of '93"](https://www.afr.com/companies/lets-do-launch-the-best-and-worst-new-products-of-93-19931217-kasfk). *Australian Financial Review*. Retrieved September 12, 2025.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-15)** Archived at [Ghostarchive](https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/Xtx_zOGIqMA) and the [Wayback Machine](https://web.archive.org/web/20210515003917/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xtx_zOGIqMA): [*Chain Of Mystery TaB Clear 1994*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xtx_zOGIqMA). *[YouTube](/source/YouTube)*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-16)** [*ITV ad break, 26/07/93 (#2)*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2PfzN_W9ak). *[YouTube](/source/YouTube)*. [Archived](https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/-2PfzN_W9ak) from the original on December 11, 2021.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-17)** Archived at [Ghostarchive](https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/gwHy8VD6iGc) and the [Wayback Machine](https://web.archive.org/web/20180615221431/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwHy8VD6iGc): [*Classic Mid 90's Tab Clear Cola Radio Commercial*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwHy8VD6iGc). *[YouTube](/source/YouTube)*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-18)** ["Back to the future"](https://televisionau.com/2013/04/1993-april-11-17.html). *[TV Week](/source/TV_Week)*. April 11–17, 1993.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-19)** [Bananas are not the only fruit](https://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/3856021.stm) BBC NEWS / BUSINESS – July 1, 2004

1. **[^](#cite_ref-20)** Mullin, Bernard James; Hardy, Stephen; Sutton, William Anthony (2007). [*Sport Marketing*](https://books.google.com/books?id=0Lo5EFcres4C&dq=Tab+Clear&pg=PA168). Vol. 13. Human Kinetics. p. 168. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-7360-6052-3](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-7360-6052-3) – via [Google Books](/source/Google_Books).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-21)** Denny, Stephen. *Killing Giants: 10 Strategies to Topple the Goliath in Your Industry*. Portfolio Hardcover, 2011, p. 86-89.

v t e The Coca-Cola Company Brands Soft drinks A&W Root Beer (Canada only) Ambasa Ameyal Barq's Beat Beverly Bjäre Julmust Blue Sky Cannings Coca-Cola Fanta Frutee Hit Icy Kist Royal Tropical Fioravanti Fresca Fruktime Frutonic Guaraná Jesus Inca Kola Iron Brew Joya Kia-Ora Kinley Kola Inglesa Krest Kuat Lemon & Paeroa Lift Mare Rosso Mello Yello Mezzo Mix Moxie Nordic Mist Northern Neck Ginger Ale OK Soda Mr. Pibb Portello Quatro Quwat Jabal Ramblin' Root Beer RimZim Red Flash Santiba Sarsi Seagram's Senzao Smart Sparkle Sparletta Sprite Chinotto Stoney Surge Urge Tab Tanora Tiky Vault VegitaBeta Victoria Yoli Juices and teas Ayataka Capri-Sun Delaware Punch Enviga Far Coast Five Alive Fruitopia Frutonic Fuze Glaceau Gold Peak Hi-C Honest Tea Innocent Matte Leão Minute Maid Cappy Oasis Odwalla Qoo Peace Iced Tea Simply Beverages Sokenbicha Sparkle Tum-E Yummies VitaminWater Zico Sports drinks Aquarius Bodyarmor SuperDrink Powerade Monster Beverage (17.9% stake) BPM Energy Burn Formula 50 Full Throttle Live+ Monster Mother NOS RAC 124 Relentless Tab Energy Von Dutch Bottled water Abbey Well AdeS Arwa Aquarius Bonaqua Ciel Dasani Deep River Rock Deep Spring Malvern Water Mount Franklin Water Neverfail Pump Smartwater Topo Chico Valpre Coffee-based Barista Bros Caribou Coffee Costa Coffee Dunkin' Donuts Georgia illy Dairy-based Fairlife Swerve Vio Purchased from Bisleri Citra Gold Spot Limca Thums Up Maaza Joint ventures Coca-Cola Beverages Africa (66.5%) Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (19.5%) Coca-Cola FEMSA (28%) Coca-Cola HBC (23.2%) Former holdings Bambi Beverage Partners Worldwide Coca-Cola Amatil Coca-Cola Enterprises Coca-Cola Telecommunications Columbia Pictures ELP Communications Embassy Pictures Merv Griffin Enterprises Panamco TriStar Pictures Legal United States v. Forty Barrels and Twenty Kegs of Coca-Cola (1916) Escola v. Coca-Cola Bottling Co. (1944) Sinaltrainal v. Coca-Cola (2001) POM Wonderful v. Coca-Cola (2014) Campaigns and slogans Ashita Ga Arusa Coke Zero Facial Profiler Coming Together Country Sunshine H2NO Hey Kid, Catch! I'd like to buy the world a Coke The Lost Island of Alanna MagiCan Max Headroom Move to the Beat My Coke Rewards MyCoke Once Upon a Wheel Open Happiness Pepsi Invaders Coca-Cola polar bears The Polar Bears Share a Coke Other Assets Coca-Cola buildings and structures Coca-Cola Consolidated Criticism of Coca-Cola Cocacolonization Coca-Cola Freestyle Cola wars Limca Book of Records One, Two, Three (1961 film) Soda geyser

v t e Cola brands Australia Count Cola, Export Cola, LA Ice Cola, Schweppes Cola Austria Red Bull Simply Cola, Keli Cola Bangladesh Pran Cola Brazil Dolly Cola Canada Bec Cola, Big 8, Compliments, No Name, President's Choice, Selection Czech Republic Kofola China Future Cola (China Cola), Laoshan Cola Colombia Kola Román Cuba tuKola Denmark Jolly Cola, OpenCola Finland Olvi Cola France Auvergnat Cola, Breizh Cola, Corsica Cola, El Ché-Cola, Fada cola, Mecca-Cola Germany Afri-Cola, Club Cola, Fritz-kola, Premium-Cola, Sinalco, Vita Cola Greece Green Cola India Double Seven, Thums Up, Campa Cola Hong Kong Meadows Classic Cola, Sparkling Super Cola, Vita Cola Iran Parsi Cola, Topsia Cola, Zamzam Ireland Cavan Cola Mexico Mexicana Cola, Mexicola, Jarritos Cola, "Mexicoke" Myanmar Star Cola New Zealand Foxton Fizz Pakistan Amrat Cola, Pakola Peru Beed Cola, Kola Real, Cassinelli, Fruti Kola, Fuji-Cola, Isaac Kola, Inca Kola, Kola Real, Perú Cola, Triple Kola, Kola Escocesa Poland Polo Cockta Sweden Apotekarnes Cola, Cuba Cola, XL Cola Saudi Arabia Milaf Cola Slovenia Cockta Thailand Est Cola Turkey Cola Turka, Kristal Kola, Sarıyer Kola Trinidad and Tobago Cole Cold United Kingdom Barr Cola, Evoca Cola, Fentimans Curiosity Cola, Fever-Tree Distillers Cola, Maxi-Cola, Qibla Cola, Red Kola, Rola Cola, Ubuntu Cola, Virgin Cola United States 365, Big K, Blue Sky, Boost!, Boylan, Bubba, Caleb's Kola, Coca-Cola (Diet Coke, Zero Sugar), Tab, Cott, Cricket Cola, Diet Rite, Double Cola, Dublin, Faygo, Filbert's, Fitz's, Fukola Cola, Grandpa Graf's, Grapette, Hank's Naturals Mexicola, Jolt Cola, Jones Soda, Like Cola, Maraschino Cola, Mr. Cola, Nuka Cola, Olipop, Pepsi, Poppi, RC Cola, Reed's, King Kong Cola, Sam's Choice, Shasta, Signature, Stars & Stripes, Triple Cola, Vess, Virgil's, Zevia Vanuatu Lava Cola Venezuela Frescolita

v t e Diet drinks Big Red Canfield's Diet Chocolate Fudge Coca-Cola C2 Coca-Cola Life Coca-Cola Light Sango Coca-Cola Zero Sugar Diet Coke Diet Mountain Dew Diet Pepsi Diet Rite Diet Dr Pepper Fanta Faygo Fitz's Goslings Diet Ginger Beer No-Cal Pepsi Max Pepsi ONE Shasta Sprite Zero Sugar Tab Tab Clear Tab Energy Tava Virgil’s Zero Sugar

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Tab Clear](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tab_Clear) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tab_Clear?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.