Coca-Cola Co. on Monday unveiled C2, a cola with about half the carbohydrates of the original, and a new advertising campaign designed to sell the drink to devotees of trendy Atkins-style diets.
Coca-Cola C2, featuring the familiar red label, but with black lettering instead of the traditional white, will be available in U.S. stores in early June, the company said at a promotional event in Hollywood.
Cola wars are brewing over the low-carb craze. Rival PepsiCo Inc. said on Monday that it would launch its own mid-carbohydrate soda in mid-June.
An 8-ounce serving of C2 has 45 calories and 12 grams of carbohydrates, compared with 100 calories and 27 grams of carbohydrates with original Coke, the company said.
The start of Coca-Cola's ad campaign for C2, which features the tagline "Half the Carbs, Half the Cals, All the Great Taste," will be tied to the finals of the hit Fox talent show "American Idol" on Tuesday and Wednesday, the company said.
The television ads will feature The Rolling Stones' rock anthem "You Can't Always Get What You Want" and Queen's "I Want to Break Free."
"Today's consumers are looking for choices that fit their lifestyles," said Coca-Cola North America President and Chief Operating Officer Don Knauss in a statement. "They want to keep enjoying the special cola taste that Coca-Cola delivers but with the option of a lower-carb lower cal soft drink."
Coca-Cola said it would hand out about 12 million free samples of C2 in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Atlanta and Miami.