What Happened to OK Soda?

Something we’re always excited to discuss here at Sporked is the long forgotten “swings and misses” of beverage history. And today’s topic is one of the biggest pop flops there ever was: OK Soda. Strap in for the rise and fall of the most Gen X soda that ever was. 

What is OK Soda?

OK Soda was a soft drink created by the Coca-Cola company in 1993 that was firmly marketed to Generation X demographic with its bleak but artistic packaging and its downer advertising. It’s slogan? An extremely ironic, “Things are going to be OK.” It was sold as a “uniquely fruity soda.” 

The idea for OK Soda came from Sergio Zyman, a Coca-Cola employee who was also responsible for the celebrated (but now defunct) Fruitopia. According to internal research by the Coca-Cola Company, “OK” was the most recognizable word in multiple languages around the world. (The runner-up? Coke.) So, Zyman decided to go ahead and name a Coke product OK. He also thought it would appeal to apathetic young Gen Xers. Did it? Not really. It did…OK. 

What happened to OK Soda?

Zyman promised that OK Soda would take 4% of the beverage market. But, in the end, OK Soda barely captured more than 2%. After poor sales in test markets, Coca-Cola yanked the drink from shelves. 

It turns out, Gen X, though apathetic, didn’t want their drinks to embody a shrug. And it didn’t taste great. Coke put all their efforts into marketing without really trying to make a great soda. OK Soda ended up selling just over a million cases before it was shuttered away into the depths of Coke history. 

What did OK Soda taste like?

According to one of OK Soda’s own ads, OK Soda tasted like “carbonated tree sap.” Yum! Other reports say that OK Soda had a more “citric” taste than traditional colas. According to one Reddit thread, it tasted like a mix of orange soda and Coke, or “Coke, Crush orange soda, splash of Sprite, and a splash of Barq’s Root Beer.” If this sounds good to you, then I’m sorry to say, you missed out! Maybe try making your own concoction at home? 

Can you still buy OK Soda?

Technically you can still purchase OK Soda, but you’ll have to win an eBay bid. And, even after you do, you’d be advised to maybe not consume the contents of the can, unless you’ve got enough money left over from the auction for a trip to the doctor. We have a pretty broad view of what’s acceptable to eat around here, but “vintage” sodas are generally not the best. Stick to what’s available at your local grocery stores, and save yourself some potential intestinal distress! 


About the Author

Joe Rumrill

Joe Rumrill is a fictional one-eyed spinach-loving sailor created in 1929 by E.C Se- Wait, no, that's not right... Joe Rumrill is a stand up comedian and writer currently based in Los Angeles. His favorite thing about food is a close tie between the taste and the nutrients one gets from it. His least favorite thing about it is the "gritty, dirt-like quality some food has", but he's most likely referring to the time in third grade he was dared to eat playground sand.

Thoughts? Questions? Complete disagreement? Leave a comment!

Your thoughts.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *