Coca-Cola Tries Again with Vault Citrus Soda

For years, Coca-Cola has tried to tap into the citrus soda market dominated by rival soft drink maker Pepsico's iconic Mountain Dew.

First came the unfortunately-named Mello Yello, released in 1979. With the rise of extreme sports, the name became a hindrance and led to the ill-fated marketing campaign proclaiming "There's nothing mellow about it." Yeah, except the name on the package. Mello Yello is still on the market, but has limited distribution.

Then there was Surge, Coca-Cola's so-called "fully loaded citrus soda." That drink was released in 1997 and discontinued due to low sales in 2002.

Undaunted by these earlier failures, the Atlanta-based company has announced the nationwide release of its newest citrus soda, Vault.

Coca-Cola hopes the soda will appeal to young adults looking for a "better combination of refreshment and energy boost."
Stuart Kronauge, director, Flavor Brands, Coca-Cola North America, says Vault has delivers a citrus taste with less carbonation than most sodas, and the "high-octane refreshment" of an energy drink.

"Vault helps take things to the next level by combining attributes from traditional soft drinks and energy drinks to provide young adults with the taste, refreshment and energy boost they're seeking," says Kronauge. "Vault is a groundbreaking hybrid in much the same way sport-utility vehicles combine the most desirable features of cars and trucks. Vault offers the
best of both worlds in one appealing package."

Hoping to make a dent in the fortress that is Mountain Dew's market share, Coca-Cola launched its own high-octane ad campaign earlier this year during ABC's television spectacle known as Super Sunday.

The idea behind the ads was to show the strong competitive nature of guys, and how drinking Vault will inspire them to get the job done better than their rivals. To view the ads, go to www.drinkvault.com.

In addition to the traditional ad campaign, sampling teams will appear throughout the U.S. in Vault-branded International CXTs, the world's largest production pickup trucks.

Partnering with International carries through on the "hybrid" theme as the monstrous vehicles are a cross between a big rig and a pickup truck. The teams will distribute Vault at concerts, targeted retail outlets, sporting events and other locations frequented by young adults.

While still new to the market, Vault does have its supporters, Eric Karkovack and Avery Lund in particular. The pair of citrus soda aficionados have been campaigning since 2002 for the return of Surge when they launched www.savesurge.org.
When Vault began its test marketing phase, the duo went straight to work with the creation of www.vaultkicks.org. On the site, Karkovack has given the new drink favorable reviews, saying it tastes very similar to Surge.

Trying it for myself, I think I'll have to stick with Mountain Dew. I found the taste of Vault to be overly sweet and the aftertaste had too much orange flavor.

As for the "high-octane" rush, I was left largely unimpressed. The "kick" advertised on the bottle, comes from a combination of caffeine and sugar. Halfway through the bottle, I certainly felt it. But it faded quickly and left me with that caffeine comedown headache.

In that respect, Vault is more like NOS than high-octane gasoline.