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Fresca is a diet grapefruit-flavored citrus soda created by The Coca-Cola Company. Fresca's history started in the USA to compete in the growing diet drink market.
Fresca's name means "fresh" in Spanish. It was introduced in test markets across the United States in 1964.
It was positioned as a mixer and a refreshing alternative to seltzers.
Coca-Cola had already dabbled in the diet drink market with the launch of TaB in 1963. This would be their second low-calorie product launched in the 60s.
Fresca has a very successful pilot in the cities it was tested in.
Fresca was officially launched in New York City on February 7, 1967. The event would be known as the "blizzard of taste" and coincidentally was held during a freak winter storm that hit the city.
Fresca was initially sweetened with cyclamates. However, the FDA banned cyclamates in 1969, causing a crisis.
The Coca-Cola Company was forced to find a new low-calorie sweetener.
The company chose saccharin, a calorie-free sweetener that helped Fresca stick to the original formula.
The formula change did not last long, as saccharin also had health issues. The company finally settled on aspartame in 1985.
President Lyndon B. Johnson had a special "Fresca button" installed on his Oval Office desk.
Whenever he pressed it, one of his aides would quickly fetch him an ice-cold bottle of his favorite diet soda.
Fresca first marketed itself as a refreshing, sugar-free beverage for hot summer days. Coca-Cola used the slogan "Think fresh, think Fresca" to position this message.
The brand has also developed many creative marketing campaigns geared toward people looking for a healthier alternative to sugar, trying to find a niche in the health and wellness crowd.
In 2005, Fresca was losing an audience with the youth. It underwent a rebranding of its image, creating new marketing that caters directly to young people.
Coca-Cola invented a whole new version of Fresca in Mexico. Mexicans are known for their love of sugary drinks, so in the 1960s, Mexico launched a Fresca with real cane sugar.
Due to its refreshing citrus and grapefruit flavor, Fresca has become a popular mixer in Mexican cocktails like "Palomas."
It competes mainly with Squirt and other citrus-flavored sodas in the country.
Fresca's logo transitioned from bold geometric designs in the 1970s to more sophisticated serif typefaces in the late 1980s. Its more recent look has a minimalist aesthetic feel.
In the 2000s and 2010s, can designs shifted from playful graphics to sleek cans with a more contemporary look.
In 2022, Constellation Brands introduced Fresca Mixed, a line of premium pre-mixed cocktails combining Fresca with vodka or tequila. The cans were named Vodka Spritz and Tequila Paloma.
This was a partnership between Constellation Brands and The Coca-Cola Company.
Fresca carved out a unique niche with its unique grapefruit/citrus flavor in a world of diet sodas.
Fresca has continued to have cult status with a dedicated fan base.
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