Whether you're an avid soda drinker or you get your beverage fix from elsewhere, it's
impossible to deny the impact that soft drinks have had on the global culinary culture.
Famed international brands like Coca-Cola, Pepsi, 7UP, Sprite, Dr Pepper, and Mountain
Dew have been consumed and celebrated for generations, and all of them have become household
staples across the world.
But there are a few lesser-known brands out there just as worthy of note, like Tab.
But what exactly was Tab, and where did the name come from?
Many soda fans of today and yesterday are likely familiar with Tab.
This Coca-Cola product is well-known as the original diet soda brand, which kick-started
a trend that remains hugely popular today.
Tab's flavor was often described as light, slightly tart, and bubbly, with hints of both
lemon-lime and cola.
It was low in sucrose and calories, giving it a unique, guilt-free taste.
This pop was a huge hit among women and younger consumers, who drank more soda than any age
group at the time.
"The Coca Cola Company makes it, and Tab tastes better than any diet cola.
Tab is a taste to remember for a shape you can't forget."
With its distinctive branding and brightly colored packaging, Tab stood out on grocery
store shelves — and quickly gained a cult following after its market debut in 1963.
However, the brand actually got off to a bit of a rocky start.
Tab's initial sales were lower than anticipated, which affected company profits.
Then came the uncanny timing of the artificial sweetener controversy, in which American consumers
were made aware of the potential health dangers of chemical-based synthetic sugars that appear
in many so-called "sugar-free" foods and drinks.
Tab's original formula contained the artificial sweeteners saccharin and cyclamate.
But after lab studies determined that cyclamate led to bladder cancer in test animals, the
FDA banned its use in consumer goods in 1969.
As a result, Tab had to tweak its recipe and decided to just use saccharin.
After additional research on the negative side effects of artificial sweeteners, the
FDA called on the brands that use them to print clear warning labels on their products.
Despite the hiccups and spills, for a time Tab was the top diet cola of the 1970s and
1980s - that is, until Diet Pepsi and Diet Coke entered the picture.
Sales remained steady over the years, especially among the soda's die-hard fans.
Unfortunately, Coca-Cola discontinued Tab in 2020, bringing an end to the 57-year-long
era of dark pink pop cans and fizzy goodness.
To remain profitable during the COVID-19 pandemic, Coke made the tough decision to cease manufacturing
around half of its products, and Tab was one of those that got the boot.
Tab fans and soda aficionados may have marked the soda's demise with some wistful reflection
- and if that's you, you may have found yourself wondering: why's it called Tab, anyway?
Well, a lot of thought goes into a brand name.
Some are literal and straightforward, while others are totally fabricated, symbolic, or
take a bit of digging to unveil their intended meaning.
For example, Nike is the Greek goddess of victory.
Starbucks is named after a prominent character in the novel Moby Dick.
Pez is short for the German term for peppermint, while American Family Insurance…
Well, that one kinda speaks for itself.
The true meaning behind Tab's name is a little more obscure, but its mythical origin is just as fascinating.
One theory behind the iconic name states that Tab is actually an acronym, standing for
"Totally Artificial Beverage," alluding to its controversial recipe.
However, this myth has been debunked by defenders of the soda as well as the Coca-Cola Company itself.
As it turns out, when Coca-Cola invented their new diet product in the '60s, the company's
executives wanted it to have a short name that was easy to say and remember, just like Coke.
The company used its IBM 1401 mainframe to come up with a list of about 2.3 million names.
After cutting the list down to a couple dozen words that fit the criteria, the product names
were put to the test on the market.
Tab was declared the winner… and the rest, as they say, is history.
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