Vanilla Coke (also known as Coca-Cola Vanilla) is the name of one of the newer variants of the world famous soft drink, Coca-Cola. The vanilla-flavored soft drink hit shelves in the United States for the first time on May 15, 2002, as part of The Coca-Cola Company's competition plans against arch-rival Pepsi and other soft drink producers. As of 2003, Vanilla Coke was marketed in European countries as well as Australia and New Zealand (in mid-2003). By 2004, Vanilla Coke has been introduced in over 30 countries around the globe.
In the autumn of 2002, a sugar free version of the soft drink, Diet Vanilla Coke, arrived on supermarket shelves. In some countries, including Australia and New Zealand, a similar drink is marketed as "Diet Coke with Vanilla."
For a brief period of time in summer 2003, the bottles that Vanilla Coke came in, which had before said Vanilla Coke, were changed simply to V. Afterwards, the original labeling was resumed, though the "V" labeling is still used occasionally.
Opinions are polarized to the taste of Vanilla Coke - some love it, some revile it. A common criticism is that it does not taste like the much sweeter mixture of regular Coke and vanilla syrup that has been served as "Vanilla Coke" in restaurants for decades. According to the inscription on the product's bottles, natural flavors are used to produce the vanilla flavor.
The drink has not only been a sales success to Coke buyers, but has even taken some Pepsi drinkers as well, since the drink has a balance of caffeine and sweetness. Pepsi Vanilla, introduced in August 2003 as an answer to Vanilla Coke, is considered too sweet even for otherwise diehard Pepsi drinkers.
Rumors spread around in 2002 that Coca-Cola was planning to introduce a chocolate flavored version of its product, pending on the sales results of Vanilla Coke. As of August 17, 2005, this has yet to happen.