Phenylalanine has taken over our household
Coke Zero has (softly) launched in the UK. It suddenly is in most shops I went to, although I do not recall having been exposed to any advertising for it.
It has been heralded as the greatest Coke innovation since the introduction of Diet Coke in 1984. It is targeted to young adult males who don't usually buy diet drinks (i.e. 'Pepsi Max' drinkers), as you can clearly see from The Zero Movement - a marketing department-conceived 'blog' to push the new product, that attracted so much criticism it now clearly shows Coke Zero logos and bottles everywhere.
I normally drink Diet Coke to save a few calories. I tried Coke Zero last week and it reminded me of cleaning up the morning after throwing a party, slightly hungover, drinking leftover "full-fat" coke somebody left behind. It felt naughty and I had to remind myself it had something like three calories per bottle.
Dr B. cannot stand the taste of Diet Coke and has been known to indulge in the odd can of the "full fat" variety now and then.
He did not like his first sip of Coke Zero. I suggested he tried another sip a while after clearing his mouth from the taste of the Yorkie chocolate bar he was eating at the same time. He did, and he's a total convert now. He cannot believe it's got almost no nutritional content.
If you see a bright light coming out of a South London flat in the near future, that's probably us glowing in the dark.