Filmstar Vivek Oberoi dons the Elvis Presley look to promote the new Coca-Cola — Coke Vanilla. Picture by Jagdish Yadav

New Delhi, April 7: What’s a cola without a twist? Cola major Coca-Cola gave a new twist to the battle with Pepsi, by launching a flavour extension of its flagship brand Coca-Cola called ‘Vanilla Coke’.

Two years ago, Pepsi had introduced a variant. It had zeroed in on the Pepsi Twist brand in its international portfolio and launched it as Pepsi Aha — the regular Pepsi with a hint of lemon. Pepsi Aha was backed by a high-profile ad campaign featuring Shah Rukh Khan, but the brand virtually vanished from the market. However, the Pepsi spokesperson said, “Pepsi Aha is available in select pockets.”

Market analysts have a different take on the subject. Some of them, including ex-employees of both the cola majors feel that variants are like flavours of the season, brought in to boost sales temporarily. The curiosity value of the consumer leads her to check the new product. In the long run, the product may or may not click.

As far as taste goes, both Vanilla Coke and Pepsi Aha are not much different from the main brand. Coke had launched Vanilla Coke in North America two years back. In India, Vanilla Coke will be available in 500 ml PET bottles priced at Rs 15.

The product is later slated to be introduced in the 200 and 300 ml glass bottles and 330 ml cans. Coca-Cola India’s president, Sanjiv Gupta, said glass bottles will be brought in later as the company is running short on glass bottle production at present. Glass bottle for Coke Vanilla will be brought in around May.

Gupta said that Coca-Cola India has shown a double digit growth in the country, ranging between 20-30 per cent for the last year and the year previous to that.

Coca-Cola had zeroed in on its on-contract brand endorser, Vivek Oberoi for the Vanilla Coke. Oberoi dons an Elvis Presley get up for the ‘retro look’, that the company has chosen (‘the retro look is in’) to connect with the youth in the metros and the mini metros.