In September 2023, Coca-Cola extended an invitation to its fans to “imagine what the future tastes and feels like” through a limited-edition beverage and an innovative AI-powered experience known as Y3000 Zero Sugar. This unique drink was co-crafted with both human creativity and artificial intelligence, drawing inspiration from the emotions, aspirations, colors, flavours, and more that fans associate with the future.
The drink’s forward-looking flavour was complemented by a futuristic and optimistic visual identity.
Co-created with artificial intelligence, the design showcases liquid in a morphing, evolving state, communicated through form and color changes that emphasize a positive future. A light-toned color palette featuring violet, magenta and cyan against a silver base gives a futuristic feel. The iconic Spencerian Script features a connected matrix with fluid dot clusters that merge to represent the human connections of our future planet.
The beverage had an opaque brown-black hue with moderate carbonation and emitted a typical cola aroma with subtle sweet mango undertones. When consumed chilled, the sweet tropical notes of ripe mangoes were immediately discernible at the beginning of each sip. These mango notes had the richer, more floral sweetness characteristic of Asian mango varieties, such as Afourer, rather than the crisper, refreshing sweetness of Australian Kensington Pride mangoes. The mango flavour resembled that of mango-flavoured gummies, like the Cocoaland Lot 100 Mango Gummy. Throughout the sip, the familiar cola undertones lingered in the background, unmistakably cola but allowing the mango flavour to take centre stage. As the drink concluded, the bubbles refreshed the palate, leaving a mostly clean aftertaste, despite the use of artificial sweetener.
While certain online reviews suggested a raspberry-like flavour, we remained unconvinced, as there were no hints of berry notes akin to Coca-Cola Zero Raspberry. Instead, the flavour was more reminiscent of a more elegant PepsiCo Pepsi Max Mango. We found this futuristic beverage enjoyable, though we still favoured the original for its brighter acidity and sharpness.
This Coca-Cola Zero Sugar Limited Edition Y3000 contained 250 mL. It was produced in Australia and purchased in Sydney, Australia in 2023.