Canada Dry is also attempting to rebrand their diet ginger ale as “ginger zero,” according to CNN. A&W has already changed the name of its calorie-free root beer from “diet drink” to “zero sugar drink.” Customers have been asking the firm for years why it still refers to its product as a diet beverage, according to A&W Brand President Susan Senecal.
“Zero Sugar Diet Ginger Ale is a clear example of how we are giving people choices and helping them find what works for them,” Senecal told CNN about the beverage.
In reality, those who advocate against diet culture are not as anti-diet as people might think they are – rather, most people who are not down with diet culture simply feel that they should be able to make their own decisions about whether or not they want to cut out soda from their diets, and people, in general, do not like the idea of being told how much sugar is “acceptable” by anyone other than themselves.
The updated labeling should be on shop shelves quickly to avert any reaction against the beverage firms.
Diet culture has struggled for years, and it does not appear that this will improve very soon. For corporations striving to stay afloat in this environment, rebranding diet sodas as “zero sugar” drinks appears to be the ideal solution.
However, whether or not this is successful in the long run remains to be seen. It is possible that people will perceive this for what it is – a cheap effort by soda corporations to increase profits – and continue to eschew diet culture entirely. Only time will tell.
