Friday, April 4, 2008

Remember TaB?

Sure you do. TaB was Coca-Cola’s first diet soda, and the second diet soda ever produced, behind only Diet-Rite. Throughout its illustrious history, TaB has been sweetened with cyclamate, saccharin, and aspartame. But never sugar!

And who can forget TaB's cool pink can?



I love old commercials for once popular products. And now, through the magic of YouTube, they’re only a click away. Here’s a TaB commercial from the 1960s.



If you missed it, here are the key lyrics:

Don’t you want to have a good shape?
He wants you with a gooooood shape.
It’s great to have a gooooood shape.
Shape with TaaaaaB.


Here’s one from the late 70s.



Notice the subtle approval of teenage sex and bestiality? Advertisers used to cover all the bases. These days everything is so damned targeted.

In case you’re wondering, TaB is still produced today, though in small quantities, and it’s no longer advertised. Apparently, they make it solely for a small group of zealots who still drink the stuff. There’s even an official TaB fan site, complete with message boards. Like all pieces of half-forgotten Americana, there are people who think associating themselves with this retro consumer product makes them cool. But hey, live and let live. Or rather, live and then die twenty years later from an inoperable brain tumor caused by artificial sweeteners.

Have a good weekend. And be a Mindsticker!

9 comments:

PJD said...

Be a mindsticker! Thanks for the jump into the Wayback Machine. That's awesome.

There was a drink my friends and I used to get sometimes just for the sheer enjoyment of the nasty taste. It was called Moxie, and I could only find it at one store in my town. Though, remarkably, it seemed pretty prevalent in Vermont.

I totally remember the hourglass TaB glass in the commercial. My sister used to drink TaB.

Sarah Laurenson said...

You remember the glass. I remember the song (the one from the 70's). Scary what's lodged in the deep recesses of my brain.

There are some interesting regional drinks - like Mr. Pibb.

Not fond of carbonation myself though I do like a good root beer float from time to time. Probably more about the sugar than the soda. TaB would never do for me.

Robin S. said...

Wow. Talk about a sociological trip down memory lane!
I don't remember the mindsticker one- but it's freaky.

I actually remember the 70s commercial. Thanks for the jolt - wow- I had no idea these commercials were still out there.

Ello - Ellen Oh said...

tab is kind of gross. But diet dr. pepper is delicious!

Chris Eldin said...

OMG, I'm trippin' from that video!!! Love that tune, it's so stupid though.

BT, what is beautiful is that dolphin tribute on EE's blog. It should've been at the top of the roll. Not EE's. His didn't even come close. I mean, cats? Or was it dogs? Yours had a mind-reading dolphin!
(hehhehehe! Just trying to see if EE reads this and can goad him into a response...)

Seriously though, yours rocked!
:-)

Blogless Troll said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Robin S. said...

I agree!

And I'm not even the recipient type.

Chris Eldin said...

I already consume too much pasta....

Hey BT! I searched for hours for the perfect site for you!

http://terehaunui.blogspot.com/


Okay, it's a link from Patricia Woods' blog. Really nice. Despite, you know.....your phobia.

Blogless Troll said...

Nooooooo!

Alright, I'm about dolphined out, so I won't be mean. But I will point out that they're performing synchronized jumps IN THE WILD! So what exactly do the Sea World trainers teach them again? Maybe I'll open my own theme park, Bee World, and I'll dazzle people with flying bees. Look at them fly...I taught them to make honey too.