Back in the good old days, when patent medicines were bright and shiny, and Coca-Cola had that extra little kick, Coke was widely promoted to “cure all nervous afflictions — Sick Headache, Neuralgia, Hysteria, Melancholy, Etc….”

But times changed. Patent medicines lost their luster, caffeine replaced the coca leaf, and the former health-giving tonick was relegated to the ranks of “delicious and refreshing.” Nobody had any illusions about the nutritional benefits of Coke, and nobody cared. You drank Coke because it was sweet and bubbly. And, oh yes, there’s that brand thing.

Fast forward to 1982 and the advent of aspartame. Tastier than saccharine, though possibly just as detrimental to one’s health, it was the chemical that brought diet soda into the mainstream, with Diet Coke bounding ahead of Tab (also manufactured by Coca-Cola) almost immediately upon launch. Despite the fact that diet soda seems to make people actually gain weight, Diet Coke remains the third most popular soft drink in the US, edged out by only Coke and Pepsi. It’s been theorized that just drinking a beverage with the word “diet” makes people feel virtuous and likely to eat more. Therein lies the power of branding.

A century after the heyday of patent medicines, Coke has come full circle with the launch of Diet Coke Plus. And as experts on the conscious consumer, we find ourselves querying Coke’s latest play. As we know from egg’s research on the conscious consumer, and more specifically, the latest Hartman Report, the typical entry point into the “World of Sustainability”, which comprises 93% of the population, is through the body. It’s a long path from buying organic to driving a hybrid to installing a composting toilet, but the first step generally comes with the desire to protect one’s health from the toxic threats all around us. Will those vitamins and minerals incentivize the Diet Coke connoisseur to reach for the new can with the friendly blue stripe, the rainbow-colored letters, and the stylized leaves? Will people be able to handle the cognitive dissonance? Will Diet Coke Plus become a gateway beverage to healthier liquids? Since 80% of Americans are overweight, and 90% want to improve their health, Coke may be onto something rather, um, big.