The New Coke launch appears in Andy Warhol’s diary as a formula change that quickly became a television spectacle. His brief entry captures both his skepticism about changing the familiar drink and the news programs’ fascination with public taste tests.

Warhol’s Reaction

On Wednesday, April 24, 1985, Warhol noted that the major television news story was Coca-Cola changing its formula. He questioned the logic of the decision: rather than alter Coke, the company could have introduced a separate new product and left the original alone. The entry records his judgment that the change seemed senseless, without offering an explanation for the company’s choice.

Television Coverage

The story’s prominence was part of the event as Warhol encountered it. He observed that television news programs were eager to cover the formula change, turning it into a widely discussed subject rather than treating it as a routine product announcement.

Public Taste Tests

Warhol specifically noted that the broadcasts showed people sitting together to taste-test the changed formula. The image of consumers judging the drink gave the coverage a public, participatory dimension: the formula change was presented not only as a corporate decision but as something people could assess for themselves. The diary preserves Warhol’s response to that spectacle, while leaving the outcome of the tests unstated.