Bringing that fusion of tea, fruit and herbs to the market has proved to be a really a strong edge for the brand and a differentiating factor. That’s why we’ve the fastest growing global ready to drink tea brand.” With the roll out set for 87 markets around the globe, Coke clearly has confidence in the new platform, designed by IPG-owned agency McCann Worldgroup. Over the course of its 136-year history, Coca-Cola has achieved near-total domination of the global soft drinks market, barring the odd hermit state of the likes of Cuba and North Korea. However, Fuze Tea has now gained a 14% market share on the continent, and continues to outstrip its competitors on the global scene. Could this then signal the beginnings of a shift in the traditional status quo? Fuze Tea will also be launching a new ‘Mind Tingles’ podcast to help bring calm to commuters. The show will play sounds intended to produce an Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response, working with leading ASMRtist, Whispers Red. It will feature interviews about the importance of mental health with high-profile celebrities including model Daisy Lowe, rapper and TV personality Professor Green and Radio 1 DJ Clara Amfo.

So just how has Fuze Tea managed to shake up the iced tea category, and become the fastest growing brand in the sector? Wheen believes firstly that differentiation is key – as Fuze Tea’s blend of flavours offers something different to the traditional key players – but he has also earmarked the new ‘Made of Fusion’ platform as the tool he believes will really enable the brand to plough its own furrow right through the heart of the market. The campaign is a result of a poll conducted by the brand that found four in 10 (44%) adults feel they rarely get any time alone and and when they do it lasts just 55 minutes –the least amount of time in Europe. We’re excited to launch burst two of our campaign and introduce our first UK TV spot, which continues upon our insight and encourages people to switch off as they commute home.” It has definitely rapidly evolved, it’s in very different stages of development around the world,” he says. Wheen believes so, pointing to the beverage’s unique fusion proposition as what sets it apart: “One of the reasons for Fuze Tea’s success has been the fact that we’ve been challenging the category which has been dominated by mono-flavoured teas, such as Lipton and Nestea.

The ad shows the world freeze as a man takes a sip of a Fuze Tea in the middle of a busy street. The voiceover encourages consumers to pause when life gets hectic, ending with the tagline: “Serve yourself a little me-time”. Hinting at the brand’s further expansion, Wheen tells us that Fuze Tea is indeed working on a number of new products. We can assume that an expansion of the brand’s portfolio – which currently consists of Mango Camomile and Peach Hibiscus – may not be too far off.

In line with Coca-Cola’s sustainability targets for 2020, Fuze is made using 100% sustainably-sourced tea leaves. It is primarily sweetened with stevia and contains about 4g of sugar per 10oml and 14-19 calories. In June, Fuze Tea partnered with actress Joanna Lumley to encourage consumers to be more calm on their journeys to and from work. It included a digital video of the star surprising communicators with a book reading but was primarily a sampling campaign supported by out-of-home advertising, social and digital.

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Coca-Cola is launching the first TV campaign for its iced drink Fuze Tea as it continues its push to diversify beyond fizzy drinks. Fuze Tea is a unique fusion of fruit flavours, botanicals, tea extracts and other ingredients which deliver a fresh, contemporary tea taste, offering a premium alternative within the iced tea category. It initially launched in 2012 in 14 international markets and saw accelerated growth to billion-dollar status in less than three years. With such an omnipotent presence across all soft drink categories, one might think that the beverage giant has none left to conquer. In the ready-to-drink tea category however, Coke remains a relatively small player on the global stage, but is the balance shifting? Coke-owned Fuze Tea is now the fastest-growing ready-to-drink tea brand across the international market. George Wheen From a taste perspective, it is a sort of a new sensorial experience, which is very revitalising for consumers.” With this new platform, Fuze Tea is looking to emphasise its unique qualities, namely that it contains a blend of flavours and ingredients, in contrast to the category’s traditionally mono-flavoured beverages.