The Real Reason Vault Soda Disappeared
Venture into the world of discontinued soft drinks and you'll find a sea of nostalgic and oft-forgotten flavors that range from visual head-scratchers like Pepsi Blue and Crystal Pepsi to Coke flops, including a coffee-flavored concoction and a soda aimed at Gen X.
And while it might be easy to understand why something like Orbitz with its lava lamp looking bottle and floating spheres of goo didn't stick around for long, there are certain soft drinks that seemed to have all of the right ideas but none of the staying power. One of these sodas that looked particularly good on paper was Vault. This ultra-caffeinated lemon-lime soft drink was introduced in 2005, essentially serving as the Coca-Cola Company's take on Pepsi's neon-hued gamer fuel, Mountain Dew.
According to Food Ingredients First, when Vault rolled out it was aimed at a younger market of people that had a taste for carbonated energy drinks, and apparently SUVs. A snippet from the beverage's early press release read: "Vault is a groundbreaking hybrid in much the same way sport-utility vehicles combine the most desirable features of cars and trucks. Vault offers the best of both worlds in one appealing package."
Vault's exit from Coca-Cola's family of products came abruptly
Vault's foray into the world of energy drinks only lasted six short years, but in that time, it featured prominently in Super Bowl XL advertising and established a roster of flavors that included grape, peach, Vault Zero, and Red Blitz, the latter being an attempt to go head to head with Mountain Dew Code Red (via Mental Floss). Vault's exit from Coca-Cola's family of products came in 2011 when the company decided to fold the brand. The company decided to focus its energy on a drink with a longer history and more brand recognition: Mello Yello (via Convenience Store News).
While Vault's run was brief, the soft drink made its mark with more than a few commercials that exude serious early aughts energy. Some memorable moments include a spot featuring a farmer crafting a cyber scarecrow and this gem that seems to imply that Vault has the ability to transform anyone into a paintball pro. Although Vault never reached the peak staying power of Mountain Dew, the soda retained a devoted fan following that has gone as far unearthing a long-form commercial for the dearly departed drink and starting a petition pleading for Coca-Cola to revive the cult favorite.