Coca-Cola CEO claps back at Gen Zers’ calling Diet Coke ‘fridge cigarettes’

Coca-Cola CEO Henrique Braun is just fine with young Americans calling their midday Diet Coke a “fridge cigarette,” a viral nickname for the popular drink.

Gen Zers use the moniker to compare the idea of stressed-out office workers stepping out for a smoke break to those who stop by the fridge for an afternoon soda, typically a Diet Coke – swapping out a nicotine addiction for caffeine. 

Asked for his thoughts on the “fridge cigarette” trend Braun stopped short of giving the nickname his full-fledged endorsement, but said, “The nickname, uh — consumers call it the way they want to call it.”

“The most important thing to us is that we don’t position Diet Coke in that way. What we do is that it’s a great-tasting product which connects to the consumer in a very unique way and that’s what really, Diet Coke, it’s all about,” the suit told Yahoo Finance on Tuesday.

“We follow the consumer and Diet Coke, it’s one of those brands that continue to recruit the next generation of consumers. The main recruiting, it’s really about the great flavor and the great brand equity that we have,” he added. 

The slang term for an afternoon soda craving originated in 2025 and was popularized on TikTok, according to Merriam-Webster.

Diet Coke is having a “resurgence,” Chief Financial Officer John Murphy told CNBC on Tuesday, helping boost Coca-Cola’s earnings. “It’s a brand that’s almost reinventing itself with the next generation of consumers.” 

In the third quarter, Braun – who took the helm at Coca-Cola in March – said both Diet Coke and Coca-Cola Zero, another sugarless offering, saw their volume grow by double digits in North America.

Though Coca-Cola reported overall flat volume in North America, its home market, the company would have seen growth if not for the timing of the Fourth of July holiday — which fell before the latest quarter — and a prolonged shortage of its Topo Chico sparkling water brand, according to Murphy. 

Coca-Cola on Tuesday hiked its annual forecast for the third straight quarter. It now expects comparable earnings per share to grow at least 11%, up from a prior forecast of 9% to 10% growth. The company also predicted organic revenue growth of at least 5%, slightly improved from a previous forecast of roughly 5% growth. 

In the third quarter, it reported adjusted earnings per share of 91 cents, above expectations of 88 cents, and revenue of $13.4 billion, beating estimates of $12.92 billion. 

Braun told Yahoo Finance that the company is “really excited about the prospects of growth.” 

He previously served as Coca-Cola’s chief operating officer and president of international development. Braun started with the company nearly 30 years ago as an intern, or what Coca-Cola then referred to as a trainee.