Coca-Cola is probably the most popular brand name beverage on Earth, and as a result it pops up seemingly everywhere you go.  A fun side effect of this level of popularity is to see the metamorphoses the product goes through as it crosses borders around the world.

Our correspondent has traveled to the birthplace of the Arab Spring end unearthed such a treasure.  Behold the Tunisian can of Coca-Cola Zero (the calorie-free version of Coke).

We can clearly deduce that it says “Coca-Cola Zero” on this can of Coca-Cola Zero especially with the English name written on the other side of the can. It’s colors are also very familiar to Japanese and western Coke drinkers. But beyond that it’s impossible for those of us uneducated in Arabic script to make head or tails of this label.  I’d have no way to know what angle to hold the can to read it.

That being said, it’s easily the coolest can of Coke ever.  The Arabic writing kind of looks like graffiti.  With a lot of people focusing on Chinese characters these days it’s easy to forget the beauty and grace of this language’s written form.  In a strange way, these international products help to highlight that.

If you’re wondering, the taste is the same as Coca-Cola Zero in other parts of the world, with its slightly reduced sweetness sacrificed for no calories.  So when you go to other countries, don’t forget to check out ordinary products.  You might find something cool.

You can follow our correspondent’s adventure on Twitter (Kuzo) in Japanese.


[ Read in Japanese ]