How Prince William Inspired The First Ever Diet Coke Commercial

As one of the nation's most popular soft drinks, it might seem like Diet Coke has been around forever. But, it might surprise soft drink enthusiasts to learn that the drink — first offered in 1982 — is less than 50 years old. While Diet Coke has become an iconic brand in its own right, its origins as a diet alternative to Coca-Cola involved research, marketing, and a bit of inspiration from Prince William.

Prince William, the first son of Princess Diana and the then Prince Charles was born on June 21, 1982, a little more than two weeks before Diet Coke was officially released. The story goes that Coca-Cola executives heard about Prince William's birth and used it as inspiration to push the idea that Diet Coke could be the heir to Coca-Cola. That heir-to-the-throne idea inspired the first TV commercial for the soft drink.

The commercial had all the glitz and glamour of an awards show, showing an enthusiastic crowd enjoying Diet Coke as the Rockettes danced onstage and singers proclaimed that fans of Diet Coke were going to "drink it just for the taste of it." As the first brand to use the Coca-Cola name since the introduction of the original drink in 1886, a lot was riding on the introduction of Diet Coke. But the drink became a sensation, quickly catching Pepsi and Coca-Cola in sales and popularity.

While Prince William may have served as the inspiration for Diet Coke's first commercial, the Prince of Wales reportedly follows a strict diet that doesn't involve soft drinks. However, some members of the royal family — including William's brother Prince Harry — are said to favor Coca-Cola. Coke was even one of several brands to have a royal warrant given by Queen Elizabeth II, whereby it shows a royal crest on the packaging and supplies products to the royal family.

Regardless of Diet Coke's very loose ties to royalty, the heir apparent to Coca-Cola has become arguably as iconic as Coca-Cola itself. It's one of the nation's best-selling sodas, it's one of our favorite varieties of Coke, and it's the preferred drink of numerous celebs from Elton John and Taylor Swift, Elon Musk and Donald Trump, to Selena Gomez.

Despite its status as one of the most highly caffeinated soft drinks, we would gladly accept an ice-cold Diet Coke if offered one. We also love the fact that Diet Coke can be enjoyed on its own or upgraded with a few simple ingredients from a simple lime wedge to a shot of espresso.