Why Gen Z Is Ditching Diet Soda for Zero Sugar

The Trend: “Zero sugar” sodas are surging in popularity as beverage giants shift their focus from “diet” labels to “zero sugar” branding. The move seems to be paying off. Last year, zero-sugar sodas made up a whopping 52% of soft drink sales growth. Pepsi now dedicates most of its marketing budget to Pepsi Zero Sugar, even featuring it in an upcoming Super Bowl commercial. Dr Pepper had no zero-sugar products in 2020, and now boasts over 40. 

What People Are Saying: The word “diet” has become outdated, especially among younger consumers who associate it with restrictive eating and calorie counting. One expert describes the dreaded “diet” word as “radioactive” with Gen Z, even though both versions use similar artificial sweeteners like aspartame. Yet the rebranding seems to be working, as Pepsi Zero Sugar sales jumped 18.1% while Diet Pepsi dropped 3.9% in early 2025.

What to Know: Nutritionally, diet and zero-sugar sodas are basically the same in that they’re both calorie-free and contain artificial sweeteners. The main difference is that zero-sugar versions use sweetener blends that taste closer to the real stuff. Really, it’s just clever marketing aimed at health-conscious folks who want to skip sugar without embracing traditional diet culture.