Photo by Ben Slowey
Tabman
Tabman
TaB was The Coca-Cola Company’s first diet cola when it debuted in 1963. Though the drink would decline in popularity after Diet Coke was released in the early ‘80s, TaB picked up a strong cult following even after it was taken off the shelves in 2020. “Tabman” Conard is one such devoted drinker of TaB and has made it a mission of his to keep the now-dying soda’s legacy alive.
“I love the taste and I love the packaging,” Tabman says, pointing at the pinkish-red color and stylized font on the can. “There’s something that feels beautiful but also kind of punk rock about it.” While Diet Coke contains aspartame, TaB is sweetened with saccharin. “I can’t drink regular soda because it’s too sugary,” he adds.
Growing up in Green Bay, Tabman got hooked on TaB ever since first trying it in high school. “My friend Joe Abrahamson had a 12 pack of TaB, and he gave me my first one,” he recalls. “It’s pretty heavily caffeinated, so as a kid I was pretty fired up about it.” Before he knew it, Tabman was bringing a can to school for lunch almost every day, earning his nickname as a result. “I was also starting my first punk band with three guys, Supervillians, and we all had alter egos.”
Full-Body (Can) Suit
Photo by Ben Slowey
TaB thermometer
TaB thermometer
In fact, Tabman built a full-body suit out of discarded TaB cans that he wore for his band’s shows. He remembers, “I would save all my cans and cut the top and bottom off with a razor blade, then roll it flat so that I could tape them together. My parents were pretty confused (laughs).”
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Due to decreased sales, The Coca-Cola Company marketed TaB less and less through the ‘90s. Via online message boards, Tabman connected with others who not only loved TaB as much as he did but did not want to see it go. While still in high school, he petitioned to keep the soda on shelves and had sent all the signatures he acquired to the company via mail. “This was in the early days of the internet, and it was hard to organize, especially over something so goofy, but we managed to get a ton of signatures.”
Tabman’s efforts received national recognition when they were covered by Betsy McKay of The Wall Street Journal in 2001. “Unless you were looking for it, you would never even notice it,” he reckons. “At the store there might be hundreds of packs of Diet Coke and only four Tab packs.”
TaB Memorabilia
Photo by Ben Slowey
Vintage TaB advertisement
Vintage TaB advertisement
For his 18th birthday, Tabman got a tattoo of the soda’s logo on his arm. Over the years, as his love for the increasingly obscure soda became locally known, people started sending Tabman all sorts of TaB memorabilia they would find online or at antique stores, much of which is now housed in his basement. Old cans and bottles (including a 32-ounce six-pack), toy cars, vintage advertisements, a thermometer and even a TaB can-shaped container of hand tools are among the items in his collection. “I don’t even have room to display it all,” Tabman notes. “The things I have the most of are these goofy, hourglass-shaped pint glasses, which I don’t use because they’re such a pain to clean.”
It would be nearly 20 years after McKay’s article when the Coca-Cola Company announced TaB would officially be discontinued in October 2020. “I panicked, but I have a wife and child now, so I have other priorities than fighting a giant corporation,” Tabman affirms. “But the company made it clear that it would still be on the shelves until a certain time.”
Photo by Ben Slowey
TaB cans and TaB Tools
The remaining 18 TaB cans and TaB Tools
He subsequently went to every grocery store he could to stock up on remaining TaB while also ordering it online and getting it shipped to his home and work. “We ended up with a lot, and my wife wasn’t thrilled because it was taking up a lot of room,” Tabman mentions, noting at one point he had about 70 12 packs in the house. “We were building end tables out of them,” he continues, laughing. “I was giving a lot of it away because I wanted people to try it who hadn’t before. People would get a hold of me and say their dad loves Tab and ask me for a 12 pack.”
Nearly six years later, at the time of this interview, Tabman was down to his last two 12 packs. Upon opening both, six of the 24 cans had exploded, reducing his remaining number to 18 cans. “I’m not giving up hope,” Tabman remarks about his efforts. “There is a huge community for it and I’m still finding that all the time, especially once it was clear that it was going away.”
Tabman cites the SaveTaBSoda Committee to be the primary force in pushing for The Coca-Cola Company to bring TaB back. Visit their website to learn more.
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