Coca-Cola's Vault — the energy soda that couldn't outrun Mello Yello

In 2003 Coca-Cola discontinued Surge, its highly caffeinated citrus soda that had competed with Mountain Dew. By 2005 the energy-drink market was booming, and Coca-Cola wanted back in. The result was Vault — a sweetened citrus soda fortified with extra caffeine and B vitamins, marketed as a hybrid: 'Drinks like a soda, kicks like an energy drink.' It had more caffeine than Surge or Mountain Dew and was positioned to capture both the soda drinker and the energy-drink consumer.

Vault tested in ten states from June to September 2005, then launched nationally in February 2006 with a commercial during Super Bowl XL. The rollout was Coca-Cola's biggest since Diet Coke. The brand spawned variants including Vault Red Blitz (2007) and limited-run Grape and Peach flavors. For a few years Vault held its place on shelves alongside Mello Yello, Coca-Cola's other citrus soda.

In December 2011 Coca-Cola discontinued Vault, replacing it with a reintroduced Mello Yello. The company said Vault had been 'a good brand' but that Mello Yello offered a more coherent citrus portfolio. Vault had essentially been Surge reborn with extra caffeine, and like Surge before it, it could not secure a lasting place in Coca-Cola's lineup against the legacy brands.