Last year, Northern Ireland knocked the Cayman Islands off the top of the league for per capita Diet Coke consumption worldwide. At 87 eight-ounce servings on average per person annually, Northern Ireland gulps down twice as much of the low-calorie soft drink as the Republic.

The marketing team of Coca-Cola Ireland had a strong input into devising the latest Diet Coke television advertising campaign, begun this week. They worked with counterparts in several other European countries in shaping the new series of three storyline ads. The first ad, Introduction, was screened on Monday evening on Network Two during Home and Away and Ally McBeal.

The Diet Coke break is the central theme of the TV ad campaign, which is set in a standard-looking office and features five characters. The generic office setting and flirtatious behaviour of the characters fits into a well-established genre in television workplace-based drama and comedy series. The opening scene shows three female workmates taking their everyday afternoon break by the Diet Coke vending machine, when they are introduced to Matthew, the new IT manager, who is being shown around by the boss. We are given clear signals of the instant attraction between Matthew and one of the women, and this love interest will be developed as the story unfolds in the second and third ads or episodes, Close Friends and Love Letter. The character who is likely to get the most attention, like his predecessor the window cleaner, is the IT manager Matthew. This column's qualitative research suggests that he would be a welcome addition in most offices.

Linking into the continuing 1970s fashion revival, the music for the ad is a rerecording of Donna Summer's 1970 disco hit Love to Love You Baby, performed by chart-toppers The Honeyz. It is the first time this song has been re-recorded and it has not been released by The Honeyz - yet.